Preview

Thomas Jefferson's 'All Men Are Created Equal'

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
339 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Thomas Jefferson's 'All Men Are Created Equal'
"All men are created equal"... Jefferson owns slaves and he does not believe all men are made equal. He is racist, he was absent minded about how we are all the same we just have different number of melanin in our skin. Slavery is not right, we wonder when this will end. In today's society, in our revolution the only thing we know is slavery. Jefferson has gained 175 slaves from his father and his step father. Jefferson wrote that all men are equal in the Deceleration of Independence but did he abide by his own words. Correct me if I am wrong but didn't he have a thing with one of his slaves named Sally Hemming's? Irony is what this is.

We see Jefferson as a great man, our 3rd president but everything bad has a good and everything good

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Banneker calls Jefferson “sir” multiple times to show him that he respects his opinions and his status as a person. This, in turn, will make Jefferson more open-minded about his argument and take his words into consideration without Jefferson getting too offended by Banneker’s words. Banneker also uses modest language such as “I entreat you” and “suffer me” that will not cause Jefferson to become defensive or completely reject the points of his argument. Benjamin Banneker also proves his respect for Jefferson by validating that he did something good and he gives Jefferson an opportunity to reflect on why he tried to make the lives of the enslaved people better in the first place: “you clearly saw the injustice of slavery which you had just apprehensions of the horrors of its condition, that you publickly held forth this true and valuable doctrine” (15-20). This particular diction proves to Jefferson that Banneker views him as a leader and someone of high status, but also shows him that they are all human beings and everyone deserve the same treatment. He uses certain phrases like “groaning captivity and cruel oppression” so that Jefferson can understand how slaves are treated and the horrors that they experience daily, proving his point that the treatment of slaves is unjust and abhorrent…

    • 884 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    In the perambulatory clause of the United States Constitution it states that “All men are created equal”, however this statement is extremely false. Up until the election of 1920, national Woman’s suffrage was not found in the United Sates. Many women across the country fought for this cause of equality; such as Caroline Lexow Babcock, a Nyack suffragist. Babcock fought in the name of Suffrage for nearly a decade. Although she did not succeed in gaining suffrage for woman in the 1915 New York State referendum her actions were not in vein. By fighting for woman’s right to vote, through The Women’s Political Union (of which she was the field secretary) she paved the way for woman’s suffragists to…

    • 1953 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thomas Jefferson was very anti-slavery throughout his life. Jefferson would call it “moral depravity” and a “hideous blot”, he believed slavery was one of the greatest threat to the American nation. He knew that slavery was contrary to the laws of nature, which states that every person has the right to personal liberty. Thomas Jefferson held indigenous people in good views, he saw them as subjects of intellectual curiosity and believed they were enemies in war. Thomas Jefferson’s lengthy public career during a formative time period granted him to shape the relations between the United States and the numerous Indian nations during the eighteenth and even the nineteenth centuries.…

    • 200 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The unjustified maltreatment of the African American race between the years 1776 and 1850 served as a dividing line between an individual’s ability to obtain freedom and equal opportunity. African American men were stripped of the rights granted by Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, which states that “all men are created equal” and are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The concept of owning African Americans, as slaves, contradicts the ideology present in the Declaration, in addition to the moral of slave owners. Benjamin Banneker, a free African American discussed the concepts of race and rights, in his letter addressed to Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State. Banneker explains that many of his ‘brethren’ were…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I believe jefferson meant what he said when he said that “all men were created equal.” The reason I believe he meant what he said was because he tried to make living conditions and labor better for slaves. But I don’t…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Banneker Argument Essay

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Throughout the piece, Banneker reminds Jefferson of the struggle for independence. He recalls for Jefferson how discontented the colonies felt with King George’s tyranny. He supports his argument with key words from the Revolution, speaking of the “rights and privileges” bestowed upon the former colonists. He quotes Jefferson himself, pulling an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence which states that “all men are created equal.” However, many thought slaves simply property and not men, so did not seem applicable to the situation in their eyes. Banneker warns against hypocrisy, stating with loaded words such as “groaning captivity and cruel oppression” that Jefferson and the others would be just as tyrannical as King George should they just stand by and let slavery continue. Banneker feels quite passionately about this, something reflected by his tone. He feels obligated to act, because “so numerous a part of [his] brethren” were experiencing carnal treatment and abhorrent horrors and all he could do to help included sending a strongly-worded, yet most likely ineffective, letter to a political…

    • 545 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Henrietta Lacks Inequality

