Chant 1

Was the constitution primarily directed at universal rights or primarily used to

institutionalize and protect slavery as a right of white citizens?

Some of the basic rights of our constitution are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
However, this poses a question of whether the constitution was primarily directed at universal
rights or mainly used to institutionalize and protect slavery as a right of white citizens. In the bill
of rights there are very specific amendments that now are seen as universal and as fair to all.
Nevertheless, given the time of this document as well as the films that portray this time period,
was slavery justifiable? Financially speaking, free labor helped many plantations to thrive in
their communities. However, while land and labor prospered, life standards, freedom, and
equality suffered. 12 Years a Slave introduces a very interesting standpoint as we see the freedom
of an African American man, and the abuse that occurred when he was forced into slavery.
Another interesting view that is seen in the film Birth of a Nation is two families, one from the
North and one from the South. Thus, while slavery may have benefited few, and harmed the
many, was this action justifiable in terms of our basic rights?
In 12 Years a Slave, a once free man is fooled into leaving his home with the goal of
providing for his family. However, rather than perusing a job, Northrup, the main character is
suddenly sold into slavery. Because he was born a free man, this action causes the advancements
that have been made in regards to his family heritage as well as his respectability to be taken
from him. Even some of his most basic civil rights such as love, justice, and integrity are stripped
from him. While this is a violation of the constitutional right of life, this was not necessarily legal
in the movie, but acceptable. While the definition is set clear for life, we see the hypocrisy in
slavery especially when Northrup says, I could not comprehend the justice of that law, or that

Chant 2

religion, which upholds or recognizes the principle of slavery, (McQueen 2013). As we can see
the right of life is more of a white right rather than a universal right.
Focusing on another film, Birth of A Nation, we see just how unfair life was after the abolition of
slavery, once again enforcing how the right of life and equality is a white right and not universal.
While we know most if not all slaves were tortured and abused physically, we are yet to
fully comprehend the emotional situations they had to overcome, especially when slavery was
abolished. African Americans were talked down to and unappreciated in the film; we see how
Little Sister jumps from a cliff when being pursued by a renegade Negro, (Griffith 1915).
It is said that she chooses death before dishonor, (Griffith 1915). To be with an African
American it is dishonorable simply because of their skin color. Another form of the violation of
life throughout the film was an unfair trial involving the K.K.K. The trial was against a black
man whose sexual actions towards a white woman ultimately caused her to jump to her death.
However, regardless of the actions or facts surrounding the case, the decision had been made
against the black man because of his skin color before the trial even started. Additionally, while
we see African American men in the army, they are still not equal to the white male. They can
fight and die for the country but they are not equals. The right of life is the right of equality to
each other. No matter the circumstance we see throughout the film, we continue to see the push
for equality by most, and the rejection by mainly the south.
The most straightforward injustice against liberty happens in 12 Years a Slave when
Northrup is drugged and forced into slavery while once already a free man. He has been tricked
into leaving his home in order for another to gain a profit by selling him to plantation owners.
The United States is known as the land of the free, yet many were enslaved, treated poorly, or
even killed. This is where we first get a glimpse of how the constitution was only in favor of

Chant 3

benefiting the white male. Advancements such as the Underground Railroad, African Americans
that were born into freedom or traveled to the north and thus considered free citizens were all
created in favor of the equality and the progress of the country as a whole. We see in the end of
the film how two men come to free Northrup, showing how the country was pushing for freedom
and justice. Another way in which liberty or freedom is being taken from Northrup is by the
gains that his life is giving another man, Alas! I had not then learned the measure of man's
inhumanity to man, nor to what limitless extent of wickedness he will go for the love of gain,
(McQueen 2013). Once again we see how Northrup is considered property and beneficial only to
the white man. The constitution throughout this film is being represented as the rights of the
While man. Rather than assuring that all men are created equal, some took it upon themselves to
raise their stature for their own personal desires. Northrup makes a good point about the reversal
of roles. He says:
Of course you did; the law says you have the right to hold a nigger, but begging the
laws pardon, it lies. Yes, Epps, when the law says that its a liar, and the truth is not in it.
Is everything right because the law allows it? Suppose theyd pass a law taking away
your liberty and making you a slave? (McQueen 2013).
Northrup also points out that it is unfair and unjust that skin color gives society the right
to treat others as if they are worthless. Thus, as we can see from many different points
throughout the film, freedom and liberty have been taken by many for the gain of the white man.
One important aspect to understand about Birth of A Nation is the freedom of man. While
not portrayed in 12 Years A Slave, Birth of a Nation shows the freedom of all black men and
women. Slavery has been abolished and African Americans are considered free and almost equal
citizens. While they still do not share all aspects of white life they take one giant leap forward.

