All Men Are Created Equal: Black History Month, Part 1
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Despite the assurance of the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal," the Declaration did not recognize the freedom of enslaved people. And although the Constitution did not mention the word "slavery," it contained provisions that ensured its survival. Nevertheless, the story of the more than 400 years since slavery was first introduced into the thirteen colonies is one of expanding rights and greater equality for all Americans.
Script for All Men Are Created Equal: Black History Month, Part 1
60-Second Civics, Episode 4243
All Men Are Created Equal: Black History Month, Part 1
[INTRO MUSIC]
Welcome to 60-Second Civics, the daily podcast of the Center for Civic Education. I'm Mark Gage.
The Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal" and that they have the "unalienable Rights" to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness"; nevertheless, slavery was firmly entrenched in the American economy by 1776.
At the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, the Framers successfully avoided using the word "slave" in the Constitution, but the document contains many provisions that protected slavery and the interests of slaveholders, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise and the fugitive slave clause.
These and other compromises were made to ensure that the Southern states would join the union.
But doing so would set the stage for a brutal civil war that almost ended the American experiment and would continue centuries of discrimination against African Americans, the effects of which still impact the nation today.
Nevertheless, the story of the more than 400 years since slavery was first introduced into the thirteen colonies is one of expanding rights and greater equality for all Americans.
Over the next 28 days of Black History Month, 60-Second Civics will explore this story, and we will learn about African Americans whose lives and accomplishments advanced the great cause of liberty and equality in the United States.
That’s all for today’s podcast.
60-Second Civics, where civic education only takes a minute.
[OUTTRO MUSIC]
Copyright Center for Civic Education.
