Nikole Hannah Jones depicts how America did not become a democracy until black people made it so. Jones explores how the founding fathers persuade people to believe that the Declaration of Independence was only possible because of them. In this passage, Jones illustrates how slaves enhanced production and provided their masters with a higher income in their lands. This reading shows the reality of how America became what it is today and how slaves were primordial to the growth of America.
Jones established the belief that it is because of black people that America’s democracy is as effective as it is. “America Wasn’t a Democracy, Until Black People Made It One,” she argues, exemplifying this. (See page 1) In this comment, she expresses her conviction that America would not have achieved any of its current achievements if it were not for the work and growth of black people. Jones also demonstrates how slaves were seen as property rather than people. She explores how slaves were left out of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, even though he stated that “all men are created equal,” despite the fact that he was a slave owner who did not feel that black people should have the same rights as white people. The author Jones also considers how the founding fathers depended on the Declaration of Independence to gain independence from Great Britain while keeping slavery secure.
This reading is a demonstration of how the other version of the story of America was founded and how it became what it is right now. It shows how even though they had the choice to finish slavery they still chose to maintain it. They treated black people inequitable and they exploited them for their own benefit. We still see this in the present day by how higher classes exploit lower classes physically and mentally. This article makes me wonder why the white population never thought about getting united with black people instead of exploiting them?