The five George Masons

"[This book] provides a comprehensive overview of five generations of the Mason family, beginning with George Mason I, who fled England following the defeat of the Royalists at the second battle of Worcester in 1651, arriving in the Colony of Virginia in the early 1650s. Central to this volume, of course, is George Mason IV, who, while less celebrated than fellow Virginians George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, was one of America’s outstanding thinkers, legislators, and writers; his ideals and legacy endure to this day. First published in 1975, this new, second edition includes new material (preface, foreword, color photos, and maps) and faithfully reproduces the original’s unique genealogical charts of the Mason family. In tracing the family history of the Masons, Copeland provides important context for understanding the life and work of George Mason IV, who wrote: “All men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights.” -- Back cover.