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== Early History==

== Early History==

In England as with much of the medieval world until the 16th century, people accepted the view called the "devine right of kings" to govern.  Monarchs claimed that God gave kings the right to govern, and the king would then grant rights, privileges and titles to people.  To the extent that the English people enjoyed freedoms, it was because '''the King of England''' had signed the [[Magna Carta]].  Because rights did not inherently belong to each individual under that current framework, English society accepted many inequities that would not be accepted today, such as slavery, indentured servitude, and limited rights for women.

In England as with much of the medieval world until the 16th century, people accepted the view called the "devine right of kings" to govern.  Monarchs claimed that God gave kings the right to govern, and the king would then grant rights, privileges and titles to people.  To the extent that the English people enjoyed freedoms, it was because '''the King of England''' had signed the [[Magna Carta]].  Because rights did not inherently belong to each individual under that current framework, English society accepted many inequities that would not be accepted today, such as [[slavery]], [[indentured servitude]], and limited rights for women (though women's rights differ from men's, rightfully falling within the [[Gender_roles#Gender_Roles_in_the_Bible|bounds ordained by God]])

The concept of unalienable rights in America extends as far back as 1620, when the first Pilgrims arrived on the shores of what is now [[Massachusetts]], in search of religious freedom. According to Governor [[William Bradford]], it was the unending attack on the rights of religious minorities in [[Britain]] which convinced the [[Pilgrims]] that leaving [[England]] was the only way to secure their liberties:  

The concept of unalienable rights in America extends as far back as 1620, when the first Pilgrims arrived on the shores of what is now [[Massachusetts]], in search of religious freedom. According to Governor [[William Bradford]], it was the unending attack on the rights of religious minorities in [[Britain]] which convinced the [[Pilgrims]] that leaving [[England]] was the only way to secure their liberties: