by Maureen Chen, Santa Clara University
Introduction
One of the most revolutionary documents was the Declaration of Independence. It was signed in 1776. In it, Thomas Jefferson wrote these famous words:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that 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.”
HELP: What do these words mean?
Click on the eyes to look a 19th century painting to see how people interpreted the phrase "all men are created equal"? 
This
picture shows New Yorkers pulling down a statue of King George III after they heared the news of the
Declaration of Independence.
Use a magic lens to look closely at the picture!
Questions to explore before going further:
-
Notice the African Americans and women in the picture. What are they doing? Why do you think the artist painted them into the picture?
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The Declaration of Independence stated, "all men are created equal..." But, not all people in America were treated equally. What about African Americans and women? Did Thomas Jefferson include that phrase so all Americans could enjoy equality?
Take a closer look at Thomas Jefferson
What did Jefferson mean when he declared that "all
men are created equal"? Did he mean African Americans and women
were equal to white men? Read the following evidence and
decide for
yourself.
Jefferson said this about women in politics: “The appointment of a woman to office is an innovation for which the public is not prepared, nor am I” (Miller, 182).
He called slavery a “hideous evil” and thought that the American Revolution was only complete once slavery was abolished (Miller, 1).
As a lawyer in Virginia, Jefferson argued for the freedom of a black slave in 1770. He said this, “under the law of nature, all men are born free, and every one comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will.” (Miller, 5).
Jefferson shared many of the racist views of the time. In his Notes on Virginia, Jefferson concluded that blacks were inferior to whites (Miller 46-59).
As president, Jefferson abolished the foreign slave trade in 1808.
Jefferson argued for the removal of African Americans from the United States. He wanted to relocate them to Sierra Leone in Africa.
Jefferson was one of the wealthiest slaveowners in Virginia. He owned slaves till the day he died. He could have freed his slaves, as George Washington did.
In 1820, Thomas Jefferson said, "We have the wolf by the ears; and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is in one scale, and self-preservation in the other" (Miller).