Declaration of independence essay

Essay by blahdyblahdyblahHigh School, 11th gradeA+, December 2003

download word file, 5 pages 3.0

The Declaration of Independence

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal..."

1) Pretty words, aren't they? We've heard that line so many times since we were children. It's been drilled into our heads. The obvious exception of course, is that women were left out. And in actuality, blacks, Native Americans, and other ethnic minorities were also excluded. In fact, the only ones included by the Founding Fathers were propertied white males and the more property the better. In our competitive system, some come out on the top and some come out on the bottom. Most find a place somewhere in-between. Those on the top, due to their wealth, definitely enjoy more freedom and rights than those on the bottom. The upper classes are hardly equal with the lower.

"All men are created equal." Yeah right. Besides being sexist, this never was the number one principle of our government or country.

It was pure propaganda, right from the start. What the Founding Fathers -- not by coincidence the richest men in the new nation -- wanted was an economic and political setting in which they and their property rights would not be interfered with by a king or government, or by anyone more powerful than they.

All MEN are created equal

There are those that say "Men" is inclusive of all humans.

If so, why were women not allowed to vote?

No, the "Founding Fathers" did NOT believe in women's equality.

But it went farther than that.

ALL men are created equal

ALL? Really?

Either they didn't really mean "ALL", or they had an odd definition of "MEN"

The slaves were certainly not equal.

Nor were the people who were already here when Europeans first came to this continent.

In fact, even if you WERE...