While both similar in nature, the Declaration, and Unamended Constitution are two different documents that mirror the aspirations of our early founders. The DOI (Declaration of Independence) is a written statement that says that colonies in America are independent states, also expressing how the colonies are no longer under British rule. On the other hand, the Unamended Constitution is the setup or foundation of the U.S Government. In my personal opinion, they don’t conflict or agree with each other but are built off one another. The DOI was the stepping stone for the Constitution by laying down a foundation of what the U.S Government was supposed to look like, defining the limit of the government's power, and what the function of the government…
Thomas Jefferson’s writings and The Declaration of Independence are similar to the Federalist papers written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. The Federalist papers reflect the same American themes that Thomas Jefferson wrote about like all men have inalienable rights. McMichael states, “The arguments reflect, as does the Constitution itself, the ideas of John Locke and the concepts of ‘social contract’ and of the natural rights of man” (McMichael 355). The arguments in the Federalist papers have themes like the natural rights of man from John Locke. The natural rights of man are life, liberty, and property, and these are like Thomas Jefferson’s inalienable rights (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) in The Declaration…
The U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence present many ideas which can be traced back to the time of classical antiquity. Many of the concepts within the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence can be linked to ideas that were present in ancient Greece and Rome. These ideas and concepts have helped form our society into what it is today. In Article 1 of the Constitution it states that, the House of Representatives and the Senate have all legislative powers. They have the power to pass the laws that control and influence our society. In history, the Romans had a system similar to this. Their government consisted of an Assembly, Senate and a Consul which controlled their society. A second concept can be found within the first amendment in the Bill of Rights, it states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” (amend. I). This grants United States citizens religious freedom. Despite of the fact that the Roman Empire was not religiously tolerant until the reign of Constantine the Great, there was a point where Roman citizens had religious freedom. Another parallel between America’s government and the worlds of classical Greece and Rome would be in the Writ of Habeas Corpus. It is a common idea that was first instituted by Emperor Justinian can be found in the sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Another idea found within the Declaration of Independence, the idea 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,” (line 7, Declaration of Independence) also finds its roots in the classical world. The concepts within this quote mirror some of the component of Greek Stoicism. They believed that all men were created equal and because of that we are all brothers. The last concept deals with the right of the people to alter or…
The Declaration of Independence marked a significant turning point in American history. It has been rendered a sacrosanct document, an amalgamate of the anti-British sentiments that impelled the revolution. The declaration postulated several revolutionary ideas, influenced by the period’s increasing philosophical emphasis on reason and logic. Indeed, the Enlightenment fostered many of the dogmas presented in the declaration, the most inviolable being the idea of man’s unalienable rights. The declaration radically altered all ideological spheres of America - a once colonial body was suddenly transformed into an open republic, gleaming with unfathomable possibility. The political, economic, and especially cultural spheres of America were restructured in many progressive ways - however, restructuring in a social ideological sphere was still hindered in the years succeeding the declaration.…
Thomas Jefferson, a prime example of an original American politician, put many motions into action in regard to the creation of this new land. One of Jefferson’s greatest accomplishments is the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. This single document made way for the American Revolution to set sail and succeed. Within this piece of writing, Jefferson declared that “all men are created equal” (Jefferson 762). Though this statement, Jefferson put the image of equality and freedom in sight. He also writes of the American people as “a people who mean to be free” (Jefferson 343). These statements laid the foundation of the ideas behind the creation of this document and the reasoning behind its…
There were eight ideals of the Declaration of Independence: 1. The laws of nature and nature’s god, which was the explicit appeal to natural law over the King’s positive law, 2. All men are created Equal which was human rights/equal rights for all citizens, 3. That they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, which gives you all or no rights to hold on too. 4. Life, Liberty, and the…
On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was written and it stated that "All men are created equal, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Declaration of Independece served two purposes at the time, it set for the proper function of government and the causes of separation from the King of England. I believe that the Declaration wasn't towards everyone. In Document 9, the "Utmost Good Faith" clause from the Northwest Ordiance in 1787 was written that the Native American land won't be taken from them unless they rebel the Government. Document 10…
Strong ideals are the factors of a strong country. In June of 1776, Thomas Jefferson was asked by members of the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia to draft a document that would declare their colonies as independent from the kingdom of Britain. In the second paragraph of the document, Jefferson identifies a number of ideals such as equality, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, consent of the governed, and the right to alter or to abolish one’s government. An which of these pillars of belief is the most important. In consideration, consent of the governed seems to stand out as the most important ideal of the declaration, with equality, liberty, and the right to alter or abolish as supporting pillars on either side.…
America is a country that was based on many solid beliefs with many sacrifices. The Declaration of Independence is a paper that has become real for people who truly want to have a better life. Freedom was not free and it was not easy for everyone to have a good life. Not everyone had a good quality of life, better work and good education. America has always been a country that has good opportunities.Those beliefs were for the people that lived in the borders of this country to have what is believed to be rights. This great place has always had a lot of possibilities for people who want them. Within the Declaration of Independence it states that people have rights to be equal, rights to have liberty and rights to seek happiness.…
The most important influence of the Declaration of Independence is the “unalienable right” because this allows everyone to have freedom of speech, freedom to practice religions, and equal protection of laws. According to Jefferson, “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.” This give the people the right that no one can take away, to make their own laws, and the right to own…
“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.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”. This quote was written by Thomas Jefferson and played a major part in the Declaration of Independance. The Declaration of Independance was a document that explained to the world why Great Britain's thirteen American colonies declared themselves to be "free and independent states". The document also consisted of the five main ideals Americans were to be guided or inspired by: equality, rights, liberty, opportunity,…
The Declaration of Independence. A document that not only shaped the government and the culture of the United States, but shaped the thinking of the entire world. Thomas Jefferson was asked by his committee to take on the job of writing the Declaration of Independence, and after some help from John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, the Declaration of Independence was sent to Congress. Congress ended up shortening the document by twenty-five percent, but Jefferson’s powerful words still remained. Consider the four key ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence; equality, unalienable rights, consent of the governed, and the right to alter or abolish government. Then write an essay which explains why three of these ideals are important to…
The Constitutions of the United States The United States Constitution is one of the most famous works of America; outlining the rights of the citizens and ensuring the government has limited power. However, what not everyone may know is that each one of the states making up the nation have constitutions as well. While these constitutions are exclusive to whatever they belong to- whether the U.S. as a whole or a state- there are aspects of all of them that both set them apart from each other as well as many similarities. In this case, the constitutions that shall be showcased to prove this point will be the U.S. Constitution itself and the constitution of Colorado.…
The Declaration of Independence had represented the American vision of virtue. The U.S. Constitution represented the American vision of practicality and necessity. 55 men of practical affairs gathered to frame the constitution of the developing United States of America to create a new and unprecedented national covenant. John Adams called the Constitution "the single greatest effort of national deliberation that the world has ever seen. "…
Every great nation was built on something. Whether it be set of values, a notion or a few key principles, whatever it was set the tone for how a united people would lead their lives. With the monumental Declaration of Independence, thirteen originally British colonies became one nation under several “self-evident truths”. This foundational document states clearly and firmly that “all men are created equal…with certain unalienable rights…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” With this proclamation in 1776, The United States promised to stand on a steadfast ethic of equality. Eleven years later, the United States Constitution was introduced to detail and cement the beliefs raised in the Declaration of Independence. The “supreme law of…