Ap European Enlightenment Dbq

The great enlightenment philosophers thinkings are cornerstones of the French’s proclamation on the rights of man. Where it emphasize the free expression, individual's freedom and equality before the laws, however, the Africans in the colonies were excluded. The opponents to the extension of rights, mull over the potential economic crisis, political and social impacts. While some reaches an internal deadlock as they does not lean on the two extremes but realistic comprehension of the situation.

In the lead of a compassionate and humanistic world, the enlightenment thinker debates on the stances of dignity, greed, and compassion. Everyone man are born equal and inherents the same rights of liberty and freedom. Therefore, the property owners “can not take from a person that natural dignity which is liberty.” (Doc 1) But, “one of fourth of my fellow humans changed into beasts for the service of others.” (Doc 3) Rousseau laments and acknowledges the slaves were human not object to grant satisfaction of “sugar, coffee and tobacco” (Doc 2) Furthermore, the degree of cruelty and action has been previously unknown to ancestors, a contradiction to the Christian teaching of natural law. (Doc 4) Slavery was revolutionary in its effect on the social order one human has ownership over another human. The ideology of whites are inherently superior because of the color of skin and can exploit people differ from them spread. They rob the fundamental rights of people of color and exploits them without their consensus`. Olympe de Gouges a female abolitionists and right activists utters that the color of skins “...is no discord between day and night, the sun and the moon.” (Doc 7) Inferring that both are the beauty variance of nature and equals in importance and value. Then who gives us the right to authority to exclude the powerless and unfortunate from political participation from gender or skin color variance declared by Count Mirabeau. (Doc 9) Indeed, the abolitionists and enlightenment insist the slaves were “people who were similar to us” ,therefore, deserve the social status to enjoy the basic equality of liberty. However, they do not recognize the economic crisis if slavery no longer existed.

The national assembly of France was consisted of the nobility, clergy and the commoners. However, the representatives were middle class merchants, lawyers and property owners that does not displays the full interest of million suffer in poverty. Scarcity of bread to sustain a basic living, contrast to the wealthy like Marie Antoinette exclaims “Let them eat a cake.” Therefore, the delegate of the owners of property in the French Colonies of America exclaimed “End our fear by declaring that..the Rights of Man does not extend to the Black people and their descendants.” (Doc 13) Furthermore, supporting his statement with bold assertions that the black people were