The Declaration of Independence states that "all Men are ... endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." But what does "unalienable Rights" mean?

Center for Civic Education

Where did the idea of universal human equality, a common American idea, come from? Religious movements in colonial America helped spread the idea of universal moral human equality, including equality among social classes. Listen to today's podcast for more!

Center for Civic Education

On Friday, we discussed the origins of Americans' sense of political equality, but our founders also possessed a strong sense of moral equality. Indeed, the idea of the moral equality of human beings has ancient origins. Listen to today's episode for more!

Center for Civic Education

The Declaration of Independence states that all men, meaning all people, are created equal. But where did this idea come from? Ideas of natural political equality were developed in seventeenth-century England and exported to its colonies across the North Atlantic. Learn more in today's episode!

Center for Civic Education

The Declaration of Independence states that among the "truths" that Americans hold to be "self-evident" is that "all Men are created equal." But what did Thomas Jefferson mean by this statement?

Center for Civic Education

Thomas Jefferson said that his purpose in writing the Declaration of Independence was to express a shared understanding of "the American mind." Over the course of a few days in June 1776, Jefferson laid out the most fundamental principles and central political beliefs of the American Revolution and of the people the Revolution created.

Center for Civic Education

Why did the writers of the Declaration of Independence "hold these Truths to be self-evident?" Among other things, these Americans were deeply influenced by the teachings of Christianity and English republicanism. Learn more in today's episode of 60-Second Civics!

Center for Civic Education

The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins like this: "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." But what does "We hold these truths to be self-evident" mean? We explain more in today's episode!

Center for Civic Education

To be an American means, among other things, to share certain fundamental ideals, values, and principles with other Americans. It's worth taking the time to examine and reaffirm our commitment to the values and principles on which our nation is founded. Today, we look back to July 4, 1776, when a group of leading American colonists gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Center for Civic Education

In light of the recent rise in violence toward Asian Americans, Justice Nakayama of the Hawai'i Supreme Court emphasizes that, "we must encourage everybody to learn, understand and deeply appreciate and embrace the rule of law in our country."

Center for Civic Education