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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.

These statements illustrate the idea of natural rights, a philosophical concept coming into favor in America as well as elsewhere. Many of the ideas in the Declaration were, in fact, borrowed from John Locke, a prominent philosopher of the time. (In fact, Jefferson was accused of quoting him verbatim!)

The phrase has since been considered a hallmark statement in democratic constitutions and similar human rights instruments, many of which have adopted the phrase (or similar variants). Examples:

• Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen ( 1789), article 1: Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions can be founded only on the common utility.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights ( 1948), article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights