Declaration of Independence

However, many of the ideas that Thomas Jefferson expressed in The Declaration of Independence can be considered hypocritical, as before, during, and after his fight for American freedom and independence, he was a slave owner who in many ways infringed upon the basic human freedoms of others.  According to the website, “www.ishipress.com”, on January 14, 1774, two and a half years before the signing of his Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was in possession of 187 slaves.  Jefferson’s slave count was at the same number fifty years later, in 1824, long after the American Revolution.  This fact proves that Jefferson did not entirely contradict totalitarianism, and in a way, he was a totalitarian leader of 187 people during two different periods of his life.  By owning slaves, Jefferson denied the belief that “all men are created equal”, and dictated the lives of a number of people as a tyrant.  He denied 187 people the basic human rights that he preached in favor of in The Declaration of Independents, in an attempt to achieve personal gain.  These practices parallel those of a totalitarian leader.

Based on the reasons above, Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independents was an account of his disapproval towards the totalitarian form of government.  He saw war as an appropriate solution to totalitarian behavior, as proven in his writing.  He took gigantic risks in favor of his cause.  However, the ideas that Jefferson expressed in The Declaration of Independence, in many ways contradicted his practices outside of politics, such as the owning and controlling of massive number of slaves.