ABSTRACT
In the 18th century the powerful white male founders in the emerging United States vigorously insisted, in struggles with British officials, on their own human and civil rights as they created one of the West's most celebrated rebellions against autocratic authority. In summer 1776 they crafted a Declaration of Independence that famously stated the "self-evident" truth that "all men are created equal" and are endowed with the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". Many other human rights are likewise stated clearly in this remarkable and influential human rights document. While western human rights concepts greatly influenced the declaration, major ethical and communal rights concepts from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America were significant in shaping its stated principles. The Chinese delegate, scholar-diplomat P. C. Chang, imbedded in it Asian understandings of humanity and human rights and duties.
