Declaration Of Independence Malhoun Analysis

When writing the Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers were focused on a few different things, but mainly, they were concerned with gaining independence from Great Britain. All of the language used in the document was toyed with and edited to become the Declaration we have today, and the one that was sent overseas to Britain. With this in mind, many use the Declaration of Independence as an endorsement for slavery but how could a document based on freedom condone slavery? Calhoun makes the argument that the wording has made it such. Taney follows suit, making it clear that he does not believe slaves were included in the Declaration. Lincoln, however, disputes the exact opposite, declaring that all of their assumptions about the …show more content…
In his 7th debate with Lincoln, he remarks that the founders did write the Declaration for white people and those purely of European descent (526). He asserts that because it was formed for the British people to gain their freedom from England, it’s only applicable to them (509). He continues, however, saying “But it does not follow, by any means, that merely because the negro is not a citizen, and merely because he is not our equal, that, therefore, he should be a slave” (526). Even Douglas, the man running against Lincoln for office, believes that the Declaration of Independence is not pro-slavery. He asserts that the Declaration was written for white people but it doesn’t exclude those of color from its rights. Lincoln refutes him, again reminding the public that the founding fathers wrote the Declaration specifically for all humans, not just any specific race. He even goes so far as to say that if the Declaration had been created as Douglas has understood it, it would be written as “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all British subject who were on this continent eighty-six years ago, were created and equal to all British subjects born and then residing in Great Britain” (510). This argument makes it obvious as too how pitiful the justifications renouncing the …show more content…
Many men have warped the words within and used it for their own political schemes. Calhoun began the idea by asserting that men were not created and freedom is earned. Taney continued his argument by stating that African Americans were never intended to be included in “we the people”. Douglas agreed with these statements as well, adding that the fathers only wanted freedom for those of European descent. Lincoln discredited all of them. He made it clear that their words were lies and slander against the Declaration. He didn’t want to see the value of a prominent American document diminished because certain men had used it for their own personal gain. Unfortunately, most of their arguments fall apart when it’s stated that most of the founding fathers were anti-slavery. Though many have tried to confuse the diction in the Declaration of Independence, it will forever be a symbol of freedom for all people, regardless of race, not a document binding people to