Eleanor Finch
The notion that all men are created equal is a phrase that has come to be seen as emblematic of America's founding ideals. It is found in the United States Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson during the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1776. The phrase also appears in the Massachusetts Constitution, chiefly authored by John Adams in 1780, and in the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War. The 14th Amendment extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people, guaranteeing equal civil and legal rights to Black citizens.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 1776 |
| Author | Thomas Jefferson |
| Stylization | Benjamin Franklin |
| Purpose | To declare independence from Britain and to assert that all people are born free and equal with inherent rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness |
| Impact | Became a hallmark statement in democratic constitutions and human rights instruments worldwide |
| Amendments | 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1868) extended equal rights to formerly enslaved people |
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What You'll Learn
The 14th Amendment extended rights to formerly enslaved people
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, passed by Congress on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868, was a major step forward in extending rights and liberties to formerly enslaved people. This amendment was one of three passed during the Reconstruction era to abolish slavery and establish civil and legal rights for Black Americans.
A key provision of the 14th Amendment was the granting of citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," which included formerly enslaved people. This marked a significant shift from the 1857 Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which had denied citizenship to Black people, and the Black Codes that freely denied basic rights to former slaves and their descendants. By affirming citizenship for all people born in the country, regardless of race, the 14th Amendment laid the foundation for equal rights and protections under the law.
Additionally, the 14th Amendment guaranteed "equal protection of the laws" for all citizens. This meant that both the federal and state governments were now required to provide due process of law and equal protection of the law to all citizens, regardless of race. This provision ensured that states could not deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without just legal procedures and that all citizens were entitled to fair and equal treatment under the law.
The 14th Amendment also addressed issues related to representation and voting rights. Section Two of the amendment repealed the three-fifths clause of the original Constitution, which had counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation. With the 13th Amendment having already outlawed slavery, the 14th Amendment clarified that all residents, regardless of race, should be counted as one whole person for representation purposes. Additionally, it guaranteed the right to vote for all male citizens over the age of 21, regardless of race.
While the 14th Amendment represented significant progress in extending rights to formerly enslaved people, it is important to note that it did not immediately end discrimination or racial inequality. Southern states continued to deny Black men the right to vote through various statutes during the Jim Crow era, and it would take further amendments and civil rights movements to fully secure and protect the rights of Black citizens. Nonetheless, the 14th Amendment remains a pivotal moment in the ongoing struggle for equality and liberty for all Americans.
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The right to due process of law
The Fourteenth Amendment includes the clause, "nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." This means that no state can take away an individual's fundamental rights without fair legal procedures being followed. It applies to both the federal and state governments, providing a crucial safeguard against arbitrary deprivation of life, liberty, or property.
The concept of due process of law has a long history, dating back to the country's founding documents. The Declaration of Independence, written in 1776, proclaimed that "all men are created equal" and endowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This declaration set a precedent for limiting government power and protecting individual freedoms.
The Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of due process has been central to many landmark legal cases. It has been invoked in various contexts, including abortion rights, contract liberty, and working conditions, shaping the legal landscape and ensuring that individuals' rights are protected in a wide range of situations.
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Equality in the eyes of the law
The notion that "all men are created equal" is a phrase that has come to be emblematic of America's founding ideals. It is found in the United States Declaration of Independence, penned by Thomas Jefferson during the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1776. The phrase reads:
> 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.
This statement draws from Enlightenment philosophy and reflects the influence of John Locke's second treatise on government, particularly his belief in the inherent equality and individual liberty. Similar ideas can be traced back to earlier works, including medieval and classical sources, which emphasized the dignity and worth of all human beings.
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are three of the most important documents in American history. They are symbols of the liberty and equality that ensure that all people are equal in the eyes of the law. The Declaration of Independence has three parts: a preamble, a list of the sins of the King of Great Britain, and a declaration of independence from Britain and the dissolution of all political connections between the British Crown and the "Free and Independent States" of America. The preamble, which later became the most famous part of the document, contains the entire theory of American government in a single, inspiring passage.
Following the Civil War, Congress submitted three amendments to the states as part of its Reconstruction program to guarantee equal civil and legal rights to Black citizens. The 14th Amendment, passed by Congress on June 13, 1866, and ratified on July 9, 1868, extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people. A major provision of the 14th Amendment was to grant citizenship to "All persons born or naturalized in the United States," thereby granting citizenship to formerly enslaved people. Another important provision was the statement that "nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." This right to due process of law and equal protection of the law now applied to both the federal and state governments, ensuring that all people are equal in the eyes of the law.
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The right to self-government
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are often considered the three most important documents in American history. They represent the ongoing quest for liberty and equality in the United States and are seen as symbols of the freedom and equality that all Americans are entitled to. The Declaration of Independence, in particular, serves as a foundation for the other two documents, as it sets forth certain liberties that later became legally enforceable in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
In the context of American history, the right to self-government has had significant implications for enslaved people and the civil rights movement. Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, also argued many cases to free enslaved individuals, believing that the phrase "all men are created equal" would ultimately resolve slavery. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified after the Civil War, extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people, guaranteeing equal civil and legal rights to Black citizens. This amendment also granted citizenship to "All persons born or naturalized in the United States" and ensured that no state could deprive any person of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law" or deny them "the equal protection of the laws".
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The right to liberty
The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson during the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1776, includes the phrase, "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." This statement, influenced by Enlightenment philosophy and John Locke's belief in inherent equality and individual liberty, became emblematic of America's founding ideals.
The 14th Amendment played a crucial role in upholding the right to liberty by ensuring that both the federal and state governments respected the fundamental liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. This process of ensuring equal rights and liberties for all citizens, regardless of race or background, continues to evolve and be a central focus of American democracy.
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Frequently asked questions
The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War, declared that all people are equal.
The 14th Amendment states that "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
The 14th Amendment was passed to guarantee equal civil and legal rights to Black citizens following the Civil War.
The phrase "all men are created equal" is found in the Declaration of Independence and has become emblematic of America's founding ideals. It reflects the Enlightenment philosophy of the inherent equality and individual liberty of all human beings.
The phrase was penned by Thomas Jefferson during the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1776.
