Independence and Constitution
Declaration of Independence to the Constitution
When the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain the Declaration of Independence stated a number of specific violations of the colonist's rights that British King George III that committed against the colonies. These were stated as the reason behind the American's right to rebel and replace the British government with one of their own. Several years later, after the Americans had won their independence through a long and bitter war, they achieved their goal of forming their own permanent government. After a period of experimentation, the Americans finally formulated a Constitution which would be the basis of the new country. In the Constitution of the United States, the Founding Fathers specifically addressed the abuses of King George III by inserting provisions that would make it impossible for any American government to repeat those abuses. What the Founding Fathers created was a nation where the government was restricted by ethical boundaries which protected the individual.
Many of the grievances presented by Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence had to do with the King not allowing the passing of laws which the colonists viewed as "most wholesome and necessary for the public good." ("Declaration of Independence") The colonists, and the governors of the colonies, were forbidden from passing laws "till his Assent should be obtained," something that could take months or even years. ("Declaration of Independence") Another, somewhat related grievance came in the form of the treatment the colonial legislatures received from the King. The Declaration asserts that the King called legislatures in places that made the work difficult "for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance…" ("Declaration of Independence") The King also periodically dissolved these legislatures without reason and refused to allow new legislatures to be elected.
But it was not only the legislative problems that brought...
Sandefur, states that liberal originalism is relevant to a historical analysis of the Constitution because it is also relevant today as a method of interpreting the Constitution. Like original-ism in general, the liberal view is incompatible with attempts to use government to accomplish "social justice" or other ends inconsistent with the principles of individual liberty and limited government reflected in the Declaration. (2004) In conclusion it is evident that the
" When that Amendment was put in, the country was very young and it was wild, with Native Americans often hostile (with good reason), with wild animals posing a threat, and with various wars (the French & Indian War; the Civil War) taking place. People needed to feel like they were protected, and the new government didn't want to take their personal means of physical protection away from them. The
Besides defining what the basic role of government should be, the declaration gives citizens the ability to hold government liable for its actions. Article 6 gives all citizens the right to participate in the lawmaking process, either directly or through their representatives. Citizens are also given the right to keep public officials held accountable for the actions of their administration as stated in Article 15. Much of the declaration's principles
Declarations of Human Rights In 1776, the American Declaration of Independence, the document that started it all, became the first official written document to suggest that human beings had inalienable rights. The Founding Fathers stated, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" (Declaration
Declaration of Independence It is obvious, if we look at things today, that Jefferson's revolutionary vision has been achieved in America. Even more so, it has been achieved to a degree that we assume has never been reached elsewhere. On the other hand, we must admit that any such questions can also be answered "yes, to a certain degree" and we must acknowledge that this is the case for America as
Male voters had to own property. Thus voting was still the province of land-holding elites rather than all the people under the rule of constitutional, national, and state law. The fact that Senators were appointed by the state legislature not only allocated more rights to the states as desired by Southerners, but also further filtered the popular voice, as expressed in the House of Representatives. The Electoral College system
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