In this speech Abe Lincoln doubled down on equality as one of the building blocks of our society. By referencing the idea that all men are created equal, in one deft move Lincoln compared the importance of the war that was then raging to the American Revolution itself, while drawing clear attention to the fact that the Emancipation Proclamation made this statement significantly more truthful.
Questions About Equality
- How has the meaning of the phrase "all men are created equal" changed from its use inthe Declaration of Independence to the present day?
- What things make the United States a more equal society than others? What things make it unequal?
- In the years after the Civil War, African-Americans still had to fight for the rights promised them by the 14th Amendment, including equal protection under the law. Does legal equality mean true equality? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Despite proclaiming that "all men are created equal," this line in the Declaration of Independence rang false to those who wrote it. The contrast between the meaning of the words and the institution of slavery led to the Civil War.
While it is obvious that there's a wide gulf between the statement "all men are created equal" and the situation in 1865, it can still be said that the United States displayed a pretty unrivaled amount of equality. The Bill of Rights guarantees equality in the eyes of the law, something that we occasionally take for granted even in the 21st century.