The Declaration of Independence and the Language of Slavery

Abstract

Abstract: It is often noted that the word “slavery” does not appear in the U.S. Constitution, but it is rarely noted that it also does not appear in the Declaration of Independence. This is surprising since the idea that the American colonists were being “enslaved” by Great Britain was a consistent theme of patriot rhetoric in the months leading up to the outbreak of the war. This article describes how during the process of writing, editing, and revising by Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, and the Continental Congress virtually all mentions of slavery disappeared from the final document. These deletions of specific references to slavery elevated the Declaration from being a document merely reflecting the specific and particular moment of its creation to a document espousing abstract, universal values.