From the founding of the United States to the present, the idea of freedom has been the staple of America’s appeal. The roots of freedom were planted in the Declaration of Independence, where Thomas Jefferson defined freedom as “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The statement held an attractive promise, as it seemingly applied to all Americans. In reality, the promising statement was intended solely for white men, and these restricting ideals were rooted deep into the soil of the rapidly growing America. It is clear that modern American freedom does not equate to that of the Founding, but the degree to which it
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Despite many advocative efforts, the definition of freedom has yet to apply to African Americans because they have consistently been treated as inferior to whites. For over two hundred years, most African Americans were enslaved under white men, most frequently in Southern plantations. South Carolina, one of the most heavily slave-populated States, took extreme measures in strengthening the power and extent of slavery in the United States. Slavery was a part of South Carolina’s culture since 1716, and by the 1760’s slaves made up about ten percent of
Despite many advocative efforts, the definition of freedom has yet to apply to African Americans because they have consistently been treated as inferior to whites. For over two hundred years, most African Americans were enslaved under white men, most frequently in Southern plantations. South Carolina, one of the most heavily slave-populated States, took extreme measures in strengthening the power and extent of slavery in the United States. Slavery was a part of South Carolina’s culture since 1716, and by the 1760’s slaves made up about ten percent of