Running head: BILL OF RIGHTS AND AMENDMENTS OF THE USA Bill of Rights and Amendments of the US Bill of Rights and Amendments of the USA The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution. Each of these amendments made a dramatic change in how the United States government has changed over the last 200 years. The Bill of Rights has created a history that every individual needs to learn and understand and consists of the first Ten Amendments of the Constitution. Throughout this paper, the amendments of the constitution will be explained in greater detail. Additionally, the reason of the amendments becoming part of the Constitution will be delineated.
Thomas Paine, was an Englishman against British policy, and defended a democratic theory of government. Common Sense shows the advantage of independence, who put forward that Americans should create their own political system. Therefore, Common Sense gave a voice to many colonies who wished to break from the British government, it was useful not only to American, but also Africa and India. Most importantly, Common Sense present the natural rights, such as freedom of press, freedom of religion. As Paine argued that "There is something absurd in supposing a Continent to be perpetually governed by an island".
In the Articles of Confederation, the congress wanted to make voting on a state-by-state basis and proportional state taxes based only on land values. When it came to the decision as to what to do with the western lands, it was undetermined what actions to take. When the Congress sent out a copy of the Articles of Confederation for each state to review, they found it was not flawless but decided it was better to have a flawed plan rather than no formal national government. States such as New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware refused to agree to the Articles until the other larger states “relinquished their western land claims.”(U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian, n.d.). Finally, New Jersey and Delaware signed off on the Articles and Maryland followed reluctantly after a British invasion on their land and New Jersey agreed to let go of their western land claims.
George Washington stated that they should deal with “sincerity and good faith adopt and pursue a conduct friendly and impartial [to Britain].” He may have stated this for he was the first to be the role model of the future presidents, therefore he would want to leave a legacy that will effectively put American in the positive direction. As a neutralist, George Washington advised Thomas Jefferson to not be involved in any affairs or involvement with other nations on March 13th, 1793 (Doc B). The first president would have written this to Jefferson because Washington strongly opposes any interactions with other nations. An additional document that may further help analyze the evolution of America and the foreign policy would be
But the Federalists prevailed and the Constitution was ratified more than two hundred twenty-five years ago. Over the years federalism has evolved into what it is today. One example of who it has changed over the years is that when federalism started out in America the states had a lot of power which is one of the arguments that
Compare the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation to those of the Constitution. Which document did a better job at protecting liberties? Which document did a better job at running a government? Explain your answer with specific examples The Articles of Confederation was drafted in 1777, but was not ratified by all the states until March 1st, 1781. At the time, the states feared a strong central government, for this reason, the Continental Congress tried to give the states as much independence as possible.
It can be as small as just exercising our birth rights as U.S. citizens. It can be as big as running for office! By occasionally writing letters to the president about how I feel about certain issues, like the world’s current energy crisis, I preserve American culture. By simply respecting authority and obeying the law, I preserve American culture. The Constitution has established and maintained a culture of liberty in the United States.
Just like proposing an amendment, there are also two separate ways for a proposed amendment to be ratified. The first option is for three-fourths of all state legislatures to vote in the amendments favor. This method is considered the “traditional” ratification method and has been used twenty-six times. (Sidlow & Henschen, 2012) The second option is, once again, the convention route. If the states request a convention and then three-fourths of them vote in favor, then that amendment is ratified.
2. Anti-Federalist * Disaproved of the Constitution for fears of it favoring an elite minnority. The anti-federalist also thought the Constitution would fail in safeguarding a large amount of individual freedoms. 3. Articles of Confederation * Enacted in 1781, these articles were designed to perserve each states independence while still
The bill of rights would give the impression that the people can expect protection only for the rights that are specifically listed in the bill. This new Constitution protects a number of rights by requiring writs of habeas corpus, while prohibiting ex post facto laws and bills of attainder. The bill of rights was eventually added to the Constitution because the Federalists needed the support from the anti-federalists. A complaint the Federalists made against the Articles of Confederation was the absolute