The United States has been party to multiple international resolutions declaring the rights of human beings-for example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Geneva Convention- but ultimately American rights originate from the Bill of Rights in the American Constitution. The Bill has been tried and tested over the years, expanded and constricted by judicial interpretation, legislation, and executive implementation, but has always stood as the highest paragon of American values-justice, freedom, and equality.
The United States Bill of Rights was conceived based on many past attempts at protecting civil rights, such as The Magna Carta and state Bills of Rights, and has evolved throughout the years in order to protect the civil rights and liberties of U.S citizens. The founders were heavily influenced by the Magna Carta in the development of the first 10 amendments; many of the words within our Bill of Rights seem to almost mirror the Magna Carta’s. In addition, the founders took inspiration from many State Bills of Rights, such as Virginia’s. Virginia’s Bill of Rights, the first of its kind, declared the inherent rights of Virginians, and mankind in general such as article 9 “That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted”
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The federal Bills of Rights, for example, includes provisions such as protection against cruel and unusual punishment, protection against arbitrary arrest, and protection against property deprivation without due process of law. However the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights and State Bill of Rights have more positive than negative rights; the Universal Declaration Human Rights, for example declares the rights of workers to have periodic holidays with pay, while state Bills of Rights often declare the right to a public