History of Human Rights: A Detailed Summary

The development of human rights has a long and interesting history.  In general, human rights are understood to be the rights provided to individuals which protect them from persecution or mistreatment by others or governments.  They describe how we all expect to be treated with a focus on human dignity and respect.  Human rights have developed throughout history and emerged from several major historical time periods, including: ancient history, the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Enlightenment, American Revolution, French Revolution, modern genocides, and World War II.

HUMAN RIGHTS – ANCIENT HISTORY

While, modern human rights emerged mostly out of the timeframe after the Middle Ages, it is also important to note the significance of ancient historical contributions.  For instance, one of the earliest examples of rights being discussed in human history was the Code of Hammurabi.  In general, the Code of Hammurabi is a set of laws from the ancient Mesopotamian kingdom of Babylon, and dates from about 1754 BC.  Hammurabi was the Babylonian king at the time, and created the code to set down laws, punishments and rights related to the people of the kingdom.  While not a definitive set of rights, the Code of Hammurabi is significant because it is one of the oldest known examples of the establishment of rights, especially in relation to the social and gender differences that existed in society.Another example of human rights in ancient history is the Cyrus Cylinder from ancient Iran, which was the location of the Persian Empire.  The Cyrus Cylinder is a clay cylinder that dates from approximately the 6^th century BC.  Around its exterior is writing that explains declarations made by the Persian king Cyrus the Great.  Cyrus the Great is famous for founding the Achaemenid Empire, which is today considered to be the first Persian Empire.  The actual text of the Cyrus Cylinder discusses several matters but historians consider it to be one of the first texts related to human rights.  For instance, the cylinder discusses the idea of religious freedom, equality rights and the banning of certain forms of persecution.

Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome also played an important role in the eventual development of human rights.  For example, Ancient Greece is often credited with the concept of ‘natural law’.  Simply put, natural law is idea that there is an order to the world that all things and people must follow.  Ancient Greeks used this concept to apply understanding to their views on justice and government.  Ancient Rome also used this understanding of natural law.  For example, famous Roman philosopher Cicero, wrote about the concept of natural law as a basis for uniting people in society and the foundation of justice.  This is important because while Cicero lived from 106 BC until 43 BC, his ideas were studied extensively in the timeframe of the Italian Renaissance, which also proved to be significant in the development of human rights.  Some historians view natural law as an early stepping stone towards the development of human rights, which came in the centuries that followed.  

HUMAN RIGHTS – MIDDLE AGES AND RENAISSANCE

Throughout most of human history there were no or very limited human rights.  For example, during the Middle Ages, most people in Europe lived within the system of feudalism.  Feudalism was a societal system that involved people being ranked into different classes. Under feudalism, the government was dominated by an absolute monarch, in which all power was held within a single king or queen.  Under this system, the average citizen was denied basic human rights, because the monarch held all or most of the authority within society.  As such, the king could pass laws and carry out actions that today would be considered a violation of our human rights.  This is important to understand, because one of the first documents to ever protect rights was the Magna Carta Libertatum.

The Magna Carta Libertatum (more commonly known as ‘Magna Carta’) was an important document related to human rights from England.  The term ‘Magna Carta Libertatum’ translates to ‘the Great Charter of Liberties’ and was a charter of rights agreed to by King John of England in 1215.  John was a relatively unpopular king and was pressured by powerful land owners to limit the powers of the monarchy in favor of more individual rights in the form of the Magna Carta.  As a result, the Magna Carta was a significant document in the history of the development of human rights and is still viewed today as a major foundation of modern human rights.

Another important step towards the modern concept of human rights was the development of humanism in the timeframe of the European Renaissance. The Renaissance is an important event in European history that stretched from the 14th century to the 17th century.  It was preceded by the Middle Ages in Europe and eventually led to the major events of the Age of Enlightenment.  In historical terms the Renaissance is important because it led to a major shift in European thought and worldview. One such new idea or worldview that developed during the time of the Renaissance was called humanism. In general, Renaissance Humanism was the study of ancient Greek and Roman texts with the goal of promoting new norms and values in society.  These norms and views varied from those at the time because they focused less heavily on a religious worldview.  Instead, Renaissance humanists such as Petrarch used ancient texts to promote a worldview based on logic and reason.  This development of humanism helped to limited the extent of feudalism in Europe at the time, and as a result led to the development of more freedom and rights for people.  As such, historians consider the advent of Renaissance Humanism important to the study of the history of human rights.

