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What is revolutionary about the rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence?

Democracies had existed before in history.  Classical Athens had a democracy.  Republics were also popular throughout history as well--most of the Founding Fathers looked to Rome as a model for their government.  What made the Declaration of Independence so unique was that it said that three basic rights--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--were given to everyone from birth.  Unlike Athens and Rome, there were to be no class distinctions in America.  While Thomas Jefferson...

Democracies had existed before in history.  Classical Athens had a democracy.  Republics were also popular throughout history as well--most of the Founding Fathers looked to Rome as a model for their government.  What made the Declaration of Independence so unique was that it said that three basic rights--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--were given to everyone from birth.  Unlike Athens and Rome, there were to be no class distinctions in America.  While Thomas Jefferson did own slaves and nearly everyone agreed that the Declaration of Independence did not apply towards women, Native Americans, and African-Americans, the document was unique in that it gave the same rights to all free men.  


Another thing that was unique and even dangerous was that the Declaration of Independence gave the people the right to overthrow their government when it was not responsive to the needs of the people.  Jefferson even lays out the case for this when he describes British practices of arbitrary taxation and quartering soldiers in the colonies.  By giving the people the right to choose their own government, Jefferson implied that government exists for the people, not people for the government.  Of course, Jefferson follows up his proclamation that the people have the right to overthrow their government with the word "prudence," which means that the people should not undertake this responsibility lightly.  

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