Declaration Of Independence: Conescending Concepts Of Equality

The Southern states wanted to include slaves (who could not vote) in their population counts to increase their numbers of representatives but the Northern states did not support slavery and did not want to give the South too much power. The three-fifths compromise solved the issue of determining state population for assigning the number of representatives in the House for each state. It said that all slaves were worth three-fifths of a free person and this was added to the number of free people to create a population count. This was the method used for determining population for direct taxes as well. This allowed the South to make up forty-seven percent of the house so they were able to protect their own

In 1776, the Continental congress elected that Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston help write what many now know today to be The Declaration of Independence. The whole point of this document being written was to declare to Great Britain and King George III that the British colonies in North America would no longer be a part of Great Britain, but rather of their own free states, thus creating the United States of America and declaring independence from Great Britain. Because of what The Declaration of Independence stood for, it has been regarded highly throughout American

The Declaration of Independence has been considered one of the most, if not the most, influential documents in American history. Over the course of over 200 years the ideas imprinted on the document have been the basis of what the citizens of the U.S. have believed to be the ideal government relationship to the people. What people seem to understand is that each of these ideals are extremely important to the outline of the government. These 4 ideals consist of Equality, consent of the governed, unalienable rights, and , most importantly, the right to alter or abolish government.

When an individual is born, they are automatically given human rights. Human rights are rights that are entitled to every human regardless of sex, race, ethnic origin, or status. Within our Nation, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were very important documents that changed how we lived. These documents were established on the foundation of human rights because of how essential every man was in the country. Human rights play a major role within our life but not everyone is aware of them. These documents made it clear that human rights allow us to be who we are as an individual and led us to a more equal lifestyle.

Egalitarian is the belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, economic, or social life. (Dictionary.com, 2011) As the Declaration of Independence suggests, every man in America does start out with rights like any other man. What they do with these unalienable rights, though, is what determines their social, financial, and political prominence later in life. America allows the freedom for people to get ahead by creating their own opportunities, and by creating an equal platform of education to jump off of.

The US Constitution, The Declaration of Independence as well as the Letter to the Danbury Baptist are not just historical documents, but some of if not the most important documents of the history of our nation. Although, similar in many facets the intentions and the goal pursued by each highlight their individuality. The fact that the Declaration of Independence was the first to be implemented and signed is of significant importance as it set the pace and put in motion the proceeding documents that followed. Ultimately, my goal is to not only show their comparisons or where they may contrast, but to highlight what makes these documents profound and therefore still relative and valid even today.

The Crucible is a play that takes place in Salem, Massachusetts during the year 1692 and in short contains Abigail the Reverend’s niece accusing several women of practicing witchcraft. This leads to a witch-hunt. John Proctor and his wife Elisabeth realize that Abigail, with whom John once had an affair with, started all this in order to get Elizabeth hung in order for her to be able to get back together with John. Trying to save his wife’s life John testifies in court about the affair. Elizabeth trying to save her husband, and not knowing he admitted to it, denies it causing John to be accused of witchcraft. John was offered the chance to sign a confession and save his life but refuses to do so as he is concerned over the innocent citizens

In order for one to understand American Constitutional law, one must first look to the Constitution; and therefore, look to the federal government established in the Constitution. The federal government is purposefully divided into three branches: the legislative branch that makes the laws, the judicial branch that interprets the laws, and the executive branch that puts the laws into effect. Article VI, Clause 2, sets up the Constitution as “the supreme Law of the Land;” and therefore, legislators, judges, and presidents must comply with the standards set in the Constitution. Judges, then, have the function to interpret what the Constitution means and have the responsibility to ensure laws adhere to the Constitution. Thereby, the

Slaves were not considered people, they were considered property. Many slave owners thought of slaves the same way they thought of cattle or any other living property. Many believed that since slaves were referred to as property that they should not be allowed to be counted. However, southern states knew that slaves increased their population, which increased with the number of representatives that they had. The southern states were worried that if they did not have enough representatives that the northern states would try and do away with slavery. Therefore, they argued that slaves should be counted. Georgia and South Carolina threatened to secede if slaves weren’t counted. Following their threats the three-fifths clause was passed. In this clause, three- fifths of slaves were allowed to be counted in the representation. Slavery was not going to be allowed to be taken away with this clause in

Some states wanted to count slaves in the population. This would give them more representatives. Northern states objected because enslaved people were legally considered

This was a large problem to states in the South, black nonvoting slaves sometimes only accounted for a quarter or more of their total population. Southerners in slave-holding states wanted slaves to be counted in their total population, while Northerners objected to this idea. In the end, the convention agreed to count three-fifths of a slaveholding state's slave population toward its total population. While this Three-Fifths Compromise increased Southern representation in the House, it also meant that those states' slaves would be counted in population data used to levy

States in the South wanted the slaves to be counted as one person, assuring southern states would have a disproportionate say in the new federal government. Northern states didn’t like that idea because they thought that slavery should end entirely and that if Southern states were allowed to continue to gain power through slavery, ending slavery would become difficult if not impossible. The solution was the development of two comprises: one saying that if a slave runs away even in a free state they have to be returned to their owner (the Fugitive Slave Clause), and the other was that slaves in the States would be counted for 3/5th of a person, for the purposes of calculating representation in

While the Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal” and retain the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, this was not the case when slavery was involved. Slaves were imported into and seen as nothing more than property in the colonies. The Founding Fathers knew that slavery was wrong and needed to be changed, but didn’t really do anything about it. The problem kept getting put off and put off and was never truly addressed. Because of this, later generations believed that slavery was a positive thing for both society and the slave.

The US Constitution, The Declaration of Independence as well as the Letter to the Danbury Baptist are not just historical documents, but are some of if not the most important documents of the history of our nation. Although, similar in many facets the intentions and the goal pursued by each highlight their individuality. The fact that the Declaration of Independence was the first to be implemented and signed is of significant importance as it set the pace and put in motion the subsequent documents that followed. Ultimately, my goal is to not only show their comparisons or where they may contrast, but to highlight what makes these documents profound and therefore still relative and valid even today.

The Framers of the Declaration of Independence believed what they wrote that “All men are created equal.” However, the majority of the founders did not understand the phrase the same way we know it to be true today. In their world, Native Americans were savages, African Americans were animals, at best, the poor were people in their eyes, but not intelligent or morally upright people (if they were surely God would not let them starve and live in poverty), and women were the devil’s playthings and even by definition not male, therefore the lesser sex. Their understanding of whom could be an equally created man was simple – white males with land. This demonizing made it easy for the founders to forget what they wrote as soon as the ink dried.