The Declaration of Independence as we know it is one of, if not the most powerful document in the United States of America. It encompasses government empowerment and basic human principles which includes ‘freedom’, but, are we truly liberated? The main priority of this document is to abolish tyranny and entitle people to unalienable rights as stated in the reading which includes the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That in itself is contradicting to what it wants to achieve, which takes us back to the question about liberation.
Firstly, the contradiction between the claim that "all men are created equal" and the existence of American slavery attracted comment when the Declaration was first published in 1776. You can’t help but think that the quote "all men are created equal" was untrue or at least that it does not apply to coloured people.
Slaves were still held unwillingly and forced to work under harsh treatment from their masters. And this exclusion of slaves was purposely done to better such things as the economy of the country, and the perception of slaves and women and Native Americans.
Secondly, The Declaration of Independence, the second paragraph explains the purpose of government, that the government is a servant of the people, not vice versa, and that people have the right to change a government that doesn't meet their needs and to create a new one. It then goes into detailing a list of abuses of George III as the reasons the American colonies decided to end their ties with England.
The Constitution makes it harder for Americans to change their government with the exceptions of elections, and constitutional amendments. It doesn't allow change to a certain extent. In other words, even though it came about as a result of change there is so little because you have to wait a period time which some might consider long to really have a