Why Human Rights Were Invented

Why do we have human rights, and how do they come about? This article will focus on the primary topic of human rights, which originated in the legacy of the French Revolution (1789 to 1799).

The revolutionary principles are the belief that the fundamental rights of liberty, equality, and fraternity are universal to all French citizens.

(Here is my behind the paywall link.)

These rights and beliefs spread from France and the United States to the rest of the world.

The principles of citizenship, universal human rights, and a representative government come from two places: one is the legacy of the French Revolution, and the second is founded in the American Revolution from 1775 to 1783, which inspired the French Revolution.

It’s relevant for readers interested in history and its historical context. Representative government in Europe mainly originates in the kingdom of England, particularly the legacy of Magna Carter in 1216, signed by King John of England, which is the origins of modern representative government.

In the words of Abraham Lincoln, ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth’.

If you would like to know more about representative government and the English constitution, I strongly recommend watching the video by the eminent historian David Starkey called ‘England is a Crowned Republic’; here is the link.