(short definition)
Natural Rights and Article I
The addition of the three post-Civil War amendments to the Bill of Rights formally and legally recognized the civil rights of African Americans. These rights can be seen as an extension of the “natural rights” promised in the Declaration of Independence. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments demonstrated the need of the federal government to adapt to a changing time and attitudes. These amendments expanded the idea of liberty and rights towards one specific group and was the closest the Constitution came to recognizing the “natural rights” of African Americans.
Compare that approach to that of the Massachusetts State Constitution, adopted in 1780. Unlike the United States Constitution, in which the rights of the individuals were added last to the document under the Bill of Rights, the Massachusetts constitution begins with a list of the fundamental rights of the people living there.
Article I of the Massachusetts constitution states:
“All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, possessing, and protecting property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness.”
Unlike the Bill of Rights in which amendments have been added as needed, Article I succeeded in defining more clearly the idea of “natural rights” as first expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Natural rights are those “inalienable rights” that all people are born with. For example, just three years after the state constitution was approved, slavery was declared unconstitutional in Massachusetts. It would take almost another 100 years for the federal government to take the same stand.
Natural rights refer to the inherent rights that all individuals are born with, such as the right to life, liberty, and property. These rights are considered to be fundamental and cannot be taken away or restricted by any government or authority.
Article I of the Massachusetts State Constitution, adopted in 1780, emphasizes the concept of natural rights. It declares that all men are born free and equal and have certain natural, essential, and unalienable rights. These rights include the right to enjoy and defend one's life and liberties, acquire and protect property, and seek safety and happiness.
In comparison, the United States Constitution initially did not explicitly list natural rights but instead included them as amendments under the Bill of Rights. It was only through the post-Civil War amendments, namely the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth, that the civil rights of African Americans were legally recognized. These amendments expanded the concept of liberty and rights to include a specific group and were the closest the Constitution came to acknowledging the natural rights of African Americans.
While the United States Constitution adapted and added amendments as needed, the Massachusetts State Constitution clearly defined the concept of natural rights from the beginning. This approach led to the early abolition of slavery in Massachusetts, highlighting the state's commitment to upholding natural rights.