In class we discussed why or why not the concept of slavery was mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. When we look at it from our point of view today, most I feel would agree that slavery is direct violation of people’s freedom. But it was an accepted norm during the writings of the Declaration. Although I feel most people in the back of their minds understood slavery to be “wrong”, there were major economic reasons in keeping slavery in the British New World. The slavery problem was another idea to tackle at a later time.
The bigger problem addressed by the Declaration was the lack of freedom by Britain. If the colonists wanted freedom from Britain they were going to get into a fight. In that fight they needed all the man power they had, which meant slave owners and non-slave owners had to work together in defeating the British. It was a tactical reason why the concept of slavery was not addressed in this letter to Britain. Although it seems extremely hypocritical today, the Declaration was used to gain freedom from Britain, while freedom for all people would have to be put aside until afterword.
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