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Thomas Jefferson All Men Are Created Equal Analysis

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Thomas Jefferson is known for his famous line “all men are created equal”. However, his intentions do not exactly match up. Thomas Jefferson’s ideas and beliefs about slaves strike him as being a racist. In Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson compares slaves and dogs, and other horrible assumptions are made about slaves. He describes their death as “An animal whose body is at rest, and who does not reflect, must be disposed to sleep of course.” Jefferson’s point of view is often misinterpreted. Even though he states that “all men are created equal”, is he really considering the non-whites? Scholars believe that Jefferson may only be considering the inequality of whites, and other cultures around the world. There are many times he talks …show more content…

He writes about his impulsions to end slavery in the Declaration of Independence contradict his harsh words in Notes on the State of Virginia. “Besides those of colour, figure, and hair, there are other physical distinctions proving a difference of race. They have less hair on the face and body. They secrete less by the kidnies, and more by the glands of the skin, which gives them a very strong and disagreeable odour.” claims Jefferson (789). He is stating that black people are brutes. However, he gives black people a compliment... “In music they are more generally gifted than the whites, with accurate ears for tune and time, and they have been found capable of imagining a small catch.” Jefferson claims …show more content…

He mentions how it would be a dramatic change to the slave’s lives. He worries that they will not be able to adjust the way people expect them to. Jefferson states “Many of them, indeed, have been confuned to tillage, to their own homes, and their own society: yet many have been so situated, that they might have availed themselves to the conversation of their masters” (790). He is explaining that slaves will not be able to get back to normalcy. Slaves have been adapted to the way of “slave life”. How will slaves make money? Where will they live? How will they survive? This is a major concern that was

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Washington was joined by slaves while leading the Continental Army in the field of battle, as well as during his time as president. Yet Wiencek also argues that the Revolution and the establishment of the new democracy changed Washington’s beliefs on slavery. By the end of his life, Washington had changed completely and “sickened by slavery, willing to sacrifice his own substance to end it.” (Wiencek 274) Many of the founding fathers recognized the problems created by slavery.

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As Banneker addresses Thomas Jefferson, he compels him to realize the effect slavery had on slaves. He is concerned slaves are promised “inalienable rights” that are being stripped away from them. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and stated these rights diligently.

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One of the historical references he makes is quoting a section from the Declaration of Independence. He quotes the beginning of the Declaration of Independence when it mentions that “All men are created equal” and that men have unalienable rights, which are “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” He tells Jefferson that the black men and women of America are not given these rights. They are not given the right to life because they are slaves. They are not given the right to liberty because they are slaves.

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The establishment of the Constitution after the failed Articles of Confederation remains a source of controversy among American citizens even in modern times. In his essay “The Hope of the Framers to Recruit Citizens to Enter Public Life,” Jack N. Rakove accurately argues that the Constitution was meant to be an avenue for the people to enter into and be involved in politics, and for the government to be involved in the peoples’ lives in order to ensure a non-autocratic future for the new nation. An element of the Constitution through which the Framers ensured the freedom and political participation of American citizens was the Bill of Rights. “The principal result of the ratification debates was the acceptance of an idea that the framers

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Thomas Jefferson, the man that once stated, “...all men are created equal...”, still owned slaves and didn’t treat them equal. This is hypocrisy at the highest level, whether or not one only believes in the good of Thomas Jefferson. One could say that Jefferson stating “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” could be more important than his personal use of slaves since it was used to unite the country against the prominent nation of Great Britain. His writing in the Declaration of Independence is all about bringing the country together whilst stating certain rights that beings have, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He states that the citizens are able to get rid of or alter the government

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Benjamin Banneker in the letter, argues against slavery. Banneker uses biblical allusion, and a melancholic tone in order to argue against slavery to Thomas Jefferson in 1791.     Banneker uses biblical allusion in order to demonstrate that all humans should be treated the same, and have equal rights. For example, “you cannot but acknowledge that the present freedom and tranquility which you enjoy you have mercifully received and that it is the pecular blessing of Heaven” (Banneker 1). Banneker presents his argument by stating that Thomas Jefferson has freedom because of heaven, and he should extend the same right to everyone else.

