Inequality In The Declaration Of Independence

Many would say that America was built on the principle that “all men are created equal” and that U.S. citizens are all given equal treatment, opportunities, and so on. But, is that really the case? Was Thomas Jefferson’s famous words, forever inscribed in the Declaration of Independence, meant for everyone? Taking a look back into America’s short (at least when compared to other countries) history, the phrase “all men are created equal” doesn’t really seem to correlate with the circumstances of that century. Africans were enslaved and forced to do hard, strenuous labor or else be forced to endure a beating by the slave master. But don’t forget, all men are created equal. It says so in the constitution. Fast forward a couple of hundred years where all men still aren’t equal, but are close to it.

The principle of equality in 1776 meant the most to white rich American males. Our government has changed so much since 1776 that equality means both men and women alike. “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal.” Women and men stated at the Declaration of Sentiments

For example in the letter Abigail Adams wrote to John Adam she stated that “I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous to them then your ancestors.” (Doc B). This document explains how Abigail Adams wrote a letter to the President, her husband john Adams explaining her view on how women should have rights. It’s important because they had an idea that the women should have rights to get an education so that they can educate the children (men) to become better citizens. From the Declaration of Seneca falls women’s rights convention Elizabeth Cady Stanton was quoted saying “The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward women.”(Doc J). This means that the ideas of equality, liberty, and inalienable rights were battling in American civilization with common laws and religious traditions of the agreement of husband and wife. It is important because this goal was not realized until after this time. Women wanted rights as same as everyone else. In the court case Dred Scott v. Sanford the US Supreme Court chief justice Roger Taney was quoted saying “[blacks] had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and the Negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery.” (Doc L). This quotes means that even though blacks had no rights, the whites should still have respect for them, they are people too. It’s important because it’s another goal that the declaration

When Thomas Jefferson wrote the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, it became one of his greatest legacies. In the first line he wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" (U.S. Constitution, paragraph 2). Jefferson wrote these words to give inspiration to future generations in the hopes that they would be able to change what he either would or could not. The word “men” in the Declaration in the early 1700 and 1800’s meant exactly that, but even then it only was true for some men, not all. Women, children, and other segments of the population such as slaves and Native Americans were clearly not included. Jefferson himself was a slave owner and held the belief that women were

At one point in time, humans did not have an official legal government that they lived under, and yet, they always seemed to structure themselves in some form or manner. So it may be assumed that every human society throughout time had or has a primitive or advanced concept of governance. Still, it is uncertain how government impresses society. The two literary works- Candide and The Republic- both explore the concept of a perfect government or "world" and suggest that the happiness of people determines the efficiency of the government. So perhaps government is intended to bring happiness to the multitude.

Jefferson and the Second Continental Congress wrote the statement to rally white men to join forces against the British. Jefferson believed government was best when governing the least, and feared the excessive state of power (Hoover, 1951). The rich and British decent ran America, wealthy white men were the political champions of the New World and Jefferson was reaching for support from all white men, rich, poor, and the like. However, his statement did not include women, American Indians, or slaves. Therefore, the statement is hypocritical, the phrase “all men are created equal” should have been written, “all white men are created equal” to match Jefferson’s intent.

A logical starting point in an investigation of legitimate government would seem to be an account of the original purpose of government. Problems arise, though, in discovering this original purpose; any and all attempts seem to consist of mere speculation. Government is a social convention created by man.* It is doubtful whether or not there can ever be an empirically accurate account of the

The Declaration of Independence states that, “ 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.”(678). I believe that the declaration of Independence tells all men are created equal, which mean that all men and women or people of different races should have the same amount of freedoms and rights to live in the United States. In this case, I think that everyone should have the same rights and treat the same, but I don’t think that is true. I still see the difference between genders. I states that there should something change to the Declaration of Independence as all women and men are created equal.

The Preamble in the Declaration of Independence states: “it is self-evident that all men are created equal.” If this is in fact true then, if this statement would be modernized this would include woman. Pre 1920, with the introduction of woman’s suffrage, woman were not equal to men. Men were the bread winners and rulers of their home. When woman’s’ suffrage was introduced over time all this changed in America. Woman are now the CEO’s of corporations, have prestigious degrees, and are Politian’s.

The struggles of women’s equality started in the 1800s where women in the United States wanted equal rights to vote and have equal job opportunity like men. It is not right for one gender to be superior over the other. Hence, women such as Susan B. Anthony who drafted The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions demanded equality for women to be educated and gain employment. Cady Stanton along with Susan Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association, Lucy Stone and Henry Blackwell amongst others formed the American Women Suffrage Association demanding voting rights for women. The declaration of independence states that, “all men are created equal and has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (The Declaraton of Independence, 1776). With all the efforts made throughout the years congress

In the beginning of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson states, “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.” The United States was founded on the values of equality for man, in the eyes of one another and in the eyes of the law. In fact, equal representation in the eyes of the law is the cited reason for our separation from Great Britain, as we were wishing for equal representation to debate the taxes we were receiving on behalf of the exorbitant cost of Britain’s expansive empire. “No taxes without representation” was a common sentiment among the founding fathers, and such, the new country they founded reflects that concept in its intent. Liberty, Equality, and Democracy, all enlightenment values, were held as paramount values in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, later. However, as history shows, intent does not directly correlate into action, so the governmental system put in place was largely representative of these values, however there were several glaring issues pertaining to it. Even though “All men were created equal,” many men, as a result of their race or economic status, were unable to vote. Alongside this, Women, regardless of race, still were unable to vote. America has seen these injustices change over time. Movements for suffrage and equality have brought about great advancements for legal and social equality for all people, and for the most part, people are equal in that respect. However, the

What we have been taught since the beginning of the United States is that “all men are created equal” and we’ve seen this phrase throughout the Declaration of Independence. This means we have no problem with race, sex, or ethnicity; yet we have color racism, sexism, and ethnic racism. Thomas Jefferson came up with the Declaration of Independence as a guideline for equality. The only problem was that his concept of equality is different from ours. The irony behind Jefferson writing this document is that he himself owned about 200 slaves and didn’t set a single one of them free during the time of the writing. What Jefferson and several of the Founding Fathers really meant by this well-known phrase is, “all free, property owning males are created equal.” These men had no problem buying a property or voting or even owning slaves. Yet there was a time when women couldn’t vote, people of color were slaves, and at one point any Muslim you see in public could be trying to bomb the United States. What I’m getting at is that the word equality has stretched in meaning over time. People are equally of moral worth and under the law deserve equal treatment, as Jefferson said except that’s not how it played out.

The Declaration of Independence states 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.” But are we really created equal? Throughout history, the female population has been extremely maltreated and perceived as less than human. A woman’s role was viewed as only a wife and mother. Women were also once perceived as men’s property. Gender inequalities are rooted in gender

From the very ancient times political life was formed by groups of people who were having different thoughts and ideas about how to rule or how to control others and their properties. As long as that happened, the differences had led to misunderstanding and chaos among the tribes and as now called politics. Each political community formed, a different problem came to life. All this was a way to undercover the best ways of ruling and leading others in places all around the world. The first place that appeared to be like a political community was households. Then it turned to bigger and stronger establishments that human being had never thought of before. One of the structures which was formed and led to different notions was government, and it is the structure by which a country,

In the Declaration of Independence it states, “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.” As this quote says the Declaration of Independence, everyone has equal rights and independence. In the book “We the People” it says, “On June 7, 1776 the Continental Congress called for the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain.” When the colonists didn’t have the Declaration of Independence the people were having to listen to King George, whom was a very unpleasant and disrespectful person. Now that we have the Declaration, we are satisfied.