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages

    His argument is that “the real distinctions which nature has made; and many other circumstances, will divide us into parties, and produce convulsions, which will probably never end but in the extermination of the one or the other race”(Jefferson 552). Jefferson is stating that there is a barrier between whites and blacks and sooner or later the superior race will be the only race. This connects to Henrietta because although Hopkins treats African Americans, they are still segregated and are not given the correct treatments and that is the barrier. Jefferson also states “in general, their existence appears to participate more of sensation than reflection” and that is not true because Henrietta's cells were an amazing discovery and has contributed to many vaccines and discoveries regarding medication and illnesses so her participation was more than sensation (Jefferson 553). Another contradiction is Jefferson claims that “...they are inferior in the faculties of reason and imagination, must be hazarded with great diffidence” which is also not true because Henrietta for example was a confident and loving woman who loved to have fun and was far from shy. Jeffersons claims were merely out of racist views rather than actual facts. His claims had no evidence, there was no support for his words and the base of all issues were of race and not actual…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Banneker Essay

    • 634 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Banneker begins his letter by asking Jefferson to reflect on the past. He reminisces to a time when "human aid appeared unavailable, and in which even hope and fortitude wore the aspect of inability" (Lines 6-8). Banneker wishes Jefferson would be able to understand his point of views by comparing his views to the personal past of Jefferson. Banneker pronounces how in the past, the colonists fought to receive rights from the British; contrasting, from how blacks do not receive rights and respect from the Founding Fathers and many Americans. Banneker reiterates words that Jefferson written in the declaration, "all men are created equal...they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (Lines 22-25). Banneker appeals to Jefferson’s values of freedom by implying how all men share equality and should be treated the same, receiving similar rights; however, he is arguing for freedom and liberty of slaves. Banneker also emphasizes Jefferson’s values and words by saying on how he agrees with his opinion. Banneker also appeals to ethos by stating how he agrees with Jefferson in the fact that men should be equal and then re-introducing his argument on slave equalities.…

    • 634 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    While the Founding Fathers had slaves, many of them had critical views on the subject. George Washington said, “I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it.” Thomas Jefferson thought of slavery as a “disease of ignorance.” During Senator Sanders’ campaign visit to Liberty University, he told the students that the nation was created on racist principles. While he was correct, the students at Liberty University may not have learned that. The students in Christian…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The primary writer of the Declaration of Independance and one of the most prominent figures of the early history of America, Thomas Jefferson is one name that almost every American should have at least heard of by now. In the past, I have been taught that Thomas Jefferson was an abolitionist who believed that slavery was immoral, but his racism towards African Americans (and his idea of white superiority) was very surprising to me. He seemingly wants slavery to end (while owning many slaves himself) but also believes that, “It is not against experience to suppose, that different species of the same genus, or varieties of the same species, may possess different qualifications.” He states that African Americans are of a different species, and later remarks…

    • 1933 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The use of slavery to paradoxically define American freedom is first shown by the use of Jefferson, the “slaveholding spokesman of freedom”(Morgan). His attitude toward slavery can be shown in two ways. The first of which is debt. Debt is a force that can hold down any free man and this was why Jefferson hated debt so much. As a planter, he was basically forced into debt and resisted giving up his slaves until he found his freedom from that debt. He did not care about the freedom of his slavery as he did for his own. Jefferson also stated that a nation would be very fertile for tyranny if the men of a nation did not have enough land or money to support their families. This is paradoxical because the slaves live in a world of tyranny where the master is there monarch and the slave has no land or money to support their families. His second dislike was artisans. He stated that they lived dependent lives because they were dependent on the customer and had no other business or land to fall back on. Jefferson, on the other hand, liked farmers because they were very independent and always had a source of income. Jefferson states “the man who depended on another for his loving could never be truly free” (Morgan). This shows that Jefferson is willing to fight for the artisans who are dependent but does not want to forgo his slaves. Although freedom was rising for those who were dependent on others, the same dependent slaves had no improvements in liberty.…

    • 670 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jefferson makes a valid point of view because he tells us how a government should be as in like how it should be able to do more things. Also how it should become better instead of letting it get worse. As Lincoln said "The government should be more active and bigger." It shows how Lincoln is express how he felt about the government and what…

    • 235 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jefferson had thought that this was an abominable crime even though he had about 600 slaves in a lifetime. He knew that he had to remove the section of the Declaration of Independence about Britain’s Slave Trade because of his slaves. In the document of freedom, he originally included…

    • 311 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    All Men Are Created Equal

    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Throughout the history of the United States,Their has been many people who had a dream they wish to achieved, For example people from around the world coming to the land known as the promising one where they can live a better life of joy and prosperity.Ironically the land was exactly the opposite the quote "All Men Are Created Equal" was just a phantom cover to the Constitution of the country to hide the true dark cruel identity.Soon the materialistic would uncover their eyes and their twisted mindset full of spider web to come to realization of rightness and equality Let start to where the USA was not on it full mental capacity,Back in the 1960's the country wasn't the land known as of today ,It was divided by race.All African-Americans were treated differently and unfairly by the other half of the population know as the "Superior" race.…

    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    According to the U.S. Deceleration of Independence, all men are created equal. They think that all people are all the same. However, the world is completely different. You'll find lucky and unlucky people in the world. In my opinion, I don’t think that we are all the same and I'll be explaining with the examples below.…

    • 299 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays