The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence

Introduction

The declaration of independence was written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson, who shared the draft with his colleagues John Adams and Massachusetts, for their input and then submitted it to the colonial representatives for approval. Thomas Jefferson, in the declaration of independence, addressed two main ideas. He pointed out that the people had to dissolve the political chain and own their natural rights, which were entitled to them by the laws of nature and by God. These rights emphasized that all men are created equal and are also entitled to inalienable rights, which are rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. The other ideas were that the government is simply a contract between people and their leaders and can be ruled out if it does not work for the interests of its people. These ideas mirror the theme of slavery of the black American community and how they were treated as unequal to white Americans.

The deep roots of slavery

In the 1600s, slavery was a dominant thing in the south. The confederacy had become one of the wealthiest regions, thanks to slavery. The south produced about 75% of the world cotton, leading to a rise of millionaires in the Mississippi River region. Slaves were an essential investment to the southern planters and were considered part of their assets. In the beginning, slaves were mostly from Europe. Back in their country, they were poor and traveled to North America to seek greener pastures, and for their services, they were given food, houses, and some education.

By 1680, the economy was booming and was more available job, and this called for more slaves. The British turned to enslave the Africans. Slavery became a morally and legally accepted practice in the British colonies. The southern provinces started to concentrate on developing large plantations of cash crops like rice and tobacco, requiring even more labor. Plantation owners turned to slave traders who sourced more human labor from West Africa. This led to the emergence of a new trade called the slave auction. Human beings were traded like animals. They were inspected to qualify them to work in the plantations. The highest bidder took the strongest slave.

The Africans were traded to the British colonies against their will. Back in Africa, the British colonized the Africans depriving them of their land and property. Those who resisted were captured and sold to the traders as a way of punishing them. Others were either kidnapped against their will, while their families sold others as a means to settle debts. The British did not treat them as their equals; rather they were treated as property and not humans. Enslaving them deprived them of their rights to liberty and pursuit of happiness. Moreover, the plantation owners deprived them of their rights to choose, which is a universal right. The slaves had no choice but to become slaves. Those who resisted the call were shot dead.

Deprivation of their universal rights

The slaves were not only deprived of their rights to choose, but all other rights were limited. Slaves and their families lived in quarters, which were usually crowded. They were deprived of their privacy. The cabins were not weather-friendly as they were poorly built. They leaked in the rainy season, were hot during the summer and cold during the winter. They were also poorly fed. Their diet was monotonous, mainly of cornbread and molasses. They were also poorly clothed. They were not paid and were poverty-stricken. Their rights to health services were limited. This led to a high mortality rate, especially to the young ones.

The slaves worked from the crack of dawn to dusk, with only an allowance of 20 minutes lunch break to have their cornbread or cold bacon. Men, women, and children were all expected to work in the fields. Each slave has a target of cotton set for them in that if they did not hit the target, they got whipped or denied their meals. The slaves were merely treated as human beings. Slaves in the south were managed through the slave codes. These codes specified that slaves had no right to travel without a written pass, which was issued and authorized by his owner, which was a deprivation of their freedom of travel. They also did not own a right to stay out at night; however, they wanted as they were subjects to curfews. Slaves were also not allowed to receive rudimentary education; they learn how to write and read. The colonies were so strict about this such that the slave owners searched the slaves randomly and frequently to ensure that the slaves did not have any reading material with them.

Slaves were also limited to their property. They were not permitted to own land or own livestock. They could neither rade without a permit from their owners. The British feared that the slaves would own property to become wealthy and overpower them. Every person has a right to marry whoever they wished. However, this did not apply to slaves. The black men were only allowed to marry their own and not white women. Moreover, black people’s marriage was not legally recognized, and slaves had to seek permission from their owners.

Civil rights

The slaves were also deprived of their rights as citizens of the colonies. Slaves were not supposed to vote or have a say in court. However, by 1865, after the declaration of independence and the civil war, the south was undergoing a reconstruction phase. Slave trade and slavery had been abolished, thanks to the declaration of independence. Regardless, the new southern legislatures passed the restrictive black codes, which were meant to control the behavior of the newly freed slaves. During this time, the reconstruction Act of 1867 was passed, which was meant to drive reconstruction in the south. It is during the reconstruction that the new black American citizens gained a voice in the government. The African Americans gained a position in the southern state’s legislatures and the US Congress.

African American was now recognized as citizens of America. They were given their rights to vote; their marriage was recognized legally. They could also stand in court. They could also own property. All land that had been taken away from the salves was redistributed to them. The slaves were also allowed to join the army.

Conclusion

The declaration of independence addressed two main ideas, which were universal human rights and a government conscious of its citizens. This reflects the situation of slavery in America before and after the declaration o independence. The

References

National Archives. (n.d). Declaration of Independence: A Transcription. Retrieved from https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript