In Thomas Jefferson’s initial draught of the US Declaration of
Independence, inherent rights are at the forefront:
We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independant, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness;
— Thomas Jefferson, Original Rough Draught of the Declaration of Independence, June 1776
These clauses form the basis for the most quotable sentence in the
final document, where Jefferson’s original was modified by others to
read:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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.
— The US Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776
Note that “from that equal creation” became “endowed by their Creator”.