Chant 4

Here we can see the basic human right of liberty being portrayed as a universal right. However,
along with liberty is the freedom to protect it, or the security of a person. While being technically
free from slavery, black folks could not really defend themselves against the white male. For
instance, as seen in the film, when a black man becomes convicted of a crime, the judgement is
almost always made against him in the south because they are trying to preserve their standard of
living and they were against the abolition of slavery in the first place. For example, in the film, it
is said, The white men were roused by a mere instinct of self-preservation... until at last there had
sprung into existence a great Ku Klux Klan, a veritable empire of the South, to protect the
Southern country. Woodrow Wilson, (Griffith 1915). Thus, while legally free and equal, African
Americans still had many obstacles to overcome.
As we can see, the benefit of the few prevents the pursuit of happiness for everyone.
However, Northup does not place all blame on the tortures:
It is not the fault of the slaveholder that he is cruel, so much as it is the fault of the
system under which he lives. He cannot withstand the influence of habit and associations
that surround him. Taught from earliest childhood, by all that he sees and hears that the
rod is for the slave's back, he will not be apt to change his opinions in maturer years,
(McQueen 2013).
The American culture, political system, and especially the constitution, have raised the people in
the country to believe that slavery is acceptable and necessary in order to maintain their
lifestyles. Conversely, what the country does not portray is by keeping slaves you are keeping a
man from his happiness and the same peace and rights that you have. While not all slaves are
mistreated and unhappy, they are still being prevented from their basic right as defined in the

Chant 5

constitution. Once again we see how the constitution is being interpreted only in favor of the
white male:
There may be humane masters, as there certainly are inhuman onesthere may be
slaves well-clothed, well-fed, and happy, as there surely are those half-clad, half-starved
and miserable; nevertheless, the institution that tolerates such wrong and inhumanity as I
have witnessed, is a cruel, unjust, and barbarous one, (McQueen 2013).
While not necessarily unhappy with every situation that every slave has endured, they are still
being restricted of the happiness that they deserve. This is also true in the Birth of a Nation.
While no longer slaves, the African American people are still not considered equal or well liked.
They cannot raise their stature in life because of their skin color. The pursuit of happiness in a
broad sense is for anyone to freely pursue joy and live life in any way that makes you, as an
individual, happy so long as that you don't violate the rights of others. Discrimination of ones
skin color is a violation. According to this definition outlined in the declaration of independence,
slavery is the opposite of the pursuit of happiness, once again showing how the constitution
protects slavery and discrimination as a right of white citizens.
As we can see through many violations of basic human rights, slavery and discrimination
are the rights of white people, especially males. No matter slavery or free during the civil war,
even serving in the army, African Americans are still less than a white man. The white men in
both films are the oppressors and ultimately hold back the progression of the country. These two
films side by side give a great insight to the advancements that have been made from slavery into
freedom, while still showing how many obstacles are yet to come.

Chant 6

To further my paper I plan to discuss more than just life liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. I want to also go more in depth about universal rights and white rights rather than just
basic rights. I used my paper for 12 Years a Slave as an outline because I did discuss a lot of
what I wanted to focus this paper on. There were also several different formats for block quoting
and would like some assistance on that as well. I took the rough idea that they all shared but
didnt know if there was a certain way you would like it.

Works Cited

Chant 7

McQueen, Steve. 2013. 12 Years a Slave. Century City Los Angelas: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Griffith, D.W. 1915. The Birth of a Nation. New York: Epoch Producing Corporation.
"Quotes." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.
"Twelve Years a Slave Quotes." By Solomon Northup. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2015.