As with so many debates in our 21st century moment the question of race and the declaration of independence has become a divided and often overtly partisan one.
Declaration of independence and slavery. The united states declaration of independence is the pronouncement adopted by the second continental congress meeting at the pennsylvania state house now known as independence hall in philadelphia pennsylvania on july 4 1776 the declaration explained why the thirteen colonies at war with the kingdom of great britain regarded themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states no longer. Scrapped declaration of independence passage denounced slavery most everyone knows the declaration of independence was written by thomas jefferson. The declaration of independence in the declaration jefferson eloquently announced the creation of the new american nation. Although he was a slaveholder thomas jefferson.
Of all his writings thomas jefferson s most famous and far reaching was undoubtedly his draft of the declaration of independence. Slavery would be contradicting the declaration of independence because those slaves may have never gotten the chance to pursue happiness. Those slaves may have never had the chance to do something successful with their life and be happy because if they were owned by someone they had no freedom. But most don t know about a very big edit before.
Many of the founders and other citizens in the colonies argued for emancipation. Slavery the declaration of independence on thursday may 23 2019 dr. He presented americans as a self governing people committed to the principles of liberty and equality in the face of british tyranny. At the college of william and mary in williamsburg colonial virginia s capital he studied mathematics natural philosophy science and political.
The declaration of independence and the debate over slavery. Jefferson drew upon his education in law and enlightenment philosophy when he wrote the declaration of independence 1776 and a summary view of the rights of british america 1774 two treatises that grappled with liberty and slavery. When thomas jefferson included a passage attacking slavery in his draft of the declaration of independence it initiated the most intense debate among the delegates gathered at philadelphia in the spring and early summer of 1776. All of the participants in the second continental congress who signed the declaration of independence knew that slavery was an issue that concerned the nation.