History of Human Rights

The History of Human Rights

1. Ancient and Classical Roots

• Mesopotamia (c. 1754 BCE): The Code of Hammurabi is one of the earliest written legal codes. It established rules for justice, though rights were limited to certain classes.
  
  

• Persian Empire (c. 539 BCE): The Cyrus Cylinder (Cyrus the Great of Persia) proclaimed freedom of religion and the end of slavery for conquered peoples.
  
  

• Ancient Greece and Rome:
  
  

  • Greeks discussed concepts of natural law and citizenship.
    
    

  • Romans developed the Twelve Tables and the idea of universal law, influencing later ideas of legal rights.
    
    

2. Religious and Medieval Influences

• Christianity, Judaism, and Islam emphasised human dignity, charity, and justice.
  
  

• Magna Carta (1215, England): Limited the king’s power and established that even rulers must follow the law.
  
  

• Natural Law thinkers (Thomas Aquinas, 13th century) argued that rights come from reason and nature, not just rulers.
  
  

3. Early Modern Developments (1600s–1700s)

• English Bill of Rights (1689): Gave Parliament power over the monarchy, affirmed rights like free speech in Parliament.
  
  

• Enlightenment philosophers:
  
  

  • John Locke argued people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property.
    
    

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau promoted ideas of freedom and democracy.
    
    

• American Revolution (1776): The Declaration of Independence proclaimed “unalienable Rights” of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
  
  

• French Revolution (1789): The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen affirmed liberty, equality, and fraternity.
  
  

4. 19th Century Expansions

• Abolition of slavery: Gradual abolition across Europe and the Americas (e.g., Britain 1833, USA 1865).
  
  

• Workers’ rights: Industrial Revolution led to calls for fair labour laws and union rights.
  
  

• Women’s rights movements: Began to push for property rights, education, and suffrage.
  
  

5. 20th Century and World Wars

• After WWI: The League of Nations established, with limited success in protecting minority and labour rights.
  
  

• After WWII (1945):
  
  

  • Horrors of the Holocaust spurred global action.
    
    

  • Creation of the United Nations (1945) to promote peace and protect rights.
    
    

  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948): A landmark document affirming rights for all people regardless of race, gender, or nation.
    
    

6. Modern Human Rights Movement

• Civil Rights Movement (1950s–60s): Martin Luther King Jr. and others fought for racial equality in the USA.
  
  

• Decolonisation (1940s–70s): Newly independent nations demanded recognition of political and cultural rights.
  
  

• Women’s rights: Expanded to include workplace equality, reproductive rights, and protection against violence.
  
  

• Children’s rights: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).
  
  

• Ongoing struggles: Refugee rights, Indigenous rights, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental rights, and digital privacy.
  
  

• Summary Timeline. 

• Research 1 of the following and make summary notes of it's features. 

• 1754 BCE – Code of Hammurabi
  
  

• 539 BCE – Cyrus Cylinder (Persia)
  
  

• 1215 CE – Magna Carta (England)
  
  

• 1689 – English Bill of Rights
  
  

• 1776 – US Declaration of Independence
  
  

• 1789 – French Declaration of Rights of Man
  
  

• 1948 – Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  
  

• 1989 – UN Convention on the Rights of the Child