The Similarities Between Mason and Madison

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Throughout American history, many individuals have made reforms to the government. However, significant actions done by George Mason and James Madison still impact society today with the Bill of Rights and the implementation of a ‘check and balance’ government system. George Mason and James Madison were both influential figures in the creation of the United States’ government structure with their oppositions to prejudiced governments.
George Mason, a figure in American History who strongly advocated for individual freedoms and rights, strongly opposed the unjust actions committed by the British Parliament. The British government had been passing Acts against the will of the colonists, and Mason was upset by these actions.
“that the several Acts of Parliaments for raising a Revenue upon the people of America without their consent, the creating new and dangerous Jurisdictions here, the taking away our Trials by Jurys, the ordering Persons upon criminal Accusations, to be tried in another Country than that in which the Fact is charged to have been committed.”

Mason writes in his 1774 Fairfax County resolves about certain unmerited acts that Parliament performed. Mason refers to taxing without consent; enacting new jurisdictions and taking away fair trials, and the freedom of being tried in the country where the crime was committed. Since Mason supported individualist freedoms, he thought that this treatment from Parliament towards the colonies was unfair. Mason believed in a government that did not behave like Parliament did – rather one that let the people have most of the power.
While Mason believed in a government that was largely based on the people and their rights, Madison’s ideal government was one with les...

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...798, Jon Roland, The Constitution Society, 10/31/13
4. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. “James Madison,” accessed December 11, 2013
5. Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment, 2003 ed, s.v. “Madison, James" accessed December 11 2013
6. Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment, 2003 ed, s.v. “Mason, George” accessed December 07, 2013
7. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. “George Mason,” accessed December 08, 2013
8. "GEORGE MASON: TIMELINES." George Mason: Timelines. http://www.gunstonhall.org/georgemason/timeline.html (accessed December 11, 2013).
9. Jim Powell, “James Madison-Checks and Balances to Limit Government Power,” in Fee. March 01 1996,

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