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The exact meaning of this phrase has been debated quite extensively. The meaning and interpretation of such a simple statement has changed over time.
One meaning is the God created all human beings and gave them all the same status at birth.
Another meaning is that all human beings were granted free will, intelligence, and the same basic needs.
Some view the statement in a socialist sense - that all people ought to be completely equal at all times. Everything in society should be fair. No one should inherit property, for example, because that would be unequal. No one's rich dad should send them to an expensive college while another has to start work at age 18. This idea is in no way related to Jefferson's meaning.
Given that the statement is a key concept in the Declaration of Independence, most likely Jefferson was attacking the hereditary power of the King of England. He is saying that a king and a commoner are created equal.
Many people have pointed out that today "all men" is taken to mean "all people". At the time it was written, it really meant all men ... all males. Women would continue to have fewer rights than men in the new American society. But did it really mean "all men?" There was no question that at the time that Blacks and Native Americans were treated as lesser humans. They were not to be treated as equal in any sense of the term.
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∙ 11y ago
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∙ 14y agoNo nor slaves. Women didn't have rights in Jefferson's time. They couldn't own land, have a bank account, go to college, and vote. It won't be until the 1920's that women will get the right to vote and in many cases women won't be able to many jobs until recently. A good example of this is women in the military. The first woman figher pilot was in the last 5 years or so.
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∙ 12y agoWiki User
∙ 10y agoJefferson meant that we have inalienable rights. These meant that we were all entitled to life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness as the very mean of our existence.
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∙ 12y agoAdd your answer:
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Who said all men are created equal?
Thomas Jefferson, and Martin Luther King Jr. said that, "All men are created equal." :)
What is Thomas Jefferson's biggest secret?
Thomas Jefferson Biggest secret was that in the Declaration of Independence he wrote"All mens are created equal". But when he wrote that it didn't include the slaves and the womans because Thomas Jefferson Had SLAVES. Meaning it didn't include the African American(slaves).
When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal to whom was he most likely referring?
When Thomas Jefferson said that all men are created equal, he probably meant, all white, land-owning men are created equal. He clearly did not support the equality of people of African descent (even though, ironically, this quote from the Declaration of Independence was later used very effectively to support the concept of racial equality).
What are the enduring themes in Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence?
There are several enduring themes in the Declaration of Independence. Perhaps the most important of them was that it was a "government" document that specified that "all men are created equal".
What truths does Jefferson consider self-evidence?
That all men are created Equal
Who said all men are created equal?
Thomas Jefferson, and Martin Luther King Jr. said that, "All men are created equal." :)
Who according to Jefferson is created equal?
According the Thomas Jefferson, our Third President of the United States and Father of the Declaration of Independence, all men are created equal.
Why did the author of All men were created equal Thomas Jefferson remain a slaveholder all his life?
I can't
Did Thomas Jefferson saywe holed these trus to be self evedet that all men are created equal?
yes he did
Who said you want to be self-evident truths for themselves All men are created equal by French?
Thomas Jefferson
What famous president did Atticus mention?
He mentions Thomas Jefferson when stating his quote that all men are created equal.
Which president said all men are created equal?
The President that first said all men are created equal was Thomas Jefferson. He was the third president of the United States.
When john Locke said All men are created equal?
John Locke did not say All men are created equal. Thomas Jefferson said this during the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.
What is Thomas Jefferson's biggest secret?
Thomas Jefferson Biggest secret was that in the Declaration of Independence he wrote"All mens are created equal". But when he wrote that it didn't include the slaves and the womans because Thomas Jefferson Had SLAVES. Meaning it didn't include the African American(slaves).
How is Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom related to the Bill of Rights?
He signed to agree that all men are created equal
What was the most famous document written by thomas Jefferson?
Jeffersons most famous document written was "All Men are Created Equal"
What american document proclaims that all men are created equal?
The American document that proclaims that all men are created equal is the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776.
