Human Rights And Natural Rights

On June of 1776, the Declaration of Independence was born. Drawn up by Thomas Jefferson and based on the works of John Locke, the general purpose of the document was to clarify that governments have conditional, not absolute authority over the people; that human beings possess natural rights that can’t be taken from them and government is created to protect those rights. The phrases “unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created equal” were the main theme of the social contract written for the small colonies of what would be the basis of the United States of America to declare independence from Great Britain and its tyrannical king. However, “unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created equal” did not apply to African Americans, enslaved or free for the coming years.

Americans value to have the right of equality and liberty, unfortunately not everyone is providential or important enough in society to exceed those values. The struggle for the right of freedom has always been a part of American history and still continues into the 21st century. The country as a whole has struggled to come to an agreement as to who is worthy of equality and freedom. Throughout America, the tension of slavery and women's equality has risen until the people finally realized their worth and that they are not any less of a person because of their gender or race. American history has affected life as we know today and shows the dedication to making America the true land of the free. By comparing and contrasting the perspectives

John Locke’s stance on government provided an influential role on the founding of America. His stances on government prompted a restructuring and reorganization of government. John Locke argued that people have rights such as life, liberty, and property. These rights became known as unalienable rights, which were eventually incorporated into Bill of Rights under the fifth amendment, “no person shall be… deprived of life, liberty, or property” (3). In reference to the ideas of the enlightenment, it paralleled ideas dealing with human rights, liberty, and powers of the government. In regards to the powers of the

The United States of America is a country priding itself on providing equal opportunity for the right of life, liberty, and property. These unalienable rights, according to the Founding Fathers, were not to be taken away or denied by the American government. Also known as a natural right, the right to life can be classified as a citizen’s right to be protected by the government from abuse or death. Property classifies the right that a citizen has for owning materialistic items and land for which can be considered private. Finally, the right of liberty presented in the Constitution for a citizen refers to many different aspects ranging from freedom of speech and expression, right to bear arms, freedom of religion, freedom against search and

“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” as stated in the Constitution as well as stated by the philosopher John Locke, is the basis for the United States of America as we know it today. The notion that all humans were created equal and that all people are entitled to basic human rights came from the various experiences the colonists faced through the Revolution, which was a vital influence in the creation of the Constitution. The revolution was a key turning point in American history, it was when the American colonies rejected the ideals of the British and battled for their independence.

In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson expresses unalienable rights as a ideal for the US government. It has been argued on National Public Radio that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are essential to America’s government(Doc B). Citizens need to be able to depend on unalienable rights without doubt that the government can take them away because they are rights citizens are born with. Sullivan believed the government should “place(s) liberty at the center of its concerns” in order to give the people the rights they deserve. This shows that unalienable rights are very important to the U.S. government in order to give the people the rights they deserve; however, it is not the most important one to the American society.

These rights are the very core of American ethos. The colonizers traveled to America in hope that they would have liberty from Parliament in Great Britain. They wanted freedom to be themselves and have happiness.

During the American Revolution, the thirteen colonies needed freedom from England because of the unbearable, heavyweight taxes. The authors of the Declaration announced, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Demonstrating a quantity of Enlightenment Ideals, this quote displays the ideal of natural rights because natural rights entitle everyone to live once they are born, to do anything they want unless it conflicts with the

The people of the United States of America pride themselves on being noble and free members of an exemplary society, one with values which other countries should use as guidelines for their own government. As a general principle, the republican theory that defines America’s Constitution is one that values pluralism and diversity, and protects individuals’ rights against all kinds of government abuse. The Declaration of Independence, written as a founding document for the freedom and values that the Americas established in escaping British control, states that “We [Americans] hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Regardless of its many guarantees to personal liberty, the original Constitution was deeply flawed in its express recognition and permission of slavery. Spread out amongst the seven articles are contradictory statements regarding the treatment of slaves within the U.S. government, such as prohibiting Congress from banning the slave trade until 1808, calling non-slave states to return escaped slaves into bondage, and distributing slaves to those in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, exhibits the corruption of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness outlined in the Declaration of

There are many correlations between these works of political prose, one being the ideology of Natural Rights and the dogma that all men are created equal. Natural rights are defined as the inherent liberties that all men are equipped with, with which cannot be taken away. In John Locke’s, Second Treatise of Civil Government (1689) he outlines his belief in natural rights, “…we must consider what estate all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons as they think fit, within the hounds of the laws of Nature, without asking leave or depending upon the will of any other man,” (Locke 1). This prospect clearly resonates throughout not only Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, but also The Declaration of Independence, as Jefferson states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” (Jefferson 1). Originally adapted from Locke’s writings, Jeffersons proclamation of the

Natural rights are basic rights that all American citizens are born with, the government cannot take these rights away from you. The declaration of independence states, that the natural rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It says that these rights are unable to be taken away from us, however if we make changes to the document to curve

The year 1776 ignited the colonial rebellion from Great Britain, with colonists from the newly formed United States demanding their individual and colony’s rights. They advocated for representation, their individual rights, and the issue of sovereignty. With the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791, individual rights overall were thought to be “protected” in the newly liberated Unites States. Yet the continued limiting of women’s rights, treatment of the mentally handicapped and emancipated slaves, the individual liberties colonists believed they would gain from Britain was only for certain individuals, not all. The colonists believed that they would advance their individual rights and freedoms with their independence from Britain; though the reality was that the struggles of individual liberties continued throughout the next 100 years in different classes of citizens despite their gaining of independence from Britain.

Natural rights are inherent in human beings, not dependent on the government. Where civil liberties are regulations on the government to protect intrusion or dismissal of these rights.

American people cried to be an independent nation and to be granted voting rights. They experienced the push from Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, arguing it is simply practical knowledge that Americans should break away from Britain. America’s revolution accomplished an independent governing body and basic unalienable rights for its people. The Declaration of Independence states: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration states the rights of all humans, however only middle class white men can vote, and slavery

In 1776, the United States Declaration of Independence swore to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" for all those that live in America. In 1787, the Constitution of the United States granted the security of "the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity". It's blatantly obvious that the history of America, up until Alexis de Tocqueville wrote Democracy in America, had any of those attributes been granted wholly. Liberty is relatable to the State of Nature, John Locke describes in his Political Writings.