American patriotism is patriotism involving cultural attachment of Americans to the United States as their homeland. American patriotism has been identified by some as distinct from American nationalism because of the emphasis of American patriotism upon values rather than a commitment to a nation.Ralph Waldo Emerson described the United States as an "asylum of all nations". Official American values were laid out in the Declaration of Independence that emphasized human rights, such as declaring that "all men are created equal", that people have "inalienable rights", and that people have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" American patriotism has also focused on the principles and values of the Constitution of the United States.