The Preamble quote that most specifically refers to natural rights: "[T]hey are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
John Locke was one of the first of the Enlightenment era philosophers. The Enlightenment's emphasis on reason was in contrast to superstition and traditional beliefs. The Scientific Revolution had shown that there are natural laws in place in the physical world and in the universe at large. Applying similar principles to matters like government and society, using reason will guide us to the best ways to operate politically so as to create the most beneficial conditions for society. This included a conviction that all human beings have certain natural rights which are to be protected and preserved. Locke's ideal was one that promoted individual freedom and equal rights and opportunity for all. Each individual's well-being (life, health, liberty, possessions) should be served by the way government and society are arranged.
The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought betweenRome and Carthage from 264 BC to 146 BC. At the time, they were probably the largestwars that had ever taken place. The term Punic comes from the Latin word Punicus (or Poenicus), meaning "Carthaginian", with reference to the Carthaginians' Phoenician ancestry.
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America has always been against immigration. Even as it was being built on the backs of immigrants from Europe, the colonists who were already here despised them. Xenophobia has been a part of American culture since it was founded. This long history with anti-immigration and nationalism coupled with white supremacy makes many Americans wary toward immigrants today.
