Thomas Jeffersons All Men are Created Equal - Essay Example

?Running head: HISTORY QUESTIONS History Questions (school) History Questions What did the saying “All men are created equal” mean to Thomas Jefferson when he wrote it? What does it mean to you today? When Thomas Jefferson wrote the saying “All men are created equal,” he meant that all men whether they be slaves or free men were created equal and they had the same rights and opportunities. Although Thomas Jefferson at that time, had slaves, the meaning of his words cannot be interpreted based on these actions alone. His other writings also have to be considered and it is apparent from his other writings that he was man who was very much filled with moral difficulties in relation to the practice of slavery. He was indeed a slave owner, however, he considered slavery a despicable crime and a fatal blight on the country’s stance on democracy (American Revolution and Founding Era, n.d). Despite his condescending attitude towards the slaves, he still held firm to his belief that all men are born as free people. Jefferson also declared in a case that all people enter the world with their right to their personal liberty. Jefferson was very much against the actions of Britain which waged war against human nature, as it went against life and the liberty of people. This was a practice which was also against the teachings of Christianity, and the British Empire was advocating teachings which kept the market of men alive. For which reason, Jefferson came up with the saying with the full determination that all men are born as equals. At present this saying means that all men must have the right to determine his future, and that no one must impede and interfere with this right. These equal rights also mean equal opportunities and responsibilities which must, in the end, be respected by society and by government authorities. I do not consider Jefferson’s saying in the light of his actions as a slave owner, but I consider them as important principles upon which the democratic principles of our great nation are built. These principles must be understood in the context of freedom and as a collective declaration of the founding fathers as free people – and their personal actions must not be made to cloud their declarations for our country. What were the benefits of adopting the Constitution over continuing to use the Articles of Confederation? What were the drawbacks of adopting the Constitution? If you lived during this period in history, which of the philosophies would you have supported? Explain your choice. The Constitution of the US was better able to cope with the challenges of the central government of the US. The Articles of Confederation were devised as a provision for a struggling nation and it did not work well under the beginnings of a strong central government, and still not considering the significant power of the states. In order for the US to survive in the aftermath of the Civil War, the Articles of Confederation had to make way to the Constitution. The government described under the Articles of Confederation was a weak government because there was no central power which would have been attributed to a chief executive officer; there was also no federal authority; and the House of Congress was limited in its actions (Streich, 2008). The Articles of Confederation was represented by one vote each in the congress for the thirteen states, without considering state population. Such imbalance in representation meant that states with a significant population would have the same allocations as smaller states. Such weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation were resolved by the constitution through the bicameral Congress which featured equal representation for the Senate and the House of Representatives based on population distribution. Based on the Articles of Confederation, the House of Congress was not allowed to collect taxes of manage the trading among the states. Moreover, laws could only be passed by a vote of 9 out of 13. However, under the Constitution, laws are passed if approved by the majority and later approved by the President. Changes in the Articles of Confederation had to be passed based on unanimous vote; amendments in the constitution had to be passed via three quarter majority vote from the states. In effect, the Articles did not fit the requirements of a great nation which wanted to rebuild and rise as a formidable power. If I lived during this period, I would have supported the Constitution because it includes provisions which help protect the basic freedoms and principles of democracy. These principles help secure my freedom from oppression, as well as my future within the system. What was the Great Compromise? What significance did it have on how the Constitution was formed? How are the issues that led to the Great Compromise manifested in current American politics? The delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 debated on the number of representatives a state should have in the US Congress. In order to resolve this issue, the Great Compromise was reached. The initial constitutional convention favored one chamber of congress with multiple representatives from each state. The number of representatives was the main issue. Representatives from the more populated nations were in favor of the Virginia Plan which based representation on state population. The smaller states however wanted the New Jersey Plan which sought an equal number of representatives for each state, regardless of population. Roger Sherman suggested a compromise which was founded on two chambers of Congress which included Senators voted by the general population, and the Congressmen who were voted based on population. The Virginia Plan was important in establishing the goal for debates in the convention and establishing an idea for weighted representations, the laws set forth under the Virginia Plan were used as support in the formation of the US Senate. Moreover, the New Jersey Plan was as good as representative of the UN and like organizations. Based on the Compromise in 1787, the lower house would have representatives based on the population of each state and the officials were to be voted on by the people of their state. In this plan, two seats were given for each state, regardless of the size of each state. Furthermore, the state