What clause was removed from the Declaration of Independence?
Asked by: Prof. Kris Hermann Jr. | Last update: January 30, 2026Score: 4.4/5 (44 votes)
The major clause removed from the Declaration of Independence was a passage written by Thomas Jefferson condemning King George III for forcing the slave trade on the American colonies, accusing him of waging "cruel war against human nature" by perpetuating slavery and inciting slave revolts; it was deleted to appease delegates from South Carolina and Georgia, who wished to continue the practice, and some Northern delegates whose merchants profited from the trade.
What was removed from the Declaration of Independence?
Jefferson's passage on slavery was the most important section removed from the final document.
Why was Jefferson's anti-slavery clause removed?
During the Continental Congress's revision process to Jefferson's draft, they removed the bulk of the paragraph and reduced it to a veiled reference against slavery, complaining that King George incited "domestic insurrections among us." Later, Jefferson claimed that some delegates from northern and southern colonies ...
What did Congress cut out of the Declaration of Independence?
The deleted words — beginning with “He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him …” — were a condemnation of George III, “the Christian King of Great Britain,” and his participation in and perpetuation ...
What provision had been removed from Jefferson's initial draft of the Declaration of Independence at the insistence of southern states?
And so, on the fourth day of July, 1776, with the adopted Declaration of Independence in hand, the thirteen American colonies formally declared their independence from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson quietly seethed about the changes to his draft of the document, especially the deletion of the slavery passage.
Slavery Was Deleted from the Declaration - US 101
Which section was deleted from the first draft of the Declaration of Independence?
Much of Jefferson's draft was ultimately adopted by the full Congress, but it removed his clause on the king's culpability in promoting the slave trade in America and in encouraging slaves to rise up in insurrection against their slaveholders.
What was removed from the Declaration of Independence to reach a compromise over the document?
While Jefferson explained that the representatives of the Continental Congress deleted the condemnation of slavery in his original draft of the Declaration to achieve a unanimous vote for independence, his original draft did not actually call for an end to slavery in the founding of the nation.
Did the founding fathers put God in the Constitution?
No, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention God or a supreme being in its main text, a deliberate choice by the Founding Fathers to establish a secular government and protect religious freedom, though it does contain a date reference ("Year of our Lord") and the First Amendment prevents religious tests for office, reflecting a consensus on separation of church and state despite their personal faith.
How much jail time for stealing the Declaration of Independence?
18 U.S.C. 668 (THEFT OF MAJOR ARTWORK) – “A person who steals or obtains by fraud from the care, custody, or control of a 'museum' any 'object of cultural heritage'… shall be fined [up to $250,000], imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.” 18 U.S.C.
What did the signers of the Declaration of Independence have to lose?
Have you ever wondered what happened to those men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured.
What did Thomas Jefferson refuse to get rid of?
He advocated for a gradual emancipation of all enslaved people within the United States and the colonization of Africa by freed African Americans. However, he opposed some other measures to restrict slavery within the United States, and also was against voluntary manumission.
Why did Congress delete a passage from the Declaration of Independence?
Between July 1 and July 3, congressional delegates debated the document, during which time they excised Jefferson's anti-slavery clause. The removal was mostly fueled by political and economic expediencies.
Which president freed the most slaves?
President Abraham Lincoln freed the most slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and the 13th Amendment (ratified 1865), which abolished slavery nationwide, freeing millions, though it was a gradual process involving Union armies and Black agency, not an immediate blanket release.
Is God mentioned in the Declaration of Independence?
Yes, God is mentioned multiple times (around four) in the Declaration of Independence, using terms like "Nature's God," "Creator," "Supreme Judge of the world," and "divine Providence," acknowledging a higher power as the source of natural rights and the ultimate authority for their actions, though not specifying a particular religion.
What is the exception clause of the 13th Amendment?
Thirteenth Amendment, Section 1: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
What did the Declaration of Independence say about blacks?
The Declaration of Independence promised liberty for all men but did not end slavery; and even though they were great fighters, the Continental Congress did not allow black soldiers to join the army.
Who was the last person charged with treason?
Since 1954, however, only one person has been charged with treason against the United States. And that single instance was relatively unusual: in 2006, a federal grand jury indicted Adam Gadahn for treason based on his participation in several al-Qaeda propaganda videos.
What is the US Code 18?
Title 18 of the United States Code is the primary federal law covering Crimes and Criminal Procedure, encompassing federal offenses, court processes, prisons, and witness immunity, divided into five main parts: Crimes, Criminal Procedure, Prisons and Prisoners, Correction of Youthful Offenders, and Immunity of Witnesses, covering everything from espionage and terrorism to fraud and general criminal principles like aiding and abetting.
Who owns a copy of the Declaration of Independence?
The Library of Congress owns two of the surviving 26 copies of the first printing of the Declaration of Independence, also known as the “Dunlap Broadside,” printed in Philadelphia on the evening of July 4 and the early morning of July 5, 1776. United States. Declaration of Independence.
What did Albert Einstein say about Jesus?
Though Jewish, Albert Einstein expressed deep admiration for Jesus Christ, calling him a "luminous figure" whose personality "pulsates in every word" of the Gospels, acknowledging Jesus's historical existence and his profound, "divine" teachings, even if some sayings echoed earlier prophets, while advocating for a purified Christianity stripped of priestly dogma, focusing on Jesus's ethical message for humanity.
Did all 613 laws come from God?
Yes, the 613 mitzvot (commandments) in Judaism are traditionally considered to have been given by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, forming the core of the Torah, though the Bible doesn't explicitly state the number 613; Jewish tradition, particularly Maimonides' work, compiled and enumerated them from the texts of the Torah, with the Ten Commandments serving as a summary of these broader laws. The exact list and interpretation vary, with some laws being ceremonial, moral, or judicial, and not all are applicable today.
What did Stephen Hawking say about God?
Stephen Hawking stated that science offers better explanations for the universe's origins than religion, concluding there is no God or divine creator, and that the universe arose spontaneously from nothing according to physical laws, not divine will, seeing no need for a higher power to set things in motion. While initially suggesting God might have set the laws, he later clarified he was an atheist, believing the simplest explanation is no God and that humans invented God to explain the unexplainable, which science now addresses.
What was the deleted paragraph from the Declaration of Independence?
Jefferson's passage on slavery was the most important section removed from the final document.
What did Jefferson call slavery?
Calling it a “moral depravity” and a “hideous blot,” he believed that slavery presented the greatest threat to the survival of the new American nation.
What is the Opprobrium of infidel powers?
This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the Christian King of Great Britain, determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce: and that this ...