Historical Update...circa 1987.

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by nailer

Wrong. "The pursuit of happiness" included those who were willing to work and acquire property. The revolt needed soldiers.

Wrong. A despicably high percentage of the founders were racist slave owners at a time when other white men of virtue had openly recognized that slave holding was an abomination.

All white men of property are created equal.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

A despicably high percentage of the founders were racist slave owners at a time when other white men of virtue had openly recognized that slave holding was an abomination.

Yep.

But we had God on our side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUZGGFOV6FM

[nailer]

Originally Posted by Ike Bana

Wrong. A despicably high percentage of the founders were racist slave owners at a time when other white men of virtue had openly recognized that slave holding was an abomination.

All white men of property are created equal.

If the Declaration only applied to men of property they would have written "property", not "the pursuit of happiness."

Most of the non slave owning delegates were racists too, as were the vast majority of colonialists.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by nailer

Most of the non slave owning delegates were racists too, as were the vast majority of colonialists.

Oh!

Well why didn't you say so before?

That makes it OK!

[JJIII]

Originally Posted by nailer

If the Declaration only applied to men of property they would have written "property", not "the pursuit of happiness."

Most of the non slave owning delegates were racists too, as were the vast majority of colonialists.

Check this out.

http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/46460

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by nailer

Those who bound themselves into servitude did it in order to pursue happiness once the period of indenture was met. In addition, many received land (as a part of their indenture agreement) at the conclusion of their indenture to further said pursuit.

Today they call it the H1B visa.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

The revolutionary stuff in the Declaration of Independence was the assertion that government was the possession of the people, not the other way around, and that they could change it. And no, it was never law, and under that law that existed it was utterly illegal. But law isn't everything.

The founders took some big, liberal steps. It's wrong to damn them because they didn't take more.

The only reason the northern colonists agreed to slavery was that they knew they must hang together or they would hang separately. With Spain to the south, France close by and Britain to the north and west.

Gouverneur Morris of PA called slavery an abomination before God. But the southerners could not get any white men to gather the indigo from the swamplands. Cotton plantations came later.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by JJIII

Check this out.

http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/46460

Gracie JJ

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

The revolutionary stuff in the Declaration of Independence was the assertion that government was the possession of the people, not the other way around, and that they could change it. And no, it was never law, and under that law that existed it was utterly illegal. But law isn't everything.

The founders took some big, liberal steps. It's wrong to damn them because they didn't take more.

Originally Posted by JJIII

Check this out.

http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/46460

Many thanks to you both.

It's kinda pervertedly in fashion right now to hate on the Founders. It shows a profound lack of understanding - and an incomplete education in our schools.

[EDIT: that sounds harsher than it actually is]

Pete

[Ike Bana]

Originally Posted by nailer

If the Declaration only applied to men of property they would have written "property", not "the pursuit of happiness."

Most of the non slave owning delegates were racists too, as were the vast majority of colonialists.

You think the founders thought Africans had rights to happiness? Africans didn't have rights to jack shit. The founders were only slightly less likely to give a shit in that sexually satisfied slave-owner Jefferson's hat for Africans happiness than they were for the womenfolk's happiness.

"Get back in the kitchen and finish that fuckin' flag Dolly."