The Declaration Of Independence By Katya Blanter - 1147 Words

Katya Blanter The people of the United States of America pride themselves on being noble and free members of an exemplary society, one with values which other countries should use as guidelines for their own government. As a general principle, the republican theory that defines America’s Constitution is one that values pluralism and diversity, and protects individuals’ rights against all kinds of government abuse. The Declaration of Independence, written as a founding document for the freedom and values that the Americas established in escaping British control, states that â€Å"We [Americans] 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.† Regardless of its many guarantees to personal liberty, the original Constitution was deeply flawed in its express recognition and permission of slavery. Spread out amon gst the seven articles are contradictory statements regarding the treatment of slaves within the U.S. government, such as prohibiting Congress from banning the slave trade until 1808, calling non-slave states to return escaped slaves into bondage, and distributing slaves to those in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, exhibits the corruption of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness outlined in the Declaration of