HUMAN RIGHTS – AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT

While there were several earlier examples (such as the Magna Carta), the modern concept of universal human rights ultimately began with the events of the Age of Enlightenment.  The Enlightenment, occurred during the 18th century and is known as a time of great change and new ideas.  Specifically, the Enlightenment involved an intellectual movement, in which famous thinkers and philosophers challenged some of the basic foundations of society, including: role of the government, basic human nature, sources of authority and ideas centered on liberty.  As such, the foundational ideas of human rights emerged out of this exploration of society.  For instance, famous Enlightenment philosopher, John Locke, discussed the idea of natural rights in his writing from the 17^th century.  Locke was an English philosopher that believed that people possessed natural rights such as ‘life, liberty, and estate’, which he argued could not be taken by any form of authority.  Another prominent Enlightenment-era philosopher was Thomas Paine.  Paine lived from 1737 until 1809 and was born in England, but is most famous for his contributions to the discussion of liberty that resulted in the events of the American Revolution. His first major contribution to the American Revolution came shortly after the Battles of Lexington and Concord when he wrote “Common Sense”. This 30-page pamphlet argued that Americans should not be content with simply not paying taxes to the British, but that the rebels should fight for outright autonomy from the motherland.  As such, the ideas of Thomas Paine are often linked to the notion of individual liberty and human rights.

As stated above, the ideals of the Enlightenment and Enlightenment philosophers led to both the American Revolution and the French Revolution.  Both of these events are important to the discussion of the development of human rights because they involved the creation of important documents on the establishment of rights.  For example, the American Revolution occurred from 1765 until 1783 and saw the American colonies revolt against British rule.  During this time, several significant documents were drafted, that related to human rights.  The most important of which was the United States Declaration of Independence.  This document was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson and formally ratified on July 4^th, 1776.  The United States Declaration of Independence is important because it was centered on the idea of human rights for the people, especially in relation to the government.  For example, the Declaration of Independence famously states “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”.  This sentiment helped to push the British out of America and ultimately resulted in the establishment of the United States of America as an independent nation.  Therefore, historians generally view the United States Declaration of Independence as a pivotal document in the history of the development of human rights.

Following the events of the American Revolution, another major conflict erupted in France.  The French Revolution unfolded as a series of major events from 1789 until 1799.  In general, the French Revolution saw the members of the Third Estate in France revolt against the authority of King Louis XVI and the estates system.  Similar to the American Revolution, the revolutionaries in France produced a significant document that promoted the concept of rights against the government.  In France, this document was called the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and was adopted on August 26th, 1789, by the National Assembly.  The Declaration was written by Marquis de Lafeyette, a French military officer who fought in the American Revolution and was inspired by the ideals of liberty expressed by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.  The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was vitally important to the French Revolution because it directly challenged the authority of Louis XVI. For example, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen set out a series of individual rights protected by law.  Today, many historians view the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen as an important document in both the history of the French Revolution and the history of democracy and individual rights in the world.

The idea of human rights continued to develop throughout the timeframe of the 18^th and 19^th centuries with philosophers such as John Stuart Mill.  For instance, the ideas of John Stuart Mill played an important role in the development of liberalism.  Mill, who was a British philosopher, published a famous essay in 1859 on the idea of individual rights and the role of government.  Titled ‘On Liberty’, the essay expresses Mill’s beliefs that the rights of individuals should be extended to the greatest extent possible.  For example, he argued for limited government intervention in the lives of citizens and promoted the idea that the government should only seek to protect: rule of law, private ownership, and the security of the individual.  Further to this idea, Mill was a strong supporter of freedom of speech.  He argued against governments censoring the views of citizens and supported the idea that people should be allowed to express their views regardless of if they are supported by the rest of society.

