All Created Equal: Celebrating Freedom on Independence Day
A concept emerged that led to the birth of American freedom, a celestial idea that still reverberates – that all men are created equal.
In July of 1839, a group of Africans illegally taken into slavery from Sierra Leone, carried out a mutiny on a Cuban ship called The Amistad. Not knowing where they were headed, the Africans landed on the shores of Long Island where they were imprisoned on charges of murder. The case eventually made it to the United States Supreme Court where former president, John Quincy Adams, defended the African’s right to liberty, leaning on the words of the Declaration of Independence—that all men are created equal.
As Americans, we celebrate the freedoms defined in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States. As parents, it’s important to teach our children where these freedoms come from—first from God, and then from the people. We must never allow the next generation to be deceived by the false claim that the people serve the government—but instead, it is the government that serves all the people—each created equal by this same God.
Freedom: The Natural State of Mankind
In the movie of the same name, John Quincy Adams refutes the claims of his former vice president, John Calhoun, who asserted that slavery is the natural state of mankind.
“Now, gentlemen, I must say I differ with the keen minds of the South, and with our President, who apparently shares their views, offering that the natural state of mankind is instead—and I know this is a controversial idea—is freedom.”
“And the proof is the length to which a man, woman, or child will go to regain it, once taken. He will break loose his chains. He will decimate his enemies. He will try and try and try against all odds, against all prejudices, to get home.”
Of course, John Quincy learned the principles of freedom from his famous father, John Adams. The elder Adams is called the “engine of independence” for his tireless efforts to obtain independence from Great Britain. In the midst of the debate, an indispensable concept led to the birth of American freedom. Adams was so busy, that he asked his friend, Thomas Jefferson to write the document that would become known as the Declaration of Independence. From this truly revolutionary document, a celestial idea emerged that still reverberates today – that all men are created equal.
Read the full article on the Focus on the Family Website
Related: The Causes of the American Revolution on Stories & Myths
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