If someone were to ask you what your fundamental rights as an American are, how would you answer? Many people cite freedom of religion or the right to bear arms as their fundamental American rights. However, those rights are in the Constitution, specifically, the Bill of Rights ratified in 1791. Our country was born in 1776 on the fundamental rights in the Declaration of Independence: the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What the Declaration Meant, Then and Now
Walter Isaacson, in his book “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written” (The Greatest Sentence Ever Written (2025), Simon & Schuster), devotes a section to the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, specifically property. He notes that our Founders studied John Locke’s theory of justice, which claims that if YOU own your possessions (not the government), you preserve your liberty and individual rights (Isaacson, p. 25). Isaacson interprets Jefferson’s formulation as, “the pursuit of happiness is just a simpler way to say all of that. It is your right—and your opportunity—to seek fulfillment, meaning and well-being however you personally see fit.” (Isaacson, p.26)
I agree with Locke, but not necessarily Isaacson. Today’s culture interprets “however you personally see fit” as “I can do and have whatever I want, when and how I want it, without regard to law.”
Understanding the Pursuit of Happiness
When I teach teens this phrase, I start by telling them what it is NOT, i.e., the government buying you a cell phone, paying for your college, or ensuring that you reach a state of contentment.
Certainly, our Founding Fathers believed that We the People are responsible for our own happiness. How we achieve this is a matter of personal faith and freedom to pursue our individual goals. The Founders structured a government (liberty under law) that allows us to choose our path in life and to develop the discipline necessary to get there. Although imperfectly applied by imperfect humans, when we achieve our goals, the fruits of our labor are ours to enjoy and do not belong to the government. They belong to us.
Preserving Life, Liberty, Property, and Happiness
If we remember that life, liberty, and property depend on personal responsibility and the rule of law, we preserve both individual fulfillment and the common good.
This is Common Sense Civics and Citizenship.🇺🇸
Join the conversation! https://www.facebook.com/commonsensecivics
See also: https://civicsandcitizenship.org/rights-and-civic-responsibility/
