President Woodrow Wilson wrote “the he Constitution of the United States is not a mere lawyers’ document, it is a vehicle of life and its spirit is always the spirit of the age.” One must keep this fact in mind when comparing the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation. There was a vast difference in the “spirit of the age” when these documents were drafted. Coming on the heels of the Declaration of Independence and the war against England, and afraid of a dictatorship or a government that did not listen to its people, the Articles of Confederation (which will be referred to as AoC) were written it a way that gave more power to the states. The problem with this type of government was that it was too difficult to enact or enforce laws and the government could not collect enough taxes to support itself. I believe the Constitution did a better job of protecting liberties, specifically in the areas of the federal court system, representation of the people, and the levy of taxes.
Articles of Confederation Vs. The US Constitution The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation were written to give the nation some form of centralized government and leadership, and were written by a committee of the Second Continental Congress headed by John Dickenson. The Articles originally were proposed with a strong central government with control over the west, equal representation for the states, and the power to levy taxes, but because of their experience with Great Britain the States feared a powerful central government. Due to this fear the committee made several changes to the Articles and then they sent them to all the states for ratification in November of 1777. The Continental Congress was careful to give the states as much independence as possible.
Locke's influence can be seen in documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Federalist Papers. Locke’s philosophy of government, freedom, and natural rights challenged the power of England’s monarchy in Europe over the colonies in America. Although the foundations of these documents are highly influenced by John Locke's ideology, there are parts of these documents that stray away from his views. In this paper I will examine certain parts of the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and the Federalist Papers and argue that for the most part, if John Locke were alive today he would be pleased with these documents but I will also highlight parts of these documents that would concern him. The first document I will analyze is The Declaration of Independence which I consider to be the most influenced by Locke's ideology of any document the founders drafted.
Civil Disobedience Civil disobedience dates back to the formation of the government organization, where the written constitution was formed. The written constitution is basically a contract between the government, and the people in which it sets forth laws and protects individual right. The framework of the laws, and rights set forth in the constitution is what makes the government orderly. Without order the United States would have an increase in all levels of crime and evil. Henry David Thoreau believed the government to be an unjust institution; he believed people should first do what they think is right, and not abide by the laws of the government.
While the US Constitution has many conservative ideas it also has several revolutionary notions that were the center of the Articles of Confederation. The House of Representatives was established to allow the common man's voice to be heard; now all citizens could give their consent in government. There were also guarantees that certain rights would never be taken away from the citizens. The Bill of Rights was written to assure the citizens that there were things that the government couldn't do and that the citizen was always protected. There were other provisions in the constitution to defend against abusing power, the system of checks and balances and having three branches in the government.
A. Students will analyze historical documents to determine principles that served as precedents for the United States Constitution. • define individual and group values o What is a value? Ideas which groups/individual believe strongly and guide their behavior. o List and define the values and principles of democracy Limited government-the govt is limited in their power Change or abolish government-if the govt is not doing their job we can change it Individual right and freedom-everyone has their rights and freedom Consent of government-the power comes from the people Majority/Minority Rule-majority makes decision Equality-everyone is equal o Why are the values
The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 by some of the greatest minds of the 18th century. The Declaration of Independence is applicable today because it is a timeless declaration of rights of citizens that continues to stand the test of time in democratic societies. The Declaration of Independence was based upon timeless documents and proven ideals that came before it. Perhaps, the most prominent document is the Magna Carta, which provided restrictions upon the English government in 1215, by making the King abide by his laws and rights for the citizens of the country. The Magna Carta declared that people’s rights are unable to be taken away by any government, because their rights are given to them by a higher power; God.
Preamble of the Constitution In the constitution, the beginning of the document states what our founding fathers had wanted to uphold. It was a simple paragraph that gave a new meaning to what the United States was going to stand for. An issue with the preamble today is whether the six stated goals are still being used in our society today. Although some may be far more established, one of the things our country takes to heart is “establishing justice”. Whether it be through the people or the government, justice is always fought for and established in the united states.
Origins of the Bill of Rights | By: Leonard W.Levy | Nelson Fernandez3/11/15Per.6 | In today’s world of devious politics & manipulative politicians, it is more important to know your Constitutional Rights better than ever before. Leonard Levy’s book give great insight to what out United States Constitution written by our glorious Founding Fathers has guaranteed and safe guarded to all of us. The book gives insight on all the amendments and what they mean, where they bill of rights came from, skepticisms of people involved with this Bill of Rights, Leonard’s own opinion on the Bill of Rights. Despite the fact that Leonard put together of very informative, insightful book it is also very dull and takes much drudging to go through
Men like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison all had a hand in drafting this new form of government. The US Constitution is still the framework for the organization of the United States government today. The Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights is the name for the first ten amendments in the US Constitution. Political leaders feared that the US constitution as it was, would lead the way to tyranny by the central government. As a result, they demanded a Bill of Rights stating the immunities of the citizens.