Declaration Of Independence

Equality In the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence points out many rights that should be applied to all citizens of the United States. The most prominent of the rights professed in the first five lines of the declaration is equality. What is ironic about how insistent the Declaration is about equality is that chapters eighteen and nineteen explain instances in our country's history when people have attempted to ignore this given right. The leaders of the United States during the Reconstruction after the Civil War faced many challenges brought on by reuniting the nation.

Many of the citizens of the South had yet to accept the abolition of slavery. Although the slaves were legally free, they were still bound socially and were not allowed to vote or own certain land. There was an organization called the Freedman's Bureau that tried to help these people to get their feet on the ground by helping them earn an education. Not only were the slaves forced under political restrictions, they were also abused socially. The Jim Crow Laws were put in place to ensure that African Americans were required to pass difficult literacy tests in order to vote and to restrict them from doing certain things.

The leaders of the United States at this time still had many obstacles to face before achieving equality throughout the country. Although things have improved greatly over time, to this day there is still racism in the United States and there are still leaders in our country who are working to eliminate it.