Negro Voices Raised for Freedom, Essay Example

The Revolutionary War was the turning point for America’s independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence is the first document of the American colonies that states the government exists for the people. It also is historically one of the best-written documents of historical rights. These two things are historically great, however, what did they mean to African Americans? Unfortunately, it only gave false hope to the African Americans that they would be included in the ‘all men are created equal’. During this period, there was no provision to allow the slaves their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

It is hard to imagine what the slave’s perception was of the events that were taking place. It had to consist of hope that they were going to be equals in the formation of the new nation. A significant reason for the Revolutionary war was to separate from the corruption of Great Britain. The evils that Great Britain held over the 13 Colonies was the reason that the Revolutionary War took place. One of the arguments was that their owning of slaves was immoral and unjust. The independence was the start of a democratically-elected government where the majority ruled in making decisions for the majority. Slaves during this time had to believe there would be a separation from slavery going forward based on the arguments that slave owning was unjust and immoral.

Many slaves believed that the Declaration of Independence applied to them. The Declaration of Independence stated in the second paragraph it starts by stating that “all men are created equal” and goes on to say that they have rights such as the pursuit of happiness, life, and liberty. There were also petitions to ensure that African Americans should be included in the documentation of freedom. “The Negro’s Voices Raised for Freedom” provided and excerpt provided to the Massachusetts legislature in 1777. The request was that the Declaration of Independence provides freedom for the African Americans as well. They humbly asked the Honors to give the petition a serious consideration to allowing to have the same rights as all men. So that their children can be free and not be held as slaves till they are twenty-one years of age.

The reality is, the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence were not established to include slaves. These historical changes for freedom and independence provided exclusions to the African Americans. There were provisions made to ensure that masters kept their rights to own slaves. The Three-Fifths Compromise allowed the southerners to consolidate and maintain their slavery that lasted for another eighty years. During this period, African Americans were not in the consideration for equality.

There is no way that one can read these events and not emphasize with the African American slaves. A new nation fought for freedom from corruption and evils that included the ownership of slaves, however, found a way to exclude them in the formation of basic human rights. There were advocates who emphasized while these events were taking place. Samuel Hopkins in “The Inconsistency of Slavery” discusses how slavery is more dreaded than nonexistence; therefore the slaves are going to gain their freedom or die trying. A corrupt society that has grown so callous to the evils of slavery, and are not willing to change their ways. Despite the majority, there were some who tried to fight during this time to change the existence of slavery. There is no way to see the other side of the discussion because the same evils that caused the war remained in existence for eighty years after the creation of the Declaration of Independence.

Work Cited

“Negro Voices Raised For Freedom.” The Annals of America, Vol.2, 1755-1783, p. 482-483. Print.

Hopkins, Samuel. “The Inconsistency of Slavery.” 1776, Print.