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Natural Rights

Natural rights exist as inherently separate entities from the laws, customs, and beliefs of a specific culture or government - they fall under the universal spectrum of the core elements of humans that define mankind and its habitual tendencies. This concept, while ephemeral in its existence, was primarily introduced and analyzed during the Age of Enlightenment, an innovate era of thought-provoking discussion and subconscious rebellion toward traditional monarchial regimes. Thomas Hobbes, a significantly influential philosopher of the 15th century, argued that all men are born into a "natural state" - a state of freedom and liberty, completely devoid of laws. As he wrote, "It followeth, that in such a condition, every man has the right to every thing; even to one another's body. And therefore, as long as this natural Right of every man to every thing endureth, there can be no security to any man... of living out the time, which Nature ordinarily allow men to live." This theory that all men had an inherent right to material and societal wealth challenged the very foundation of the monarchial regimes, as well as the concept of divine right of kings. Additionally, this concept of natural rights rapidly evolved into a universal establishment of fundamental legal rights regarding the privileges and  freedoms of a state's people.

Natural Rights in Revolutions

Shortly after the Age of Enlightenment, the idea of natural rights provided revolutionaries with a platform upon which they based their rebellious coups against state governments. John Locke, a pronounced Western philosopher and purporter of a reasonable social contract, described the natural rights of mankind as thus: life, liberty, and property. His contention followed that if any of these rights were violated by a person's government, that person had a responsibility to revolt against his or her government, and to seek a fair, equal social contract. Consequently, several anarchical groups have been established throughout history in various efforts to reconstruct state government - efforts that ultimately led to tyrannical regimes and violent revolutions.

Natural Rights in the French Revolution

The French Revolution marks a significantly prominent event in the totality of European history - a turning point, per sé, advocating revolutionary actions against oppressive governments. The conspirators behind the French revolution were the first of their time to recognize, and consequently act on, a dictatorial regime; in essence, they were the forerunners of the European movement for natural rights - a movement resulting in several revolts across the globe. But while the French did pave the way for the pursuit of natural rights in Europe, their particular revolution, being one of the first, was conducted in bloodshed. The guillotine became an appallingly efficient instrument of terror, playing the increasingly morbid music of the suffering French. The revolutionaries' relentless search for a government that acknowledged the natural rights of its people left them blind to the actual state of France - one of fear, starvation, and hopelessness. The new government's authoritarian stance failed to recognize the importance of a properly devised social contract - one where the people live in peace, fairness, and equality. Thusly, while the French did carve out the revolutionary path for the rest of Europe, their initiative quickly led to their demise, as they were abruptly launched into an overwhelmingly chaotic situation in which the social contract instituted by the new government did not satisfy the immediate needs of its people.

Natural Rights in the Haitian and Latin American Revolutions

Both the Haitian and Latin American revolutions were generally quite similar to the French Revolution, in that their conspirators used natural rights as a social platform to manipulate public opinion and action against the ruling regimes of each nation. The Haitian revolution, widely considered to be one of the most successful slave rebellions that ever occurred in the Americas, was instigated by tyrannical slave oppression and widespread social injustice - two elements of a corrupted regime that severely encroach upon the natural rights of a man, and the freedoms he consequently demands from his government. The Haitian revolutionaries laid the groundwork for the abolishment of slavery, formally establishing the radical concept that all men - not just members of the nobility and clergy - are born into a natural state of freedom and liberty. Additionally, Latin America played a key role in solidifying the people's demands for a more equal and just government - demands that were not soon met and resulted in scattered slave revolts across several parts of South America. The pursuit for natural rights was spreading like a plague around the globe, swiftly infecting the minds of oppressed workers, slaves, and peasants, and turning them into fierce revolutionaries, hell-bent on gaining a political voice.