A written statement that explains the basic freedoms and rights of citizens is generally called a bill of rights. In the United States the term describes the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Among other things, those amendments guarantee freedom of religion, speech, and public assembly. The British Bill of Rights was passed by Parliament in 1689. The major purpose of the bill was to limit the authority of the king.

History

For most of human history there was no thought given to the rights of individual citizens. In ancient and medieval societies the state was usually regarded as supreme. This meant that citizens could exercise rights only with the permission of the government. The state could withdraw or alter rights at any time.

This attitude began to change in the late Middle Ages. In England, to balance the king's growing power, nobles forced King John in 1215 to sign a statement guaranteeing certain rights. The king could not interfere with these rights except through legal procedures. The document King John signed was called the Magna Carta, or Great Charter.

During the following centuries the idea of rights became linked in many countries with the struggle for a government that represented the people. The struggle for self-government in England, the United States, and France and later in other countries led to a number of bills of rights being drawn up. These included the English Bill of Rights (1689), Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), French Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789), and the United States Bill of Rights (1791). All had far-reaching influence.

United States Bill of Rights

When the colonies in North America rebelled against British rule, many of them put lists of rights in their constitutions. But the men who wrote the United States Constitution in 1787 took most of these rights for granted and did not include them in the Constitution. This alarmed many Americans, who feared that without such a bill the government could deny them their newly won freedom. Virginia and many other states insisted that a bill of rights be added to the Constitution. Their demands resulted in the first ten amendments, which guarantee the rights of individual citizens. In 1791 the Bill of Rights was adopted and approved by the states.

The rights stated in the United States Constitution are not considered absolute under all circumstances. Freedom of speech and of the press, for example, do not allow a citizen to incite a riot or to make untrue statements that cause damage. Freedom of religion does not support such practices as multiple marriages or allow parents to ignore laws about child labor or education on religious grounds.

International documents

Many other countries have similar statements that apply to their own citizens. In addition, there have been many attempts to address the issue of human rights on a broader scale.

During the 19th century a number of treaties aimed to abolish the slave trade and slavery in the Western world. Later, in 1926, the League of Nations approved the International Slavery Convention. Signers agreed to suppress the slave trade and to work for the abolition of slavery wherever it existed.After World War I a series of so-called minorities treaties were drawn up to protect the rights of ethnic groups in Central and Eastern Europe.

In 1948 the United Nations published the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a standard for all countries. It includes the right to leave one's country and return to it, to take part in government, to work, to have an adequate standard of living, to have social security, and to have access to an education. The declaration also includes statements on the rights of children.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not a treaty. It does not, therefore, have the force of law in any country. Nonetheless, governments and international organizations have used the declaration to judge how well human rights are observed around the world.

Another document, known as the Helsinki Accords, was drawn up by 35 nations that met in Helsinki, Finland, in 1975. The document was also not legally binding on the nations that signed it. Instead, it was an attempt to set down principles of cooperation in Europe and to assure peace. The accords confirmed the basic human rights of free speech, conscience, and religion and the rights of minorities.