re: When did the idea that we're all "created equally" become a widely held belief?

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People (younger, mostly?) believe that the American system guarantees equality of outcomes, instead of the originally intended equality of opportunity.

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The core issue here is that people are born with equal protection under the law and equal opportunity. However, they are not born with equal talent, skill, or socio-economic situations.

People with more skill and talent in football will make the nfl, whereas I have no shot no matter how hard I work. It's a matter of genetics more than opportunity. As I had an equal opportunity, but not born with equal chance.

The mistake a lot of people make is that they believe in equal outcomes, and that was never part of the deal. The key is finding the correct niche for your particular talents and skills and exploiting them for the maximum benefit.