Interpreting Equality: Thomas Jefferson's Contradictions

507 Words2 Pages

All “men” are created equal The meaning of equality has been expanded since the founding of America when Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence that “…all men are created equal…” However, when he used the word “men” he was specifically referring to property-owning males. Ironically, throughout his life, Jefferson owned hundreds of African American slaves yet in multiple of his writings on American injustices during the Revolution he vilified the fact that the British were sponsoring slave trade to the colonies. Jefferson himself valued slaves and but did not necessarily wanted them to have the equality of a free man. Certain objects constructed Thomas Jefferson’s idea of “men” during the enlightenment time period such as

Show More
Related

  • Essay On The Northwest Ordinance Of 1787

    1857 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although the U.S. Constitution states that “all men are created equal,” during America’s early days it only applied to upper class white men. This upsets many people in the United States. When the Constitution first came into play, only the rich white men were treated right. As the years progressed, more and more whites

    Read More

  • Analysis of Thomas Jefferson's From Notes on the State of Virginia

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “From Notes on the State of Virginia,” Thomas Jefferson includes some proposed alterations to the Virginia Laws and discusses some differences between blacks and whites. First, he describes one of the proposed revisions regarding slavery: All slaves born after the enactment of the alteration will be freed; they will live with their parents till a certain age, then be nurtured at public disbursement and sent out of state to form their own colonies such that intermarrying and conflicts can be avoided between blacks and whites. Next, Jefferson indicates some physical differences between blacks and whites, including skin color, hair, amount of exudates secreted by kidneys and glands, level of transpiration, structure in the pulmonary organ, amount of sleep, and calmness when facing dangers. As he notes, these differences point out that blacks are inferior to whites in terms of their bodies. In addition, Jefferson also asserts that the blacks’ reasoning and imagination are much inferior to the whites’ after he observes some of the art work and writings from the blacks. As a result, based on his observation, he draws a conclusion that whites are superior to blacks in terms of both body and mind. However, Jefferson’s use of hasty generalization, begging the question, and insulting language in his analysis is a huge flaw which ruins the credibility of his argument and offenses his readers.

    Read More

  • Notes On The State Of Virginia Summary

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thomas Jefferson is known to have a combination of identities in his writing. He seems not to just pick one. This contradiction may occur due to how important identities were at the time. Southern identities can be part of where Jefferson describes nature. Through rivers in Virginia, Jefferson wanted to establish how Virginians lived. Not only this, he illustrates that Virginia is important to him. A complicated identity is seen throughout Notes on the State of Virginia in regard to race. Race justifies how African Americans should be free and that Native Americans can adopt European ways. Properly organized society is a part in this. In Notes on The state of Virginia, Jefferson introduces a combination of identities of race and for nature.

    Read More

  • Modern Day Relevance of The Declaration of Independence

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Jefferson first stated in The Declaration of Independence that, "All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights," he most certainly did not mean "all men." If he had then it would be hard for him to justify the fact that a sizable percentage of the American population was enslaved. He meant that all white, property-owning Americans were equal to their British counterparts. No consideration was given to women in The Declaration of Independence, they did not hold an equal status with men in the Jeffersonian model of an American republic. "All men," was certainly not the all-encompassing phrase that has been circulating in America ...

    Read More

  • Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” (“Declaration of Independence: A Transcription”). This statement from the Declaration of Independence, is very significant to many Americans. But how many Americans really believe that everyone is truly equal or if every American is actually considered equal? Jonathan Kozol’s article, “Still Separate, Still Unequal,” is an effective argument because of his brilliant use of pathos, successful usage of logos, and his notable use of his underscoring sympathetic tone.

