《美国独立宣言》的开头宣告如下:
我们认为以下真理是不言而喻的:人皆生而平等,享有造物主赋予给他们的不可剥夺的权利,包括生命、自由和追求幸福的权利。为了保障这些权利,才在人们中间建立政府,而政府之正当权力,则来自被统治者的同意。
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.