Final answer:
The United States faced a contradiction between its foundational belief in equality and practices like slavery and unequal treatment of women and Indigenous people. Economic interests, societal norms, and racial hierarchies contributed to a complex justification of these discrepancies. Significant progress towards true equality has been made over time through historical milestones and influential leaders.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to how America reconciled its core belief that "all men are created equal" with the reality of slavery and other forms of institutional inequality that existed at the nation's founding. At the heart of American principles, as stated in the Declaration of Independence and up held over time by documents such as the Constitution and its Bill of Rights, is the assertion that everyone is entitled to fundamental rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Despite these lofty ideals, America's early history was marked by a stark contradiction. Certain groups, including women, enslaved people of African descent, and Indigenous Americans, were not granted the same rights as white men. This disparity existed despite the clear proclamations of equality penned by Thomas Jefferson, a slaveholder himself, and others.
The justification for this contradiction can be complex. It involved a mixture of economic interests, entrenched societal norms, and a racial hierarchy that placed white Europeans at the top. At times, the nation's leaders and citizens employed a variety of arguments, such as considering enslaved people as property rather than persons, to rationalize the contrast between the American creed and the reality of social inequalities.
Over time, reflecting on historic figures like Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address, and events such as the Civil Rights movement led by figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., have paved the way for a gradual, ongoing process of aligning the nation's practices with its founding principles.