    Read More

  • Equality In The Declaration Of Independence

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    “All men are born free and with equal rights, and must always remain free and have equal rights,” (Thomas Jefferson) This is the famous statement made by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. He is being extremely hypocritical here considering he himself owned a near two hundred slaves. The slaves are still owned and treated as ‘property’. Thomas Jefferson did not have care for the slaves. The equalities discussed in the Declaration were not aimed to all men, they were aimed at specific white men. Frederick Douglass a former slave excellently asks in reaction to Jefferson; “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us?” What he means by “Us” is African American, it could also mean slave considering he was one. It is just so perfectly put because it is obvious the beliefs of Jefferson were not extended to African American’s or slaves. He continues on rather sarcastically “confess the benefits”, this is important because there was very little benefits. (Frederick Douglass, 1852,

    Read More

  • Declaration Of Independence Second Paragraph Analysis

    442 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence it states, “ that all men are created equal”. Right now in the states of the USA, it is obvious that not all men are being treated equal. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and signed on July 4, 1776. This day is now remembered as Independence Day. The Declaration of Independence was written to separate the colonies from Great Britain. The colonists fought for their independence. Today, still not all men are created equal. There is still racism going on all over the US. Still, there is inequality between the rich and the poor.

    Read More

  • Essay on the American Dream Revised in Song of Solomon

    1117 Words  | 3 Pages

    America was founded on the belief that "all men are created equal." However, a question must be posed which asks who constitutes "men" and what is "equal"?  Africans were taken from their country and enslaved in America. They had to fight to retain dignity and grace in circumstances that were deplorable. Even slaves who were well taken care of were not able to realize the dream of being free again.

    Read More

  • Comparison Of The Pedestrian And Harrison Bergeron

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. everybody is equal. Equality should be shown in rights not in looks or thoughts. “All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.”(Vonnegut,1). The

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Life Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness

    1418 Words  | 3 Pages

    “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.” For 240 years, these words have been engraved into the minds, hearts, souls, and lives of Americans everywhere. These words were written into the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. The Declaration of Independence is a historical document which declared the colonies of America to be free and independent states from Britain. It was a revolutionary and significant document in 1776 and the statement, “All men are created equal,” still remains significant in today’s society.

    Read More

  • What Is Atticus's Declaration Of Equality

    436 Words  | 1 Pages

    The second paragraph of the United States Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal”. But is that really true? If all men are created equal; why are people of different races or religions treated differently that a white man? Some might say that it’s true, some might say it’s not. Harper Lee thought that all men and women should be treated equally no matter what race or religion they might be. In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, she uses the character Atticus to reveal her ideas about social justice.

    Read More

  • Mlk's I Have A Dream Speech

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal….” a piece of a quote from The Declaration of Independence that is used multiple times for the meaning behind it. The speech, “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, is one truly compelling piece; thus for the passionate voice spoken through figurative language upon the equality the people are being treated with, that they should all be in peace. Throughout the speech, MLK presents the ideas in which people are all human no matter their origin, society is giving some dissatisfaction, and the black humanity is still under the whites. This being said, all men are treated differently for their differences and shall this be noted as an important focus.

    Read More

  • Abraham Lincoln's Fragment On Slavery

    760 Words  | 2 Pages

    Equality is when people have the same rights and opportunities as others. After the American Revolution, 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence announcing freedom from Great Britain. Americas founding fathers wanted a source of government that would prevent the authorities from overruling the country, like Great Britain did to the 13 colonies. The first ten amendments, also known as the Bill Of Rights, helped the new country keep an equal balance between politics and the society. Some may say that we cannot reach equality because people still discriminate other people’s ethnic, but that is just those people’s opinions on how they feel about one another and it shouldn't matter whether it’s equality or not. Even if the word “equality” may not appear in the constitution, it is possible to achieve equality if people follow the 27 amendments.

    Read More

  • All Men Are Created Equal Analysis

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote “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” (All Men Are Created Equal). That being translated, it should be obvious that people were created as equals and should be treated as such. It states that we are gifted by their creator with rights that cannot be taken away. Those rights

    Read More

  • All for One and One for All

    567 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women and men have their flaws. Nobody is perfect. But men used to ignore their flaws and only see those of women. In the Declaration of Independence, when Thomas Jefferson and et al wrote it, the words, "all men are created equal," are an understatement (Jefferson et al. par. 2). Instead of taking the deeper meaning of these words, men took the easy way out and limited it to just men. These words were ...

    Read More

More about Interpreting Equality: Thomas Jefferson's Contradictions

Open Document