Outspoken: 'Deleted clauses' of the Declaration of Independence remain critical

Outspoken: 'Deleted clauses' of the Declaration of Independence remain critical

From The Gaggle: An Arizona politics podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com

June 2, 2026 · 21 min

About this episode

Historian Holly Brewer discusses the significance of the deleted clauses in the Declaration of Independence regarding slavery and human rights.

The words removed from the Declaration of Independence show just as much as the ones left in. Historian Holly Brewer argues that the deleted clauses in Thomas Jefferson’s draft are essential to understanding how the revolutionaries thought about slavery, equality and the reach of human rights. In this Outspoken conversation, we discuss how the British Empire used slavery to fund its power, and how postwar legal fights over debts and treaties helped stall efforts at gradual abolition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Guest: Holly Brewer

Topics covered

  • slavery
  • equality
  • human rights
  • American Revolution
  • historical analysis

Keywords

  • Declaration of Independence
  • Holly Brewer
  • slavery
  • equality
  • British Empire
  • American Revolution
  • human rights

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: British Empire, The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com

Books & works: Declaration of Independence

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