28. Which nation's great document contains the words "...all men are created equal...with certain unalienable Rights...Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness"?
From Quiz Right or Wrong?
Answer:
United States Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence was a document compiled by representatives from the thirteen original American colonies claiming independence from the control of the British Empire. Adopted by congress in 1776, it not only listed the colonies' grievance against the British King at that time, George III, it also demanded various natural and legal rights for American colonists. This document is one of the most famous documents in the world, not only for its historical impact, but also for its emphasis on, and the clarity of, its demand for human rights. With a nod to the influence of the English philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) for his works during the Age of Enlightenment, the Declaration of Independence was drafted in the main by the great Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826).
Locke's original wording when speaking of human rights was "...life, liberty and estate...". Founding Father George Mason's (1725-1792) wording when he drafted an earlier Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776 was "...life and liberty, and the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety...". Thomas Jefferson however, in agreement with Benjamin Franklin, agreed that the concept of property should be downplayed in the new document. The result was the beautiful, and poetical sounding clarion call for human rights, "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".