--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All men are created equally free and…" description: "\"All men are created equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their poste..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/george-mason-8435_certain_all-men-are-created-equally-free-and-ind_2252374.jpg" --- # All men are created equally free and independent, and have… ![“All men are created equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; among which are the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing the obtaining of…” quote by George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/george-mason-8435_certain_all-men-are-created-equally-free-and-ind_2252374.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/george-mason-8435_certain_all-men-are-created-equally-free-and-ind_2252374.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d6/george-mason-8435_certain_all-men-are-created-equally-free-and-ind_2252374.jpg) > “All men are created equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; among which are the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing the obtaining of happiness and safety.” [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. All people are born with inherent freedoms and rights that cannot be taken away by any agreement, including life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness and safety. **In simple terms:** Everyone has inalienable rights. Key Takeaway Protect and respect inherent freedoms. Themes rights freedom equality Mood inspirational principled Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legal reform - civil activism - education - policy making Key Concepts political philosophy human rights Questions to Reflect On - How do we resolve competing rights? - What responsibilities accompany these freedoms? A Different Perspective Rights can conflict, requiring careful balancing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Compact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compact/) [Created Equally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created-equally-1330704/) [Enjoyment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoyment/) [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Equally Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equally-free-1227309/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent/) [Inherent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherent/) [Inherent Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherent-rights-3271095/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Obtaining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obtaining/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Possessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessing/) [Posterity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posterity/) [Property](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/property/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights Compact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-compact-5149738/) [Safety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safety/) ## Related quotes > [That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-sweeney-2/that-all-men-are-by-nature-equally-free-and-independent-and-have/) [John J Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-j-sweeney-2/) > [All men are by nature born equally free and independent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/all-men-are-by-nature-born-equally-free-and-independent/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [“We were created equally but differently. We compliment each other. Discover Gods deposit in you – the gem, diamond, gold or the treasure island”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-joseph/we-were-created-equally-but-differently-we-compliment-each-other/) [Ikechukwu Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-joseph/) > [“Not every human are created equally although everyone has own destiny and everyone has right to live in this universe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamaran-ihsan-salih/not-every-human-are-created-equally-although-everyone-has-own-destiny/) [Kamaran Ihsan Salih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamaran-ihsan-salih/) > [“Not all books are created equally, but, all books are created.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/love-the-stacks-bookstore/not-all-books-are-created-equally-but-all-books-are-created/) [Love The Stacks Bookstore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/love-the-stacks-bookstore/) > [We believe that all men and women are created in the image of God. We believe that we are all equally created. So the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-scott/we-believe-that-all-men-and-women-are-created-in-the-image-of-god-we/) [Tim Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-scott/) > [I believe we should work to end all racism in American society and staunchly defend the inherent rights of every person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-believe-we-should-work-to-end-all-racism-in-american-society-and/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [“Inherent rights are from God, and the tragedies of the world originate in their attempted denial.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gamaliel-harding/inherent-rights-are-from-god-and-the-tragedies-of-the-world-originate/) [Warren Gamaliel Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gamaliel-harding/) > [I think the right to read, is one of our inherent rights, and I think that people in America today are intelligent enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-cerf/i-think-the-right-to-read-is-one-of-our-inherent-rights-and-i-think/) [Bennett Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-cerf/) > [Our political and constitutional rights, so called, are but the natural and inherent rights of man, asserted, carried out, and secured by modes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-smith/our-political-and-constitutional-rights-so-called-are-but-the-natural/) [Gerrit Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-smith/) > [I believe we should work to end all racism in American society and staunchly defend the inherent rights of every person. I have clearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-believe-we-should-work-to-end-all-racism-in-american-society-and-2/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Every society, all government, and every kind of civil compact therefore, is or ought to be, calculated for the general good and safety of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/every-society-all-government-and-every-kind-of-civil-compact/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [All the citizens of a state cannot be equally powerful, but they may be equally free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/all-the-citizens-of-a-state-cannot-be-equally-powerful-but-they-may/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Not all citizens can be equally strong; but they can all be equally free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/not-all-citizens-can-be-equally-strong-but-they-can-all-be-equally/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [On a college campus, people should be equally free to be on campus, irrespective of their skin color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/on-a-college-campus-people-should-be-equally-free-to-be-on-campus/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) ## More by George Mason > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [“To disarm the people--that was the best and most effective way to enslave them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/to-disarm-the-people-that-was-the-best-and-most-effective-way-to/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [ I charge \[my sons\] never to let the motives of private interest or ambition to influence them to betray, nor the terrors of poverty… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/i-charge-my-sons-never-to-let-the-motives-of-private-interest-or/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [That general warrants, whereby an officer or messenger may be commanded to search suspected places without evidence of a fact committed, or to seize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/that-general-warrants-whereby-an-officer-or-messenger-may-be/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [Who are the militia, if they be not the people, of this country...? I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/who-are-the-militia-if-they-be-not-the-people-of-this-country-i-ask/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [To disarm the people... was the best and most effectual way to enslave them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/to-disarm-the-people-was-the-best-and-most-effectual-way-to-enslave/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [The poor despise labor when performed by slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/the-poor-despise-labor-when-performed-by-slaves/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [We owe to our Mother-Country the Duty of Subjects but will not pay her the Submission of Slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/we-owe-to-our-mother-country-the-duty-of-subjects-but-will-not-pay/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [I have been for some time in Retirement, and shall not probably return again to public Life; yet my Anxiety for my Country, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/i-have-been-for-some-time-in-retirement-and-shall-not-probably-return/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [I determined to spend the Remainder of my Days in privacy and Retirement with my Children, from whose Society alone I cou'd expect Comfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/i-determined-to-spend-the-remainder-of-my-days-in-privacy-and/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [That no man, or set of men, are entitled to exclusive or separate emoluments or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/that-no-man-or-set-of-men-are-entitled-to-exclusive-or-separate/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [That the people have a right to uniform government; and, therefore, that no government separate from, or independent of the government of Virginia, ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/that-the-people-have-a-right-to-uniform-government-and-therefore-that/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [A few years' experience will convince us that those things which at the time they happened we regarded as our greatest misfortunes have proved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/a-few-years-experience-will-convince-us-that-those-things-which-at/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [Every society, all government, and every kind of civil compact therefore, is or ought to be, calculated for the general good and safety of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/every-society-all-government-and-every-kind-of-civil-compact/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [In all our associations; in all our agreements let us never lose sight of this fundamental maxim - that all power was originally lodged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/in-all-our-associations-in-all-our-agreements-let-us-never-lose-sight/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) [Explore all 81 George Mason quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. 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It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) [T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. 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