Equality: The American Ideal
When most people hear the term “Equality,” they tend to think of the discrimination against women, but there is also a lot of discrimination against men, and discrimination of different races in America. Equality is a term that is not used lightly. It is the equal availability of rights, and opportunities. A person may not have the same status, but the base of which someone can achieve a status is equal. While, in America, equality has not been fully achieved, the chance of success through equality is an American Ideal. The ideas of equality are evident in America’s founding documents, The Articles of the Confederation, The Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The Articles of the Confederation discusses the equal rights between citizens. Article IV says “...the people of each State shall free ingress and regress to and from any other State, and shall enjoy therein all the privileges of trade and commerce, subject to the same duties, impositions, and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively...” (Art. of the Conf. Sec 4). This part of Article IV explains the equal rights of citizens available in each of the states. They can move freely and still have the rights that each of the states offer. Section 3 states, “The said States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretense whatever” (Art. of the Conf. Sec 3). Each of the states have equal liberties and rights available to them. They are required to have a friendship therefore they are considered equal to each other. Section 5 is“No State shall be represented in Congress by less than two, nor more than seven members; and no person shall be
Citations: Articles of the Confederation. Sec 3 Articles of the Confederation. Sec 4 Articles of the Confederation. Sec 5 U.S. Constitution. Preamble U.S. Constitution. Art II, sec 1 U.S. Constitution. Amend XV U.S. Constitution. Amend XIX U.S. Constitution. Amend XXVI