legislative body would have the opportunity to vote for its members. When discussions under the Great Compromise were started, the 3/5 compromise was met, and this meant that states with less people were allowed to include three-fifths of all non-native Americans in their population counts (Qaiser, 2011). With the Great Compromise, a census was first carried out and based on this census membership in the house was established to be 435 seats. At present, all states are represented in the Congress by two senators, and various Congressmen, based on their population census. At present, there are still 435 seats in Congress. The issues which led to this compromise are now reflected in current American politics with the two chambers of government not necessarily agreeing with each other all the time, and allowing their conflicts to impact on their work and their political activities. What were some of the conflicts that arose within the colonies because of their decision to fight for independence? Which philosophical ideals may have contributed to these conflicts? Conflicts which came about within the colonies due to their decision to seek independence were largely based on the rate of their success over the British Empire. The colonies themselves believed that it would be difficult for them to win a bid for independence from Britain, considering that they had no regular Army, but only had a civilian militia with no military training. These colonies were not trained for long battles; and in the end, many of them were prompted to quit the militia (Pike, 2011). There was tension between the colonies and mother Britain due to the colonies’ bid for independence, and as the colonies found ways to reinforce their military arsenal, war already started breaking out across America with battles being fought between Massachusetts against British forces. As the war already broke out, the Congress was in a quandary on what to do. There was a question of who was going to organize the men into an army and George Washington was chosen. As the war progressed, American deficiencies in resources became apparent. Britain gained was able to gain victories in this war. Hessian soldiers or German mercenaries also caused many problems for the colonists. Still, the colonies believed that independence was theirs to declare, and this led to the initial drafting of the Declaration of Independence. The signatory delegates and states were however wary of signing the declaration because they knew that signing such would make them enemies of Britain. Philosophical ideals of democracy and freedom contributed to the colonies’ bid for independence. They were able to experience how life was away from aristocratic control, most especially how to till their own lands without such harvests or income be taken away. They saw much opportunity in their new lands, and they were very much willing to explore such possibility, and to explore such without being British subjects. Democracy and free will became a major determinant in their life as it gave them a chance to be landowners, as opposed to subjects of feudal lords. These principles prompted the stirrings of a revolution and a bid for freedom from British dominance. What factors do you think enabled the colonists to defeat the British? Which of these do you think was the most significant? Explain your choice. Factors which ensured that the colonists defeated the British included the publication of the document by Thomas Paine entitled “Common Sense.” This book criticized King George for his actions and it demanded the independence of the colonies. Many copies of this document were published in America and it was thoroughly discussed among the people. This document also prompted the Congress to act by opening American ports to foreign trade. Colonists were also encouraged to secure state governments and to establish constitutions (Pike, 2011). The fact that King George seemed to be unreasonable in his demands on the colonies further goaded the colonists to revolt against the British Empire. A resolution for independence was suggested by Robert Henry Lee and this was signed by various delegates from the Continental Congress. Jefferson also published his documents on this issue which explained its right to revolt and supported the ideas which the Americans had on the creation of the new republic. Various complaints against the British government were also forwarded and most of them revolved around taxes and the presence of British troops in the colonies. The war waged on as the spirit of the colonies was further supported by these documents. The Americans were facing difficulties in this war and many of them had to face the possibility of giving up control over some parts of America. Washington succeeded against the Hessian mercenaries and caused their surrender and the capture of Trenton. Washington went on to Philadelphia. This victory changed the feelings of the people about the war. Their faith in the war was reinvigorated. This led to increased government support for Washington; more men also joined the war. I believe that the writings of Paine are one of the most significant developments in the colonies’ bid for independence. These writings gave the people a voice, and a united voice to carry out their goals. It took them from being noisy rebels to rebels with a common and united goal. In any revolution, the common sentiment of the people would spell the success or failure of the battle. In this case, it stirred the people towards a common sentiment. Works Cited American Revolution and Founding Era (2010). All Men Are Created Equal" and Slavery: What Did Thomas Jefferson Mean by 'All Men Are Created Equal? Retrieved 09 September 2011 from http://americanfounding.blogspot.com/2010/08/all-men-are-created-equal-and-slavery.html Longley, R. (n.d). The Great Compromise of 1787: A Congress Created. About.com. Retrieved 09 September 2011 from http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/greatcomp.htm Pike, J. (2011). The American Revolution First War for Independence. Global Security. Retrieved 09 September 2011 from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/revolution.htm Streich, M. (2008). Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. American History. Retrieved 09 September 2011 from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/revolution.htm Read More