John Locke's idea that there were basic human rights that could not be denied became part of the United States Declaration of Independence.
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that "all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This last quote refers directly to Locke's idea of basic human rights. In this case, unalienable rights and basic human rights are synonymous.
