Who Was Created Equal? The Principle of Equality from Founding to Civil Rights

This summer camp will guide students through a discussion of the meaning of the Declaration of Independence’s famous line that “all men are created equal.” The precise meaning of the phrase was debated at the time and is frequently debated today. The ideal of equality will not be treated simply as an issue of the past but rather a guiding principle that has been built upon and departed from throughout our history. We will address this question by considering the place of African Americans in the American story. We will cover how equality was understood and applied during key periods, including the American Founding, Civil War & Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights Movement. Lectures, educational media, activities, and games will be used to facilitate learning.