A message from Fairfax GOP Chairwoman Katie Gorka.

Dear Friends,

We “can not be considered as a conquered Country” because we are “Descendants not of the Conquered, but of the Conquerors.”

— The Fairfax Resolves, July 18, 1774

With these words, George Washington and George Mason kicked off a meeting of Fairfax citizens at Mount Vernon to fight for the very things Fairfax Republicans fight for today: representation in government, fair taxation, rule of law, and control over our businesses.

In the summer of 1774, tensions with Britain reached a breaking point after the Boston Tea Party and the harsh Coercive Acts. The freeholders of Fairfax County refused to remain silent. At meetings held in what is now Alexandria, they produced one of the most influential documents of the pre-Revolutionary era: the Fairfax Resolves. Primarily drafted by George Mason at his Gunston Hall estate and refined with the help of George Washington during a visit to Mount Vernon on July 17, these 24 resolutions were adopted on July 18, 1774.

The Resolves asserted that colonists could be governed only by laws to which they had consented through their freely chosen representatives. They condemned taxation without representation, the suspension of trial by jury, and the punishment of Boston. Most powerfully, they called for colonial unity, non-importation of British goods, aid to the people of Boston, and the convening of a Continental Congress. These ideas spread rapidly, shaping Virginia’s own association and serving as a model for the Continental Association adopted later that year. In Fairfax County, the intellectual and moral groundwork for American independence was laid.

Fairfax County’s contributions were not limited to words on paper. George Washington’s beloved Mount Vernon—still standing proudly along the Potomac—served as both home and headquarters for revolutionary thought. Washington, a Fairfax County vestryman and militia leader, helped steer the county’s resistance while preparing for the larger struggle ahead. Just a short distance away at Gunston Hall, George Mason, often called the “Forgotten Founder,” lived and worked. His Virginia Declaration of Rights, drafted in 1776, became the direct inspiration for the Bill of Rights and enshrined principles of individual liberty that define America to this day.

Fairfax County’s citizens answered the call with action as well. In September 1774, Fairfax residents formed one of Virginia’s first independent volunteer militia companies, ready to defend their rights by force if necessary. Throughout the war, Fairfax men served in Continental regiments and local militias, while the broader community supported the cause through supplies and steadfast resolve.

Today, as we celebrate America’s 250th, Fairfax County’s legacy is alive and urgent. We must reanimate that spirit of unity, courage, and commitment to self-government, fair taxation, and rule of law.

With a near total monopoly of power, Fairfax County Democrats have increased spending and taxes, eroded the rule of law, and encroached on our individual freedoms across a broad range of issues. Let us take our inspiration from George Washington and George Mason and their Fairfax County neighbors 250 years ago and remind ourselves that freedom is not upheld and defended in Washington DC or Richmond alone, but in local precincts, and in the determination of neighbors who choose liberty over comfort.

The Resolves of 1774 were not the end of the story—they were the beginning of a continuing American experiment. As we honor 250 years of freedom, let us carry forward that same bold vision: to defend the Founders’ notion that government is there to defend our rights, not to grant them to us or encroach on them. Work with us, at the Fairfax GOP, to ensure that the promise of America grows ever brighter for generations yet to come. From the neighborhoods of Fairfax to the heart of the nation, let’s keep the flame that was lit in 1776 burning for generations to come.

Happy 250th, America!

And remember… on September 19th, the Fairfax GOP will be hosting the Fairfax County Freedom 250 Gala. For all details and ticket purchase, click here.

Katie
Katie Gorka
Chairwoman, Fairfax GOP