"All Men are Equal" But are We Really Equal?
History 2111
Dr. Mimh - Roberto Arguedas
November 21, 2013
Word Count – 2,427
“All Men are Equal” But are We Really Equal? In 1776 it was stated that our country was based upon one simple truth, "That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." (Declaration of Independence) Though stated with a poetic justice, this statement did not hold true for all people living in America. Many Americans were held in captivity, looked down upon, and unable to pursue those "inalienable rights." The most conspicuous form of inequality was the practice of slavery, mostly by southern plantation owners, both before and after 1776. Slavery has been the constant companion to liberty and equality since the settlement of America. Religious inequality was yet another form, however, certainly not as prevalent as slavery. Preachers and other religious figures often viewed themselves as better than everyone else and worthy of only the best that their congregation had to offer. Economic inequality was also another prevalent form, in the sense that the wealthy had better opportunities and lived in much better conditions. Many Americans believed no one should be excessively wealthier than another person, and every American should have equal economic opportunity. Slavery has been the constant companion to liberty and equality since the settlement of America. The rise of America in general was accompanied by slavery and the settlers learned early on that slavery was an effective way to build a country and create free labor. This idea also brought with it, the notion of slaves being lesser than the slave owner. Douglass discussed the idea of slavery with some of the slave owners’ children. He would ask them, “’Have not I as good a right to be free as you have?’”(Douglass, 67) The children we troubled by this notion but even from an early age knew that was how life was
Dr. Mimh - Roberto Arguedas
November 21, 2013
Word Count – 2,427
“All Men are Equal” But are We Really Equal? In 1776 it was stated that our country was based upon one simple truth, "That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." (Declaration of Independence) Though stated with a poetic justice, this statement did not hold true for all people living in America. Many Americans were held in captivity, looked down upon, and unable to pursue those "inalienable rights." The most conspicuous form of inequality was the practice of slavery, mostly by southern plantation owners, both before and after 1776. Slavery has been the constant companion to liberty and equality since the settlement of America. Religious inequality was yet another form, however, certainly not as prevalent as slavery. Preachers and other religious figures often viewed themselves as better than everyone else and worthy of only the best that their congregation had to offer. Economic inequality was also another prevalent form, in the sense that the wealthy had better opportunities and lived in much better conditions. Many Americans believed no one should be excessively wealthier than another person, and every American should have equal economic opportunity. Slavery has been the constant companion to liberty and equality since the settlement of America. The rise of America in general was accompanied by slavery and the settlers learned early on that slavery was an effective way to build a country and create free labor. This idea also brought with it, the notion of slaves being lesser than the slave owner. Douglass discussed the idea of slavery with some of the slave owners’ children. He would ask them, “’Have not I as good a right to be free as you have?’”(Douglass, 67) The children we troubled by this notion but even from an early age knew that was how life was