Declaration of Independence Declaration of the Rights of Man
July 4, 1776 August 1789
Thomas Jefferson National Assembly
When in the Course of human events, it becomes 1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social
necessary for one people to dissolve the political distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.
bands which have connected them with another, 2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the
and to assume among the powers of the earth, the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are
separate and equal station to which the Laws of liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.
Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that 3. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the
they should declare the causes which impel them nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which
to the separation. does not proceed directly from the nation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all 4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which
men are created equal, that they are endowed by injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of
their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that each man has no limits except those which assure to the other
among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These
Happiness.--That to secure these rights, limits can only be determined by law.
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the 5. Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society.
governed, --That whenever any Form of Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law.
is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute new Government, laying its 6. Law is the expression of the general will… It must be the
foundation on such principles and organizing its same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being
powers in such form, as to them shall seem most equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities
likely to affect their Safety and Happiness. and to all public positions and occupations…
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments
long established should not be changed for light 7. No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in
and transient causes; and accordingly all the cases and according to forms prescribed by law. Any one
experience hath shown, that mankind are more soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any
disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned or
to right themselves by abolishing the forms to arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as
which they are accustomed. But when a long train resistance constitutes an offense.
of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the
same Object evinces a design to reduce them 8. The law shall provide for such punishments only as are
under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer
their duty, to throw off such Government, and to punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed
provide new Guards for their future security.-- and promulgated before the commission of the offense.
Such has been the patient sufferance of these
Colonies; and such is now the necessity which 9. As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been
constrains them to alter their former Systems of declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all
Government. The history of the present King of harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's person
Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and shall be severely repressed by law.
usurpations, all having in direct object the
establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these 10. No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions,
States including his religious views, provided their manifestation does
not disturb the public order established by law.
