Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson, et al, 1776):
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Poor Richard's Almanack (Ben Franklin, 1733):
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
| healthy | life | need healthy body to stay alive |
| wealthy | liberty | freedom correlated with wealth (maybe especially in America) |
| wise | pursuit of happiness | wisdom is, in some philosophy, about pursuit of happiness |
Do these kind of rhyme?
Although Franklin was on the committee of five editing the Declaration, Jefferson wrote it, and it seems like the big influence was Locke's life, liberty, and property. That said, wikipedia suggests Franklin agreed with Jefferson about downplaying property, having written that We Live In A Society and the public has the right to tax people and their property.
Anyways, maybe three sufficiently general virtues will always seem sort of similar, this is less conspiracy than neat coincidence/parallel.
ty for coming to my schizopost!