Civil Rights: CIvil Rights Principles

One of the oldest works that set forth basic civil rights principles of equality. A link to the electronic King James Version of the Bible appears in the left column.

Virginia's Declaration of Rights was drawn upon by Thomas Jefferson for the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.

This document became the foundation of universal rights of human beings by stating "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 of the Rights of Man was drafted by the Marquis de Lafayette and was strongly influenced by the theories of the social contract and individualism espoused by Jean-Jacques Rousseau as well as the separation of powers theory discussed by Baron de Montesquieu. The Declaration of the Rights of Man was heavily influenced by the Virginia Declaration of Rights as well as the Dutch Patriot Movement.

This is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948.

A document of the United Nations that lays out principles of civil and political rights for all human beings.

A document of the United Nations that lays out principles of economic, social and cultrual rights for all human beings.

This Convention essentially resolves to “to adopt all necessary measures for speedily eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and manifestations, and to prevent and combat racist doctrines and practices in order to promote understanding between races and to build an international community free from all forms of racial segregation and racial discrimination.”

This is a webpage of the United Nations Human Rights, in which the basic principles of human rights are set forth.