All Men Are Created Equal. What was meant by that?

Question

"All men are created equal," and "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." What does this really mean? Are we truly created equal? Do we all share the same rights?

What the thinkers behind the Declaration of Independence understood is what equality means--and what it doesn't mean. John Adams, a premiere conservative thinker and signer of the Declaration of Independence, understood the meaning of equality. In a letter from John Adams to John Taylor, he wrote the following:

That all men are born to equal rights is clear. Every being has a right to his own, as clear, as moral, as sacred, as any other being has. This is as indubitable as a moral government in the universe. But to teach that all men are born with equal powers and faculties, to equal influence in society, to equal property and advantages through life, is as gross a fraud, as glaring an imposition on the credulity of the people, as ever was practiced by monks, by Druids, by Brahmins, by priests of the immortal Lama, or by the self-styled philosophers of the French revolution. For honor's sake ... for truth and virtue's sake, let American philosophers and politicians despise it.


More from John Adams:

Adams firmly believed that we are born equal, meaning that as individuals, we are independent. As strongly as Adams believed in that equality, he believed in the inequality of man.
But what are we to understand here by equality? Are the citizens to be all of the same age, sex, size, strength, stature, activity, courage, hardiness, industry, patience, ingenuity, wealth, knowledge, fame, wit, temperance, constancy, and wisdom? Was there, or will there ever be, a nation, whose individuals were all equal, in natural and acquired qualities, in virtues, talents, and riches? The answer of all mankind must be in the negative. It must then be acknowledged, that in every state...there are inequalities which God and nature have planted there, and which no human legislator ever can eradicate.

What did John Adams, one of the signers of our Declaration of Independence see?
Did he realize that although all born independent and free, that there are always going to be queen bees and there will always be drones to maintain the hive? Are many people misinterpeting the meaning of "All Men Are Created Equal" and trying to push us towards socialism as a result? What are the alternatives?

Answer 1

You point out in your question that 'All men are created equal' and further that they were "endowed by their Creator..."; we have to realize from these statements that the vast majority of the founding fathers were devout Christians, and even those that were not, most notably Jefferson, were nonetheless at the very least, Monotheists. Hence, when they spoke of a Creator, they were speaking about God. So how does that belief translate into an equality of human beings? It states clearly in the book of Genesis(1:26-27) that man has been made in the image and likeness of God and it is because we are created in God's own image and likeness that we have an inherent dignity. And it is precisely there that our equality lies - in the dignity that we all possess. Now, we have to take into account that because we are a fallen race and sin works it's way into every area of our lives, we can abuse that dignity, desicrate it, and pervert it. We have the ability to do some pretty awful and despicable things to ourselves, our fellow man, and the rest of God's creation, but we cannot rid ourselves of that dignity; no matter how deeply we may bury it under our sinful behavior. It was in the recognition of this dignity that the founding fathers setup a government where no man was above the law, that even criminals were to be treated humanely and accomodated with specified rights.

Also, you cannot fault the men of those times if the rights they put in place did not immediately apply to all(i.e. - women, slaves, the poor, etc.). Since the dawn of civilization mankind has been evolving socially, and the world at that time was what it was. It's very easy to look down our nose and point an accusing finger at our ancestors. I'm sure the people of the future will do the same to us. Even though I like to believe that most societies throughout history are trying to do the best they can, I'm enough of a realist to know that that's probably being a little too optimistic. However, that being said, because of the priciples laid out in those founding documents, our country as it has progressed through the march of time and we have matured - somewhat- we have come to the realization that that dignity, and hence those rights that are rooted in it, apply to all persons, no matter their sex, no matter their race, no matter their state in life. Do we have some continued maturing to do? Undoubtedly. Are we going to continue to be messy and unjust as we mature? That's likely, but we are coming along. Remember, there's always hope, and as Stephen King wrote in the Shawshank Redemption - "Hope is a good thing; perhaps the best of things."

Just keep in mind - we all deserve the respect our dignity demands, and if we all gave each other that respect the world would be a better place. God Bless.

Answer 2

Basically what Adam's meant here is that although we are all born of a free mind with independent thought processes, not everyone is meant to be a leader.

Many things impact how people think and feel. Some people have strong personalities and others are meek. So in nature, the strongest survives and the species can move on. Ever hear of the runt of the litter.

This country was founded on the simple principle that everyone, regardless of their place in society, has an equal chance to make it. While some due to their social status may have a tougher time, as long as you continue the fight you have a chance to make it in the end. However it is not the governments responsibility to make sure you make it, you must have the will and the drive to be successful.

Otherwise, as in nature, you will be eaten up by society.

Answer 3

The wording is very important. All men are CREATED equal, born independent and free. Social and financial standing are (usually) a direct result of choices made.

Jefferson, who wrote that document, actually took those lines from the proposed Virginia Declaration of Rights, which stated "That all men are born equally free and independent and have certain inherent natural Rights, of which they cannot, by any Compact, deprive, or divest their Posterity; among which are the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and possessing Property, and pursuing and Obtaining Happiness and Safety."

