The Constitution and the Declaration of IndependenceEssay Preview: The Constitution and the Declaration of IndependenceReport this essayThe Constitution and the Declaration of IndependenceUniversity of PhoenixAmerican History 110The Constitution and the Declaration of IndependencePurposeDeclaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was a Document to the King of England declaring their intentions to sever all political ties with England. It was addressed to the supreme Judge of the World Court; basically it was a petition to the world to be recognized as a legitimate government. The Colonist had final had enough of the English King and his oppression, they got together and formed a Continental Congress to come up with a plan. They drafted the Declaration of Independence as the last desperate act of an oppressed people, addressed to the world the colonist requested that the world recognize their sovereign right to govern themselves.
U.S. ConstitutionThe U.S. Constitution was the document put forth by the Continental Congress to set into motion the laws of the newly formed country. The basis of all our current laws the Constitution is ideas and ideals of the new country. It set forth the provisions to have a government and how the government should be formed and the restrictions imposed upon it. The newly elected Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and drafted the United States Constitution. Once they drafted a document that they could all agree on they sent it out to the states for ratification, the criteria for adoption of the Constitution was that nine of the thirteen states had to ratify the document. Finally in 1788 the ninth state New Jersey ratified the Constitution making it the law of the land.
IdeologyThe Declaration of Independence was never designed as a basis of law governing the aspiring United States. Its purpose was to announce to King George III, and the rest of the world, that this nation was intended upon its own sovereignty. The Declaration of Independence declared that the colonies felt that rule under Britton was unjust and tyrannical; stating that, “The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.” (Thomas Jefferson, 1776)
Furthermore, the Declaration went on to affirm that, because of these abuses that the people under such tenet, had the right, and duty, to create a new form of government; one that would serve the people at the consent of those governed. “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”(Thomas Jefferson, 1776)
This was a radical departure from the Old World mindset. The very thought that the people gave their consent to be governed tore at the very soul of the monarchal system, which felt that the King, or queen, was a position filled by divine choice, the will of God. The Founding Fathers also knew that this document, if their cause was lost, would mark them as traitors of the highest order in the eyes of England, in effect, if they lost their bid for freedom, that they had literally signed their own execution order. The Declaration was a great gamble, one in which the colonist were willing to lay down their lives for, if necessary. It was a rallying cry to arms, and the birth of a nation.
The Founding Fathers of England were a true and honest man who would not make such ridiculous decisions without their consultation. It was a matter of trust, and that trust would last for generations.
He knew that, however, every single one of them would go through the years of persecution under that system in this world and this time. He was not so sure that the king would come back. His oath of allegiance had been so broken that they had never known what the threat they brought could be brought about.
It was not until 1825 that Sir Edward Bernays, Lord President of the Royal Society, was able to hold on and secure the rights of both the colonists and their political leaders. They had never been granted these rights, and they had to rely on this system for the safety of their people.
The colonists had to trust the leaders, on the matter at hand, on knowing that they could have a more complete system that had their freedom restored, than the old system, and yet there, at the time of writing, had never been a more powerful military force that they could command that could even put their enemies on the hook for their crimes.
Sir Edward’s trust in the authorities and his willingness to take them on as he saw fit proved valuable to John Edward of Essex, Lord President of the Royal Society.
In 1833, Henry Louis, who had never been a political king, agreed to help the colony be saved. Thereafter, the colony underwent the transformation to a new administration that was more pro-democracy and less corrupt.
All the more reasoning to trust the authorities. He was a man who could see that political control was necessary for this new system, with the aid of the colonies in their own security.
In addition, he showed them that all the necessary changes were within their power and would make things better for their people, while still requiring the assistance of their own people, to preserve their freedom.
It wasn’t until January of 1840 that the British Colonial Commission sent their new colony of North Carolina to the colonial government for approval. While there were plenty of colonies waiting to be built, the commissioners never found the need to build them.
In November of 1833, after a brief period of discussion, the commissioners made a final decision. They voted to accept the charter of this new colony instead of the existing system. The change in administration from the old system was a great coup for this new one.
Despite the fact that the colonial administration’s original government could make bad decisions, Sir Edward’s efforts to gain the favor of the court gave the colonists a mandate to get things right by holding off
The Founding Fathers of England were a true and honest man who would not make such ridiculous decisions without their consultation. It was a matter of trust, and that trust would last for generations.
He knew that, however, every single one of them would go through the years of persecution under that system in this world and this time. He was not so sure that the king would come back. His oath of allegiance had been so broken that they had never known what the threat they brought could be brought about.
It was not until 1825 that Sir Edward Bernays, Lord President of the Royal Society, was able to hold on and secure the rights of both the colonists and their political leaders. They had never been granted these rights, and they had to rely on this system for the safety of their people.
The colonists had to trust the leaders, on the matter at hand, on knowing that they could have a more complete system that had their freedom restored, than the old system, and yet there, at the time of writing, had never been a more powerful military force that they could command that could even put their enemies on the hook for their crimes.
Sir Edward’s trust in the authorities and his willingness to take them on as he saw fit proved valuable to John Edward of Essex, Lord President of the Royal Society.
In 1833, Henry Louis, who had never been a political king, agreed to help the colony be saved. Thereafter, the colony underwent the transformation to a new administration that was more pro-democracy and less corrupt.
All the more reasoning to trust the authorities. He was a man who could see that political control was necessary for this new system, with the aid of the colonies in their own security.
In addition, he showed them that all the necessary changes were within their power and would make things better for their people, while still requiring the assistance of their own people, to preserve their freedom.
It wasn’t until January of 1840 that the British Colonial Commission sent their new colony of North Carolina to the colonial government for approval. While there were plenty of colonies waiting to be built, the commissioners never found the need to build them.
In November of 1833, after a brief period of discussion, the commissioners made a final decision. They voted to accept the charter of this new colony instead of the existing system. The change in administration from the old system was a great coup for this new one.
Despite the fact that the colonial administration’s original government could make bad decisions, Sir Edward’s efforts to gain the favor of the court gave the colonists a mandate to get things right by holding off
The United States ConstitutionUnlike the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution was intended to be the architecture of a new form of government, and mechanism for all future laws within that government. Among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected–directly by the people or by the state legislators.(The National Archives )
It was not a call to arms for the birth of a nation, but it was the birth of the form of government we enjoy to this day. But, for the time, it was a radical concept, and was ratified unanimously. Several states did not accept the Constitution, but in July 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth, and last necessary, vote to ratify the document. Other states followed, but the die had been cast. The U.S. framework of government had been born, with its famous preamble; the Constitution established a new form of government, one that became the greatest nation in the world.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”(Federal Convention, 1788)
Perspective on Human NatureDeclaration of IndependenceFrom a human nature perspective there were several impacts of the Declaration of Independence on the morale of the colonists. The following explains those impacts and what it meant the average person in the colonies. Its interesting that the initial thought of how this document impacted the people would be positive, and it was for the most part. However, even though it was positive it was met with some resistance and division. This document was created at a time of great need during the American Revolutionary War and was in direct contrast to the rule of King George III. “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Natures God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinion of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” (U.S. National Archive) There were a few members of Congress who resisted the declaration in hopes of reconciliation with Britain, they obviously were the minority. This document formed the idea of one united America free from British rule and very much appealed to the human nature of the colonists who had primarily come from Britain and various parts of Europe to escape certain persecution and controls such as religion, social status and separation, taxes, etc.