The United States had a problem: the country was only about a decade old and the Articles of Confederation, created in 1781 to provide a basis for government, were not working. The country needed a new solution. That solution that the Founding Fathers came up with was the Constitution of the United States, which with the addition of the Bill of Rights, has been the basis of government since it was written in 1787. Since its writing, the Constitution has influenced the development of similar works in other countries. The US Constitution itself was the product of influences from other times and other countries including forms of government and the published works of various men. The writers of the US Constitution were influenced most by …show more content…
The writers, educated Englishmen, had lived under the English system of government (Pearson, ushistory.org). One of the most important documents was the Magna Carta which showed that the monarch’s powers were not absolute (McCormack). Another document was the English Bill of Rights which talked about free elections and the rights of the accused. The writers understood England’s constitutional monarchy and the English Parliament which had representatives of the people and was divided into two houses. They were also familiar with the problems that came when people felt that they were not being represented. The Revolutionary War had just been fought over that very situation. Because they were educated in classical history, the writers knew about the Greek and Roman works on democracy and republics. They were also familiar with the works of various English and French philosophers of the Enlightenment movement. Consequently, the writers of the Constitution had several strong influences that went into the development of the …show more content…
The Enlightenment was a movement that emphasized a scientific and rational approach to problems. The Enlightenment writers generally believed that the power of reason could be used to improve society. (Pearson) One of the most important writers of this movement was John Locke, an Englishman, who wrote Two Treatises of Government in 1690. His view was that it was government’s job to protect the natural rights of “life, liberty, and ownership of property” (Pearson, ushistory.org). Another writer was Montesquieu, a Frenchman who lived in England for a time. His contribution was the idea of the separation of parts of government into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary. This would create a balance so that no one person or group would be too powerful (Enlightenment, Pearson). Voltaire was also a Frenchman who lived in England for a time. His concern was that there be separation between church and state. This would allow freedom of religion (Enlightenment, Pearson). Rousseau was Swiss born, but lived in France. He was in favor of a direct democracy; this led to the idea that the people should vote on their congressmen and president (Enlightenment). Cesare Beccaria was an Italian who was influenced by the works of the Frenchman Montesquieu. From his writings
Before the U.S. Constitution there was the Articles of Confederation. The document could declare war, negotiate treaties, and control foreign affairs. It couldn’t enforce laws, tax, and raise its own army. What the Articles Of Confederation lacked was a strong central government. Alexander Hamilton called for a constitutional convention in 1786, and it took place in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787.
Final draft constitution DBQ Essay The constitution was made in 1787 by George Washington. They created the constitution to help our country, because it does not let any branch of government get too powerful. They created it by America's government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens.
Ancient sources were one of the major historical influences on the United States Constitution. One of the reasons that ancient sources was a large influence on the Constitution was because Romans founded the idea of republicanism. Republicanism is when people elect representatives to carry out their wishes. Elected representatives in Ancient Rome made decisions on behalf of the Roman people. The writers of the Constitution supported this idea because it would provide their country with representatives in government.
The debate over the Constitution created much tension throughout the new country. From problems with the Articles of Confederation, western expansion, Shay’s rebellion, problem’s at the Constitutional Convention, slave trade, and the start of the War of 1812 all created tensions over the Constitution but nothing that the greats minds of the time couldn’t handle. Initially, the Articles of Confederation were the first written constitution of the United States, drafted in 1777 and ratified four years later by Congress (Lecture). The Articles of Confederation provided for a government by a national legislature but left the crucial power of monies, as well as all final power to make and execute laws, entirely to the states (US: A Narrative History,
The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787, but there was a grapple for its ratification that went on until about two decades after the ratification. Members of Congress believed that the first government of the United States or the Articles of Confederation, needed to be adjusted while others did not want anything to change. After the Revolutionary War, the people did not want a strong central government, because it reminded them too much of what they were trying to escape from. Under the Articles, each state had their own laws, and the need for a new Constitution was desired by many. The Constitution of 1787 created huge debates, arguments and splits in the nation that lasted for several year after its ratification between people who
The United States Constitution, written in 1787, is one of the most influential documents ever created and has continued to stay relevant for over 200 years. The Constitution was proposed in order to replace the ineffective Articles of Confederation, which previously held the newly freed states together. The main goal of the Constitution was to unite the states together under a strong national government, outlined within the document. Between 1787 and 1788 when the Constitution what ratified, two main political groups arose with opinions in regards to the Constitution. They were the Federalists and the Anti Federalists.
