Abolitionists used the Declaration of Independence as the foundation of antislavery and abolitionist thought. The activists of the antislavery movement advocated for people’s rights and freedoms, claiming that the latter was proclaimed in and guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence. Specifically, referring to the Declaration of Independence, abolitionists mentioned that the national existence of all Americans was based on the principle of loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Furthermore, it was mentioned that every person was “created equal” and “endowed” with “certain inalienable rights,” including liberty.
Thus, resorting to the Declaration of Independence, abolitionists emphasized that slavery contradicted the principles of “natural justice.” Therefore, the Declaration of Independence was employed by abolitionists as a measure to prove that slavery was illegal and that it should be condemned by society and abolished. On the basis of the mentioned document, abolitionists were able to demonstrate how wrong the system of segregation was and how illegally its supporters behaved.