The ideals of the Enlightenment which were expressed in the Declaration of Independence weremeant to light a fire under the British citizens living in America, to express and declare that theconditions imposed upon them by their British overlords were unjust and went against the veryfibers which held human society together. The British imposition in America was unnatural forthe human condition, and therefore should and would be overthrown… for white people. Ibelieve that the enslaved African-Americans who were exposed to the passion with which thePatriots spoke of freedom from oppression and hatred for British enslavement of the people ofAmerica would naturally allow them to hope that the freedoms which were professed byEnlightenment ideals would be passed along to them. Surely the white masters were not asheartless or ignorant to truly be able to look at the slavery they had imposed upon an entire race
