declaration of independence
The Declaration of Independence proclaimed, “All men are created equal.” In 1776 between the conflicts of racism, discrimination against women, and slavery, the theoretical concept of equality was more apart of ones imagination than reality. Women were not allowed to vote, marry, are own their own land. African American men were not allowed to own their own land, and along with their families, often were slaves to the superior white men of society. In present time, ideally, the Americans have the equal rights of marriage, heterosexually, property ownership, and freedom to work by choice not by force, but we fall short of equality when it involves race. Thomas Jefferson wrote,” …all men are created equal…” meaning, to the founding fathers of America, “All free, property-owning males are created equal.” In 1776 only the white men of American that owned land were included in the declaration of independence as equal according to Matt Baronages’ article ”The Meaning of Thomas Jefferson’s Phrase ‘All men are created equal’.” This statement displays the lie behind the equality statement from the declaration of independence; only men who owned property were created equal, not black, slaves, or women were included in 1776. White women were not allowed to own their own property or vote in 1776 and even shortly after were not allowed to vote. So the phrase, “all men are created equal,” actually meant in 1776, only white, property-owning, rich men of society. In the time of 1776, slavery and racism was a big issue. Blacks, including slaves were not allowed to vote because they were considered inferior to the white society. No black or slave could own his or her own land or marry legally. Blacks in 1776 were not treated equally to the rest if society, they were forced to do work and not allowed citizenship. Slavery and racism was a big deal even after the declaration of independence was written. Today blacks, whites, men and women are equal. Blacks, men and