The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Rights of Man and the Citizen compared to The U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
Two early American documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence have, over the past 200 years, influenced a great number of democratic ideas and institutions. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights share many obvious similarities to both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was written by the Marquis de Lafayette, approved by the National Assembly of France in 1789, and gave meaning to the revolutionary cry "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity." The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written on December 10, 1948 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Its purpose was to make known the "standards" for living set by the members of the United Nations.
Although there are many similarities between the two American documents and the two later documents, only four are the most impacting and relevant. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 17.1, "Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others." This is taken from the Declaration of Independence, "...that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." At the time of the Declaration of Independence, the pursuit of happiness referred to the right to own land, or the right to be/become someone. Accordingly, this important issue is addressed in both documents; that every man has the privilege to own land. Another point is brought up in both of the documents, and that our country consistently prides itself on is the freedom of religion. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that, "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or...
More North American History
essays:
A Step of Equality and Freedom for African Americans
... back equality and freedom to those who were robbed of it. During the time before the Emancipation Proclamation African Americans were under slavery, and as slaves all of the rights of the constitution were out of their ...
American Bill of Rights Origin. This paper is comparing the American Bill of Rights, The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citzen, and the English bill of Rights.
... of Rights is the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens. This was written August 26, 1789. The French National Assembly created this document after they overthrew their government, during the ...
Summary and key notes on the case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
... a member of the first-year class entering in September 1971, on the ground that the Law School admissions policy had resulted in the unconstitutional denial of his application for admission. The trial court agreed with his claim and granted ...
Positive and Negative Impacts of the Sixties Counterculture
... by American government. This court decision gave women the right to choose to end a pregnancy. The Bush administration's Christian fundamental values are infringing on the Constitutional values of America. On April 25, 2004 there is to be a national ...
The Declaration of Independence: A Closer Look
... life. The Declaration of Independence has enjoyed a long and useful career as an expression of "natural rights," providing Americans with an influential statement of their national doctrine. Thomas Jefferson had no reason to believe that he was writing a document ...
United States and the Great War
... accept the "covenant" of the League of Nations, now known as the United Nations. Wilson tried to push the Treaty of Versailles to the Senate on July 10, 1919, but members of the Senate ...
The title is "The Declaration of Independence." It is about the signing of the declaration from the perspective of a person living in July 5, 1776, the day after it was signed.
... writing and adopting the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims that the thirteen colonies in which we live are indeed one new nation, forever free and independent from ...
Frederick Douglas, one of the foremost leaders of the abolitionist movement
... an independent thinker and courageous spokesman for black liberty and equality. By this time in his career, his newspaper became the nation's best known black newspaper. Douglass was free to attack slavery with all of the power ...