Read the passage below. Then, write a short paragraph that compares the words of the declaration with how natural rights were or were not protected in the early United States. The Declaration of Independence states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." After American colonists won their independence, however, they set up a government that allowed people to own others as slaves.

Which do you think comes closer to Enlightenment beliefs about natural rights — the words in the declaration or the actions of the government?