Quote: 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--
Analysis: An explanation of The Declaration of Independence must touch upon the Founding Father's views on slavery.
- Critics of the Founding Fathers cite the obvious contradiction between philosophy and action in regards to slave ownership, a fact which cannot be overlooked by even the most patriotic Americans. Exactly how they justified restricting one's right to liberty and to pursue happiness based on the color of his or her skin is irreconcilible. The Jefferson Encyclopedia offers a partial explanation for the document's chief writer, stating that Jefferson considered slavery "contrary to the laws of nature" and proposed a plan in the mid 1770s to gradually eliminate slavery from the colonies. His anti-slavery stance softened a decade after the Declaration of Independence's publication and Jefferson reconciled his views with the following statement: "brought up from their infancy without necessity for thought or forecast, [they] are by their habits rendered as incapable as children of taking care of themselves."1 In short, he considered his relationship to his slaves as paternalistic, owing to the slaves' inferior nature.
- Regardless of the Founding Fathers actions toward slaves, their words have made possible the numerous civil rights advancements for minorities and women throughout American history, including the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments of the United States Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1968, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Although their actions may not have been congruent with their words, their words guaranteed that future generations could improve upon their own actions.
1"Thomas Jefferson and Slavery," The Jefferson Encyclopedeia. 12 May, 2009. Accessed 26 June, 2009.
Quote: We, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions... with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence...
Analysis: The Declaration's writers make many references to deity.
- The men who wrote the Declaration obviously believed in a higher power and believed that the government of man must be influenced by that higher power. Despite the common belief in a higher power, Congressional delegates shared a religious diversity not present in other organized nations at that time. This diversity enriched the document and those involved in writing it, a diversity cherished by early patriots of the United States.
- The men who wrote the Declaration understood that in order to succeed and thrive as independent states, they needed to persuade foreign powers and educated people throughout the world that there cause was just, what better way to secure this approval than with an appeal to divinity.
- The attempt of many to eliminate all hints of God from public institutions, including schools, hospitals, airports, and government buildings contradict the very foundation upon which the United States was formed.
Don't take my word for it. Read the actual text of The Declaration of Independence and draw your own conclusions. Feel free to share them by clicking "comments" above.