PASSAGE FROM THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Background: In the original draft of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson included the
following passage. This passage initiated the most intense debate among the delegates gathered at
Philadelphia in the spring and early summer of 1776, and it was ultimately removed from the final
document. It was replaced with a more ambiguous passage about King George's incitement of "domestic
insurrections among us." But, Jefferson's original passage appears below.
Directions: As you read the following passage, annotate thoroughly and try to figure out, “Why was this
passage cut from the final draft of the Declaration of Independence?
He [the King of England] 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, captivating & carrying them into
slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. 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 restrain this execrable commerce. And that this assemblage of
horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among
us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he has
obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed again the Liberties of one people, with crimes
which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.
- See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/primary/declaration-independence-and-debate-over-slavery#sthash.7fpFQ0R5.dpuf
1. Origin: What is this document? Who wrote this? What year was it written?
2. Purpose: What accusations is the author making against the King? Why is he making this
accusation?
3. Value: What is the value of this passage to us as historians?
a. Why was this passage cut from the final draft of the Declaration of Independence?
b. How does it help us better understand the challenges of democracy and compromise?
Directions: As you watch the following segment from the film 1776, consider what changes were made to
the original draft of the Declaration of Independence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PazGAmxCoYg (1:43:00- 1:58:00)
Molasses to rum to slaves
Oh, what a beautiful waltz
You dance with us, we dance
with you
In molasses and run and slaves
Who sail the ships out of Boston
Laden with bibles and rum
Who drinks a toast
To the Ivory Coast
"Hail Africa, the slavers have
come"
New England with Bibles and
rum
And it's off with the rum and the
Bibles
Take on the slaves, clink clink
Then hail and farewell to the
smell
Of the African coast
Molasses to rum to slaves
'Tisn't morals, 'tis money that
saves
Shall we dance to the sound
Of the profitable pound
In molasses and rum and slaves
Who sail the ships out of Guinea
Laden with Bibles and slaves
'Tis Boston can boast
To the West Indies coast
"Jamaica, we brung what ye
craves"
Antigua, Barbados
We brung Bibles and slaves
(Gentlemen, you mustn't think
our Northern friends merely see
our black slaves as figures on
the ledger. Oh, no, sir. They see
them as figures on the block.
Watch the faces at the auctions,
gentlemen. White faces on
African wharves. "Put them in
the ships. Cram them in the
ships. Stuff them in the ships."
Hurry, gentlemen! Let the
auction begin!)
Ya-ha!
Ya-ha-ma-cundah!
(Gentlemen, do you hear?
That's the cry of the auctioneer.)
Ya-ha
Ya-ha-ma-cundah!
(Slaves, gentlemen! Black gold.
Living gold. Gold from:)
Angola
Guinea, Guinea, Guinea
Blackbirds for sale!
Ashanti
Ibo, Ibo, Ibo, Ibo
(Look at the faces in the crowd,
gentlemen. White faces. New
England faces. Seafaring faces.
Faces from:
Nantucket
Boston, Boston, Boston
Blackbirds for sale!
Handle them, fondle them
But don't finger them!
They're prime! They're prime!
Ya-ha
Ya-ha-ma-cundah!
Molasses to rum to slaves
Who sail the ships back to
Boston
Laden with gold, see it gleam
Whose fortunes are made
In the triangle trade
Hail slavery, the New England
dream
Mr. Adams, I give you a toast
Hail Boston
Hail Charleston
Who stinketh the most?
4. Why was Edward Rutledge (a delegate from South Carolina) angered by the “He waged cruel war…”
passage in the original draft of the Declaration of Independence?
5. In the song “Molasses to Rum to Slaves”, what accusation does Rutledge make against the New
Englanders who supported the slavery passage.
6. How did the Southern delegates react to the original draft of the Declaration of Independence and why?