The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 by Thomas
Jefferson under order of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and the
Continental Congress. This document was written in order to let the whole
world know that the colonists of the United States of America were going to
denounce the British Government in order to establish a democratic
government of their own. The unalienable rights of a citizen that were
defined by Jefferson were, 'Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.'
Through the use of slavery, the acknowledgment of these rights to hold true
for all men invalidated this document but set a basis that would ultimately
bring about changes in issues such as slavery.
The Declaration of Independence went through many changes during
the original writing. The members of the Continental Congress, including
Jefferson, were aware of the issue of slavery and its contradiction toward the
document. One of the statements which Jefferson had originally written to
show further proof that the King of Britain was a 'tyrant,' included the
disapproval of his use of slavery and his ill treatment towards the people of
Africa. This statement was taken out of the final draft of the Declaration of
Independence by the members of the Continental Congress. They had
argued that the inclusion of this statement would defame their own reputation
because many of them practiced slavery. Jefferson's intentions were clear
when he tried to put that statement into the document. The fact that it was
withdrawn from the original document ultimately put the issue of slavery in
the hands of future generations. The main intentions of the writers of the
Declaration of Independence was to break away from a tyrannical British
government, and the
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issue of slavery would have torn the colonies apart. In...