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Banneker talks about how Jefferson and people like him (white) have “miraculous and providential preservations” and how Banneker and his people “suffer” and “variety of dangers”. Jefferson and his people fought for freedom and got it and were now able to be how ever they want, while the slaves have to deal with the same treatment as before. By pointing this out he shows how Jefferson is being no better than those he fought against. Therefore for everything they fought for to be true to the core, they must put an end to slaveholding. Banneker uses irony again in his use of grotesque language to show the injustice of slavery.

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America is the land of the free and home of the brave, but has it always been? If someone were to reference old documents like The Declaration of Independence or even The Constitution they would think so, but American history itself says otherwise. During the mid 1770’s slavery was an almost unquestioned normality and women had no rights, however when The Declaration of Independence was written, the statement, “all men are created equal” appeared while Thomas Jefferson stated the natural rights of every human. This statement is clearly not true in the eyes of the men who wrote and edited this document, hence proving that the statement “all men were created equal” is hypocritical. In accordance to primary sources gained from this period of intolerance and recreations of it, it is clear that not only were the women not treated as equal, but the African men and women treated as property were also stripped of the three main rights and liberties the Declaration argues for.

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Hypocrisy is one of the worst moral crimes someone can commit. Benjamin Banneker's letter to Thomas Jefferson explains that he has committed this crime. He has gone back on his morale of everyone having unalienable rights by letting slavery continue to happen, and Banneker believes he is the prime contender in allowing this crime to happen and that he should be the start and make the move to stop slavery. Banneker explains this to Jefferson in such a way that the letter is both respectful and thoughtful while also being rude due to the use of how he phrases his sentences, that his argument can not be questioned because of his use of ‘Sir’ to show his respect, and his ardent choice of words which are all collectively used to explain how Jefferson is being hypocritical and show him why he should fix this.

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He quotes The Declaration of Independence, a document by Jefferson; ‘“we hold these truths... pursuit of happiness,”’ this helps emphasize the inequality Banneker is feeling. The author using Jefferson’s own words against him, from a document as important as The Declaration, it not only shows Banneker has credible sources, it gives off a sense of irony. Something that Jefferson holds up at such high esteem was used against him to prove he needs to practice what he preaches. Banneker also says ‘“put your souls in their soul's stead”’ to shine light onto the privileges Jefferson has. This quote helps show the reader and Jefferson that he has never been a slave and doesn’t understand how they feel.

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Benjamin Banneker in his letter to Thomas Jefferson pitches a series of arguments against the institution of slavery through a series of rhetorical devices. Banneker’s respectful tone shows his maturity and sincerity for the subject at hand. Banneker manipulated Jefferson’s own words against him. In the Declaration, Jefferson stipulated that “all men are created equal” which Banneker then turned against him by hinting that slaves were not given the same freedoms that white men had. While Banneker attempted to degrade Jefferson, he remained respectful throughout the letter.

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To Kill a Mockingbird: When people are denied their rights others often suffer. When people are denied their rights,others can suffer as well. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by:Harper Lee people had their rights denied and that resulted in others suffering. Three people who had their rights denied in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by:Harper Lee are Tom Robinson, Arthur “Boo” Radley and Bob Ewell’s children. Firstly,Tom Robinson goes to jail for a crime he did not commit.

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By doing so, Banneker aligns with Jefferson’s own struggles to be free. Banneker also alludes to the Declaration of Independence. “…That all men are created equal…among

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In multiple letters and notes he wrote he expressed his guilt for the slaves and once the slaves paid off their debt and Jefferson’s he hoped to free them. Jefferson and his slaves remained in debt until the day he died. Jefferson believed that slavery not only deprived blacks of their liberty but had an “unhappy” influence on the masters and their children (Takaki 63). If a master is constantly punishing a slave and cannot restrain, the child’s master will imitate and master it, resulting in a nonstop cycle of slavery.

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“The Constitution and Slavery” pointed this out by stating that “Yet at the time these words were written, more than 500,000 black Americans were slaves. Jefferson himself owned more than 100.” This shows that even though Jefferson insisted on the idea of “all men are created equal,” some can say that he is a hypocrite. “How could somebody make such a statement while they are doing the same devilish act?” must have gone through the minds of those questioning Jefferson’s sincerity. Indeed, he did commit those acts.

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