“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.
The
unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of
America, July 4, 1776
What commitments did the
Founding Fathers hold when they declared independence?
We understand that the
basic principle for their proclamation was to declare that the people
of the United States could reject a monarchy (based on the
superiority of a king) and replace it with a republican government
(based on the consent of the people).
We also understand that
the work was drafted by the so-called “Committee of Five”
consisting of two New England men, John Adams of Massachusetts and
Roger Sherman of Connecticut; two men from the Middle Colonies,
Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New
York; and one southerner, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia.
What we acknowledge less
is that the declaration did not pledge a commitment to establish
freedom for all. Indeed, it did advocate for that lofty principle;
however, at that time – and for a long time after – blacks,
Native Americans, and women were not afforded the basic rights of
“life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The idealistic
language in the document obscured very illiberal attitudes. In short,
the authors did not hold full human equality as a positive social
goal. Such a commitment to action was implied, but remanded.
Blacks were excluded. Most
whites believed people of different races had different temperaments
and abilities. They believed that only people of European stock could
maintain a society in which they would wish to live. They strongly
opposed miscegenation (interbreeding). And, although many of the
Founding Fathers acknowledged that slavery violated the core American
Revolutionary ideal of liberty, their simultaneous commitment to
private property rights, principles of limited government, and
intersectional harmony prevented them from making a bold move against
slavery. For more than 300 years, therefore, American policy
reflected a consensus on race that opposed equality.
Native Americans were
excluded. They were referred to as “merciless Indian Savages” who
had been encouraged by the British crown to fight against the
Patriots. George Washington, himself, proposed the cultural
transformation of Native Americans. Throughout U. S. history,
Euro-Americans committed countless acts of violence against Native
people – extermination or genocide, theft of Indian lands and
resources, captivity and enslavement, forced removals from homelands,
and schooling aimed at destroying Native cultures. Gradually,
however, it became clear to most native groups, that an independent
America posed a far greater threat to their interests and way of life
than a continued British presence that restrained American westward
expansion.
Women were excluded. In
Revolutionary times, women were widely considered to be inferior to
men, a status that was especially clear in the lack of legal rights
for married women. The law did not recognize wives' independence in
economic, political, or civic matters in Anglo-American society of
the eighteenth century. Future First Lady Abigail Adams suggested to
her husband, John Adams, that in the "new Code of Laws"
that he helped draft at the Continental Congress, he should,
"Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to
them." Despite her concerns, Abigail could not participate in
the creation of this government.
So, considering the lack
of equality at the time of its origin, is the Declaration of
Independence simply a hollow, hypocritical document? Perhaps Abraham
Lincoln expressed the answer best.
In his June 1857 speech on
the Dred Scott decision, Lincoln explained the conflict between the
Declaration’s foundational principle of human equality and the
practice of slavery at the time. The Founders, he argued, “did not
mean to assert the obvious untruth, that all were then actually
enjoying that equality, nor yet, that they were about to confer it
immediately upon them.” In fact they had no power to confer such a
blessing.
Lincoln declared instead
the Declaration “meant to set up a standard maxim for free society,
which should be familiar to all, and revered by all; constantly
looked to, constantly labored for, and even though never perfectly
attained, constantly approximated ... “ He added, “The assertion
that ‘all men are created equal’ was of no practical use in
effecting our separation from Great Britain; and it was placed in the
Declaration, nor for that, but for future use.”
Over 100 years later,
Martin Luther King Jr. in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech
echoed this sentiment when he acknowledged the Founders and their
evident grant of a “promissory note” of equality …
“When the
architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the
Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a
promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note
was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men,
would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.”
The
hypocrisy of the Committee of Five is clear to us today.
We can dismiss it as “reflective of the times” or as “within
the legal framework” of the past, but to do so would be an
injustice. The great vision of the Founding Fathers remains as a
foundation for freedom. Journalist Jeff Jacoby asks …
“Would
the Declaration of Independence have been improved if those words had
been omitted (“all men are created equal’’)? Would slavery have
ended sooner had abolitionists not been able to invoke that
self-evident truth?”
We all know the answer to
those questions. The declaration, more than any other document,
helped define and shape the course of progressive change in America.
However, we must acknowledge that the commitment also comes with a
firm obligation. We must continue to focus on equality for all as we
continue to struggle with the attainment of a precious birthright.
The American Dream remains a dream deferred for so many. African
Americans, Native Americans, and American women of all races continue
to sing: “None of us are free if one of us is chained.”
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