Life, Liberty, and Happiness

Explain natural rights, and who was left out in 1776.

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 21

The Declaration's most famous words say that all men are created equal, with rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
These are natural rights. They don't come from a king. People are born with them.
Life means the right to stay alive and safe. Liberty means freedom. The pursuit of happiness means the freedom to try to build a good life. It's not a promise that you'll always be happy.
Here's the big idea: governments exist to protect these rights, and they get their power from the people. If a government destroys those rights, the people may change it.
But in 1776, the words weren't true for everyone. Jefferson wrote them while enslaving hundreds of people. Women, American Indians, and enslaved people were left out. Later, many Americans used these same words to demand that the promise be kept.

Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:

SS4CG1.a — Natural rights as found in the Declaration of Independence (the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness)