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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.
Freedom. It’s what the Declaration of Independence is all about…right?
Yes…but only for those first Americans who had the right skin color.
It’s a little known fact that Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of our nation’s most important document, had to revise the first draft of his famous Declaration on account of slavery. That’s right; his original version included a “scathing review of slavery” and a call for the newly formed nation to abolish the evil practice.
Unfortunately, Jefferson’s colleagues did not think the first copy denouncing slavery would be ratified by the Continental Congress, and so, the lines concerning slavery were stricken from the record so that the colonies would support the Declaration we have today.
Sadly, this move was hypocritical for two reasons.
First, many of the founding fathers owned slaves, including Jefferson himself. Thus, our forefathers signed their names to a document that wouldn’t even apply to some of those living in their own homes!
Second, the Declaration of Independence actually speaks of the “duty” men have to secure freedom away from tyranny and oppression. Look at what this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence has to say about our obligations.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
The men who signed this document fought to have “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” They fought to have freedom from oppression. But because true freedom was kept from the slaves, yet another war would have to be fought by our nation not even 100 years later.
But that war would be fought amongst ourselves.
Let’s learn an immensely valuable lesson from this piece of history and make sure that our endeavors bless all those around us.
Resource’s Origin:
Thomas Jefferson and the Problem of Slavery by William Cohen. The Journal of American History Vol. 256, 1969, Pages 503-526.
Topics Illustrated Include:
Duty
Freedom
Government
History
Independence
Injustice
Law
Obligation
Politicians
Slavery
War
(Resource cataloged by David R Smith)
