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A Latin statement commonly used in the Middle Ages to define the purpose of government reads: servitium propter jura, non potestas praeter jura. This succinct statement translates to mean, “service to and for the sake of rights, not a power exercised beyond or outside of rights.” This age-old definition of what gains a government should work toward, coupled with a belief in the importance of universal rights, provided in essence the backbone of the American …

…the Document that marked the Birth of the United States of America. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1976. National Archives and Records Administration. 18 Jul. 2000. National Archives and Records Administration. 6 Dec. 2000 <http://www.nara.gov/exhall/exhibits.html> Office of the Secretary of State. “Center for research on Vermont.” State of Vermont, Deb Markowitz. 6 Dec. 2000. <http://www.sec.state.vt.us/speeches/centervtresearch.htm> Wills, Gary. Inventing America: Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. Garden City: Doubleday, 1978.