Life. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness. These freedoms we hold so dear came from a long English tradition. However, Americans shaped this history into their own philosophy by creating a recipe with humanitarian and Enlightenment ideas as the essential ingredients. The new mix called for a revolution. As leaders, Paine, Jefferson, and Crevecoeur shaped the age of liberty and revolution for the American people. Their literary works and motivating speeches illustrate their feelings on equality …showed first 75 words of 799 total…

…showed last 75 words of 799 total…words live on. Whenever an oppressed people, even within American borders, feel the need to speak out against inequality and infringements against their rights, they turn to these and other American forefathers to assert that all men and women are created equal. While historians and political scientists can argue over America's adherence to our own principles, none can contest the might of the written word. While idealistic, these words inspired millions for over two centuries.