Declaration Of Equality Analysis
Every great nation was built on something. Whether it be set of values, a notion or a few key principles, whatever it was set the tone for how a united people would lead their lives. With the monumental Declaration of Independence, thirteen originally British colonies became one nation under several “self-evident truths”. This foundational document states clearly and firmly that “all men are created equal…with certain unalienable rights…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” With this proclamation in 1776, The United States promised to stand on a steadfast ethic of equality. Eleven years later, the United States Constitution was introduced to detail and cement the beliefs raised in the Declaration of Independence. The “supreme law of
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Charles Sumner, a radical Republican at the forefront of his party, insisted that the Declaration of Independence be recognized as “fundamental law” and thus authorize federal action to secure equality before the law. Unfortunately, it was the strong convictions of individuals such as Julius J. Fleming, an educator, minister, and public official for South Carolina, that created the unwavering opposition to Sumner’s argument. Fleming believed that “the negroes [were] to be pitied” because of their experience as slaves and meer observation of freedom. Many Southern whites assumed that African-Americans exited slavery entirely unprepared for the responsibilities of freedom. In reality, it was not a lack of preparation that gave African-Americans difficulty, it was the lack of …show more content…
In 1892, Homer Plessy, an African-American train passenger, refused to sit a Jim Crow car when told. By committing this act, he broke Louisiana law. Again, a case was brought to the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of segregation. By a 7-1 vote, the “separate but equal” doctrine was established. This only affirmed the institution of and ideology behind racial segregation. Justice John Marshall Harlan, the lone dissenter, recognized that the Constitution recognizes “no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens” and that by upholding segregation the Court was overstepping its boundaries to bend history in favor of a social agenda. From there the Jim Crow era took off sending the nation into a downward
Charles Sumner, a radical Republican at the forefront of his party, insisted that the Declaration of Independence be recognized as “fundamental law” and thus authorize federal action to secure equality before the law. Unfortunately, it was the strong convictions of individuals such as Julius J. Fleming, an educator, minister, and public official for South Carolina, that created the unwavering opposition to Sumner’s argument. Fleming believed that “the negroes [were] to be pitied” because of their experience as slaves and meer observation of freedom. Many Southern whites assumed that African-Americans exited slavery entirely unprepared for the responsibilities of freedom. In reality, it was not a lack of preparation that gave African-Americans difficulty, it was the lack of …show more content…
In 1892, Homer Plessy, an African-American train passenger, refused to sit a Jim Crow car when told. By committing this act, he broke Louisiana law. Again, a case was brought to the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of segregation. By a 7-1 vote, the “separate but equal” doctrine was established. This only affirmed the institution of and ideology behind racial segregation. Justice John Marshall Harlan, the lone dissenter, recognized that the Constitution recognizes “no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens” and that by upholding segregation the Court was overstepping its boundaries to bend history in favor of a social agenda. From there the Jim Crow era took off sending the nation into a downward