One of the most important contributions of Thomas Jefferson to the Declaration of Independence was the phrase and quotation that “all men are created equal". There is no doubt that Jefferson was heavily influenced by French philosophers, such as Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu. In their writings, those philosophers advocated that men were born free and equal. This later led to the French Revolution of 1789 and the concept of Human Rights. Jefferson may have also borrowed the expression from an Italian friend, Philip Mazzei.