Gabriela Urrego

History 2110

31 January 2021

In the process of reviewing the nature of freedom in terms of the documents presented, I can

interpret that the basis of freedom differentiates and relates between the United States, France,

and Haiti.

The United States of America make attempts at following the standards that describe that

“all men are created equal” (Declaration of Independence: Transcription) This statement about

the people of the United States of America is ironic due to the fact that they never really

practiced it. As you most likely know, the United States obtains a long history of slavery,

unfairness in freedom, and segregation amongst its inhabitors and/or citizens of a certain race,

gender, etc. You can identify these traits in multiple events or occurrences such as The Middle

Passage, The Civil Rights era, etc. In reading the Declaration of Independence: A Transcription,

I can identify that the basis of freedom right then was not all that it was cut out to be. The author

describes what the state of the colonies were at under the ruling of the King of Great Britain.

According to the document, “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of

repeated injuries and usurpations,” (Declaration of Independence: Transcription) inferring that

the basis of freedom under his ruling did not hold true to the Declaration of Independence. Under

the King of Great Britain's ruling, there were cases of refusal to adhere to laws that if abided by,

would benefit the state, and also instances in which they would deprive a citizens right of “the
benefits of jury.” (Declaration of Independence: Transcription). The King has without hesitation

used force to turn his citizens into his prisoners and ultimately used them to go against each other

in circumstances like forcing them to execute their friends. I find that while the citizens in these

colonies had freedom, I believe it was only to a certain extent and ultimately, most of the

decisions they wanted to make for the colonies' well being and good state, were never allowed or

considered.

Just like the United States, France declared freedom but only for a group of specific people,

excluding those of color, those who are women, etc. In the Articles, it shows that France curated

two separate articles dictating the rights within a man and a woman. It states that the nature of

freedom for women that have been neglected and ignored are “the sole causes of public

misfortunes and governmental corruption,” (Declaration of the Rights of Man and the

Declaration of Rights of Woman) This infers the segregation that occurs or has been occuring in

the country of France. Though, the country of France has curated a Declaration of rights for

women that describes their own natural rights that can benefit them and better their freedom. In

Article 1 of the Declaration of the Rights of Women (September 1791), it states, “Woman is born

free and remains equal to men in rights.” (Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Declaration

of Rights of Woman) Along with Article 1, there are 16 other Articles pertaining to Women's

legal rights in France. While the United States and France have shared the same sort of standard

of discrimination against women, France has been able to handle the conflict better by creating a

personal list of rights for women that’ll allow them to go about their personal situations.
 In the country of Haiti at the time of the Hatian Republic Constitution of 1801, it was being

ruled by France. Haiti also has a history of heavily experiencing the human cost of slavery which

isn’t unfamiliar to most countrys. In Haiti’s constitution, they are far more explicit about

abolishing the act of slavery than in the French declarations of man. Article 3 states, “There

cannot exist slaves on this territory, servitude is therein forever abolished. All men are born, live

and die free and French.” (Haitian Republic Constitution Of 1801). Meanwhile, the French

constitution states, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be

founded only upon the general good.” (Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Declaration of

Rights of Woman)

Meanwhile the basis of freedom for each country in their moment in time differed in many ways,

ultimately they all came together in the same way in terms of their freedom being limited to

those of a specific gender and/or race.