The Declaration of Independence does not say that all men are equal. It says that they were created equal. There equality ends.

Even if "All Men are Created Equal", creation ends when life begins, and life is always unequal.

Answer 4

Well actually, when those words were written everyone understood that they applied to only white, educated, able bodied men of means. Not women, not blacks, not native Americans, not Asians, not the disabled, and not the ordinary man with no education or property.

Even so, there were plenty of people in the day that believed someday it would apply to all, as it does today.

But your question is, what does equality mean? The answer has already been given. It applies to equal treatment under the law. Some citizens do not have more rights than others. There is no born privilege to office, to justice, to consequences of our failures. All may enjoy the fruits of their success.

Of course you already know this. What you are really questioning is the rational of socialism - and I am guessing here that you see any government program to help the disadvantaged as socialism. Here is the thing - poverty is an injustice. Systematic oppression of a minority (or anyone for that matter) is an injustice. You call it socialism, I call it justice, something to which every bee, queen, worker or drone is entitled.

Answer 5

I think he wanted a healthy debate with his advisory, Mr. Jefferson.
I believe Jefferson wanted the ability of men to achieve from an equal start. Adams points out how nieve that is. They both make sense.
If you are ever up in the Northeast visit the Adams homestead in Quincy Mass. There are tours. And next door is the church John and Abigale worshipped and still remain. If it is not crowded you can talk with the guide. He likes the banter and that you know something about Adams.
Besides its in the 60's up here. Get out of that oven sister.

Answer 6

It is my belief that much of the Constitution, as amended with the Bill of Rights, was a carrot put before the people, so that the people would take part in the revolution. Most of the provisions actually would apply to the more wealthy people.

The wealthy plantation owners, tradesmen, merchants and few others would only truly benefit with the severance of the King's rule, due to economic independence. High taxes were put on American exports to Britain, making American goods not as marketable in Britain; as well as high taxes being placed on imports to America, garnering more income to Britain.

I didn't live in the colonies at the time, but I would hazard guessing that the price of tobacco in America was substantially the same after the Revolution, as before the revolution. Thus, only the wealthy truly profited from economic independence.

Recall that there were slaves and indentured servants at the time of the Revolution. Were these men created equal too, in the minds of the wealthy plantation owners and merchants? I think not. And, women were considered chattel in those days.

Modernly, our society has recognized that all people, regardless of race, religion, creed, sex, sex, sexual orientation and age have certain unalienable rights that cannot be taken away from them, making them all people equal under the laws of our states, federal government and the U.S. Constitution.

Answer 7

I will only add 2 items. One, to suggest that John Adams was a conservative thinker, in the modern sense, is stretching credulity. Adams embraced the radical change in thinking that the American government was founded upon. From Hobbes to Rousseau to Locke to ancient Rome, America represented a bold new attemps for man to govern himself with laws and without religious fervor that had ripped apart Europe in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.

Two, you are implying, as many modern "conservatives" do, that liberals want equal lives for all people, regardless of talent or ambition. I agree, that without talent, ambition, and resolve, one cannot be of a liberated spirit to make his or her mark on the world.

Great question!

Answer 8

All men are created equal = all people no matter what race, no matter what part of the social ladder we are on, no matter if we are male or female; are aloud to think for ourselves, we are able to do as we wish to do as long as we are of age, and it is within the law, there should never be any discrimination. Even though there is and always will be.

Truth is = It does matter what our color is because so many people holler discrimination when there is none. It does matter how high up on the ladder we are because money talks and the poor man walks, but... a person can become what they want to be if they have the determination to do so and the stamina to keep going, and that is what makes it all worthwhile.

Answer 9

It all comes down to a definition of what was meant by "rights", and the founders simply meant that all white men had equal rights to life, freedom and the pursuit of property. Much later, these rights were expanded to include women and non whites.

Generally, in the Declaration of Independence, the founders were rejecting the divine right of kings over commoners and the right of the British to rule the colonies. They were saying, theyt were equal to the British and they had the right to form their own government. The basic theme really does not go beyond that

Answer 10

In simple terms it means that no man or woman can own their children . That you are free to do as you wish in this world .

Yet you find out quickly that your parents have all the money and control over you .

That you must do as you are told or else that LOVE and SECURITY is taken away .

You are conditioned from birth to do as you are told and thus are never truly free .

You most do the bidding of others for your food and shelter and pay your rent and mortgage or be kicked into the streets and jailed .

So you are forced into a system that is designed to provide you with nothing more then the wage needed to feed cloth shelter and provide you a method to get to work .

This makes you a slave to those who came before you .

Yes you are born free but you quickly learn you are the servant of those who feed and shelter you .

This turns people into evil money grubbing power hunger animals who respect no one and seek only to never again have anyone tell them what to do .