American Founders: Heroes Or Hypocrites?

American Founders: Heroes or Hypocrites?
The founders of America are often viewed as legends that paved a way for the liberty and freedoms of future civilizations, rebelling for a right cause due to the unjust laws Britain inflicted on the colonies. They protested and risked their lives to establish a nation based on the purest of ideals. However, behind the idealistic facade of the American colonies, only the white males achieved an adequate level of equality. Although some Americans spoke out against the oppression of minorities in the American colonists, protesting the use of slavery and expansion of the American border, the majority of the colonists continued and even supported the oppression of women, blacks, and Indians.
The tyrannical
Despite the Constitution stating that “All men are created equal” (US 1776), the founders of America disagreed. In Thomas Jefferson’s response to Benjamin’s Banneker letter, which argued that blacks are equal to white men, and can be just as smart if given the same education (Banneker), he disregarded Banneker’s evidence as a unique example. Even leaders such as John Adams became annoyed during the revolution when blacks were rebelling for their freedom (Nash 131), complaining to his wife that “negroes grew insolent to their masters” (J. Adams). While the Americans were protesting the injustice of the British culture of power inheritance (Gordon 118), black Americans born into slavery stayed as slaves. The American ideal that “position or rank came naturally from their talent and from below, from recognition by the people” (Gordon 118) was ignored to the extent that when Dunmore, a British governor, proclaimed that he was planning to free the slaves, "one white Virginian called [it] 'the most diabolical' scheme to 'offer freedom to our slaves and turn them against their masters'" (Nash 131). On the other hand, intellectual blacks kept arguing that the “rights of human nature […] extend[s] their power and influence to the relief of every part of the human race” (Banneker), extending to all people, no matter the race or gender. In addition, colonists also began questioning if slavery
In the Declaration of Independence, Americans stated that they did not want British troops avoiding “punishment for any Murders which they should commit” (US 1776). However, the Americans slaughtered numerous Indians, both in war and in peace. During an attempt as expansion, a “punitive expedition of two thousand militiamen […] burned seven Shawnee towns, killed many warriors, and captured women and children” (Nash 132). Americans also attacked Indians who wished for a truce, shown by the slaughter of Old Melanthy, a friendly Shawnee headman (Nash 132). Another example of American hypocrisy is when the colonists complained that the British government has been tyrannical toward the American people “for imposing Taxes on [them] without [their] Consent” (US 1776), Indians “were forced by American commissioners to cede most of their land at gunpoint” (Nash 131). Just like how “[King George] has made Judges dependent on his Will alone” (US 1776), American natives were at the mercy of American troops. When Indian leaders such as Joseph Brant tried to fight back against the colonists in self-defense (Nash 131), numerous Americans shared John Adam’s belief that Indians were slighting their guardians (J. Adams). In multiple occasions, the Americans brutalized the Indians worse than Britain has ever treated the