Major influences when creating the constitution were the ideas of natural rights, the separation of powers, and the popular sovereignty. John Locke was a seventeenth century English philosopher and political theorist who believed that all men by nature should be free and have equal opportunities. As he stated in The Second Treatise of Civil Government, “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” (Locke, Chapter II). He believed that the monarchs should be limited and should rule based on the people's needs, as well as respecting their rights. That's when he conceptualized people's rights as unalienable and natural.
There are several impressive documents which have influenced the American people. The Federalist Papers, written by James Madison, warned the people of the issues of factions, but the importance of liberty. Daniel Webster wrote of the importance of commonality of language, and the search for the order of the new American nation. John Adams is yet another influential writer who influenced the new American nation. One of his works, his inaugural address, is still looked at today for guidance on how this nation should be run.
The Articles of Confederation was written when the United States was a fairly new country, and from the people wanting to create a different government from the king of England. Although this document respected individual rights, it was too loose of a document that could drive the country to success. After revising what they had created, the founding father of the us the created the us constitution. It was more strict, but still valued peoples rights.
Overtime in history, the United States has developed documents from the Puritans idea of Covenant to what we have today-The Constitution of the United States. The Puritans eventually escaped to freedom in America from England and then later, helped show colonists through experience and history how to develop certain parts of The Constitution. Most events leading up to writing The Constitution, have parts in it that fixes problems of specific events so that if another event similar to the one prior happens, the United States would already know one solution. Throughout U.S. history, there have been people and their cultures expand during and after the Puritans idea of Covenant, such as the Quakers, the Pilgrims, and the colonists.
The Constitution, a document written and signed in 1787 by the Philadelphia Convention, was created after many of the country's leaders at the time had become dissatisfied with the structure of government created by the Articles of Confederation. The intention of the Constitution was so it could withstand the drastic changes of the forever improving U.S. Government. Throughout Richard Stengel’s work, “One Document, Under Siege”, there is a common theme stating that the Constitution is a living document that could withstand conflict and opposition. For a start, Richard Stengel uses many examples throughout his work to prove his point, that the Constitution was a living, breathing document, and that it was the intentions of our Founders to
The United States of America is a country that has been shaped by multiple important documents and events through its history. These documents have played a significant role in defining the nation's values, principles, and laws between foreign and domestic ailars. in this essay. I will explore the impact of five of these documents. the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation.
What are the Historical Influences of United States Constitution? It is known that people all over the world have come to the United States, to create a better life for their families and themselves. The United States is known for having the best form of government for people to be included and have a say in their beliefs. What many people do not know is, what influenced the United States Constitution and the founding fathers in writing.
It is known that the origins of the Constitution relate to the foreign policy that is used today. The way the founding fathers formed the Constitution has allowed us to continue to use the same format they created up until today when dealing with foreign policy. The founding fathers distributed the powers for foreign policy to the three branches of government. For example, the Constitution gave foreign policy powers to the three branches of government, but mostly to the executive branch as the president is the commander in chief. The Constitution also gave power to the congress and therefore shares it with the president - both of them make the foreign policy of the United States.
Secondly, the other influencer towards the making of the Constitution was John Locke. His life ran from August 1632- October 1704. His political theory was mentioned in Stanford’s Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2005), explaining his theory was grounded in the notion of the social contract between citizens and the important