what does this document tell about slaves?
The apparent contradiction between the claim that "all men are created equal" and the existence of American slavery attracted comment when the Declaration was first published.
United States Declaration of Independence
The apparent contradiction between the claim that "all men are created equal" and the existence of American slavery attracted comment when the Declaration was first published.
when was the declaration of i dependence signed 1776 what is this document? The pronouncement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia.
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United States Declaration of Independence [SEP] Slavery and the Declaration
The apparent contradiction between the claim that "all men are created equal" and the existence of American slavery attracted comment when the Declaration was first published. As mentioned above, Jefferson had included a paragraph in his initial draft that strongly indicted Great Britain's role in the slave trade, but this was deleted from the final version. Jefferson himself was a prominent Virginia slave holder, having owned hundreds of slaves. Referring to this seeming contradiction, English abolitionist Thomas Day wrote in a 1776 letter, "If there be an object truly ridiculous in nature, it is an American patriot, signing resolutions of independency with the one hand, and with the other brandishing a whip over his affrighted slaves." In the 19th century, the Declaration took on a special significance for the abolitionist movement.