The Declaration Of Independence The Rights Of Life,...

As stated in the first sentence of the second paragraph in The Declaration of Independence: â€Å"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.† Many groups of Americans such as African Americans, Native Americans, and women have been denied the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – which is why the phrase â€Å"all men are created equal† is a phrase that has been used loosely, as it was often contradicted throughout history. Liberty is the power to freely do and chose what one wants to do. As mentioned before women, Native Americans and African Americans have been denied the right of liberty; they were not allowed to do as they please, and most of the time their actions were forced (against their will). Of these three groups of Americans, the history of African Americans has dispro ved the phrase â€Å"all men are created equal.† Slavery began to become an epidemic in the Southern colonies, eighteenth century. In fact â€Å"slavery became the defining characteristic of the southern colonies during the eighteenth century, shaping the region’s economy, society, and politics.† Nearly all of the slaves during this time period were African Americans. The population of the African American slaves increased more rapidly than that of the white population. In 1770 alone, the population of African Americans boomed toShow MoreRelatedThe Ideals of the Declaration of Independence862 Words   |  4 Pages The Ideals of the Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence is the most important document in the history of the most influential nation in the modern world – The United States of America. Many other nations and societies that have gained their independence since this declaration was drafted in 1776 have used the four key ideals contained within it as a guide for their own independence. This document did much more than achieve independence for the U.S; it would drasticallyRead MoreMartin Luther King s I Have A Dream Speech891 Words   |  4 PagesEver since children have been born, they have celebrated Independence Day by either going to a parade, or shooting fireworks. Although, at these young ages, children don’t quite know the real importance of each of them. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted every human being, regardless of their race to be treated fairly or just. Independence Day was the day on July 4, 1776 where fifty-six courageous men signed a treaty that would declare our independence aga inst Great Britain and the King. These two importantRead MorePrinciples Of John Locke And The Declaration Of Independence1021 Words   |  5 Pages Essay Question: RELATE the ideas of John Locke to the Declaration of Independence by DISCUSSING three main ideas in the Declaration of Independence and how each relates to the Natural Rights Philosophy. FCA 1: Clearly stated definition AND explanation of Natural Rights Philosophy. (35 points) FCA 2: Correct and consistent verb usage. (15 points) FCA 3: No unnecessary words and phrases; no repetition. (15 points) FCA 4: Concluding remarks that summarizes the focus of the essay and emphasizesRead MoreDeclaration of Independence Essay example888 Words   |  4 Pagesmost significant task was given to Thomas Jefferson - to compose the Declaration of Independence. People from the committee of the congress such as, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston selected Jefferson to compose the Declaration’s first draft. They were all aware that he was able to produce powerful and striking sentences. Thomas Jefferson did not get to the basis of the Declaration of independence by meditation or prediction, nor by his own experience. He was cleverRead MoreCritical Analysis Of The Declaration Of Independence960 Words   |  4 PagesThe Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. The document announced that the colonies regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign states no l onger under British rule. The writers of the Declaration expressed ideals stating that men are created equal and that all men have basic human rights given to them by God. The purpose of a government, according to the Founding Fathers, was to protect the basicRead MoreIdeals Of The American Revolution1100 Words   |  5 Pagesand complies with a doctrine of fair governance as elucidated by the Declaration of Independence and thus allows for the system of checks and balances imperative to a final product that can guarantee a unified egalitarian republic. However, in order to prove this point, it must be conceded that the so-called â€Å"ideals of the American Revolution† can be no better embodied by one defining document than the Declaration of Independence because, in essence, it acts as the singular mission statement behindRead MoreEssay about The Declaration Then And Now1348 Words   |  6 PagesThe Declaration Then and Now nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The year was sixteen hundred and eighty-nine and a man by the name of John Locke wrote Second Treatise on Government (Zinn 73). In it, Locke wrote that in a natural state everyone, all people, are born free and equal, and possess certain rights. He said that these â€Å"natural rights† were life, liberty, and property. He also said that the evildoers who conspired to deprive others of their life, liberty, or property ruined the good life of theRead MoreThe Declaration Of Independence, By Thomas Jefferson, And Martin Luther King Jr.1138 Words   |  5 Pageshave the right to be free. The â€Å"Declaration of Independence,† written by Thomas Jefferson, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech both address the problem of not being free. Even though Thomas and Luther were alive 150 years apart and had very different lives, they both faced the same issue of human equality that drove them to write some of the most influ ential works in American history. Although they bear some superficial similarities, the difference between the Declaration of IndependenceRead MoreFreedom Rewritten722 Words   |  3 PagesOur freedom is limited because we mistakenly misunderstood what the right to be free meant. Thomas Jefferson’s, â€Å"The Declaration of Independence,† argues in his 1776 draft that if the government goes against what people want, they have a right to rebel and form a new type of government. As well as, if there is an unbalanced amount of respect, we the people are turned down the right to a full voice and the activation of our rights. With that being said, he expressed American Freedom around what weRead MoreHistory1408 Words   |  6 Pagesthe American people, Thomas Jefferson’s historical â€Å"The Declaration of Independence†, was read on July 4th 1776, and was signed by 56 members of congress. In the â€Å"Declaration†, Jefferson states our true promises t hat defy this great nation that we have the rights of â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness† (Jefferson 36). On July 19th 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton a woman’s rights activist parodied Jefferson’s â€Å"Declaration of Independence† to make the point that women were not being treated as