HUMAN RIGHTS – MODERN TIMES

With this said, the 19^th century and early 20^th century was a difficult time period for the development and establishment of human rights for all people.  This is exemplified by issues related to child labor, slavery, war crimes, genocides and war.  First, child labor was a major issue during the timeframe of the Industrial Revolution in both England and the United States.  Child labor was especially common in the late 18th century, during the early years of the Industrial Revolution.  At the time, industrial cities and towns grew dramatically due to the migration of farmers and their families who were looking for work in the newly developed factories and mines.  Child labor was a human rights issue at this time, due to the poor treatment given to the children working in the factories.  Second, slavery was another issue related to human rights at the time.  For example, during the time of the Atlantic Slave Trade, approximately 12 million to 20 million Africans were put on slave ships, sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and sold into slavery in the New World.  Third, human rights issues were thrust into the forefront of humanity in the early 20^th century with the events of both World War I and World War II.  During the first few decades of the 20^th century, the world was faced with several significant genocides, war crimes, and conflicts, which caused people to suffer a loss of their basic human rights.  This included events such as: Ukraine Famine, Holocaust, and Nanking Massacre.  In fact, these events were important for the eventual development of modern human rights.

Both the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were created following the events of World War II and the Holocaust.  In fact, these two major world events were important in the creation of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, because the world sought to prevent other such events from occurring again.  This is best evidenced in the United Nations Charter, which is the document that was created at the establishment of the United Nations in 1946.  For example, at its creation, people hoped the United Nations Charter “reaffirmed faith in fundamental human rights, and dignity and worth of the human person”.  As well, it promoted the idea of “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion”.  As such, the terrible genocide of the Holocaust, which was carried out by Nazi Germany, caused nations to want to establish a universal set of rights that could set out a basic agreement on respect for human rights.

Therefore, in 1946, members of the United Nation set out by creating the Commission on Human Rights, which was a committee of 18 different members.  Eleanor Roosevelt, who was an important American political figure and the wife of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, led the Commission on Human Rights.  The commission met several times over the next few months and drafted the main declarations present in the document.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created by the United Nations during its third General Assembly on December 10^th, 1948.  At the time, the UN was made up of 58 different member nations.  Of these 58 different member nations, 48 voted for the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while eight nations abstained from voting and two others did not vote.  The majority of countries that abstained from voting were from the Soviet-bloc of nations in Europe who likely objected to some of the freedoms declared in the document.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is important today because it was the first ever document that listed universal rights and set out a basic framework in which nations could ensure the protection of human rights for their own citizens.

Another important aspect of human rights that emerged following World War II was the establishment of the Hague Conventions and Geneva Conventions.  For example, the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 at The Hague in the Netherlands, established several ‘laws of war’.  This was the first instance of formal agreements between countries about what was considered to be a war crime.  Another example was the Geneva Conventions, which were a series of treaties from 1864 to 1949, that established a framework for international law.  Every member country of the United Nations agreed to the terms of the Geneva Conventions at this time, and established the different types of war crimes.  As such, there are several different types of acts that can be considered war crimes, including: willful killing of innocent civilians, mistreatment or killing of prisoners of war, taking hostages, torture and rape, use of child soldiers, destruction of civilian property, theft of civilian property and goods, and misleading or hiding intentions of war.

Throughout the remainder of the 20^th century, the idea of fundamental and universal human rights remained an important topic.  For example, the United Nations continues to deal with human rights issues across the world today and works to unite people in solving the different issues.  This can be seen in more modern genocides and war crimes, such as the Rwanda Genocide.  However, other modern issues related to human rights also include: women’s rights, poverty, modern slavery, modern child labor, voting rights, and more.  To deal with these more modern issues, the United Nations established the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on March 15^th, 2006.  The goal of the UNHRC is to deal with claims of United Nations member nations and human rights violations.