The Declaration And The Constitution Rhetorical Analysis

Amended over the years, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, fundamental law of the nation. But the generalized language of the Constitution is designed according to the doctrines set forth in the Declaration. For more than two centuries the galvanizing phrases of the Declaration have inspired people around the world. When it came time to draft a new constitution, the Founding Fathers drew upon the principles they had outlined in the Declaration. The Declaration and the Constitution, together, address mankind's most basic political questions, but while they work together to articulate America’s political organization, the Declaration has always been the basis and stronger of the two pieces of American history. …show more content…
Jefferson borrowed ideas from enlightenment writers such as Francis Hutchinson and Lord Kames to passionately perpetuate the need for independence. Ideas from the enlightenment such as all human beings being entitled to certain natural rights and deserving basic freedoms are represented heavily in the Declaration. Literary techniques such as repetition served to provide “evidence” of the King’s wrong-doings to the colonists. By repeating the phrase “He has,” when referring to King George in the indictment section of the Declaration, there is much emphasis added to the King's inhumanity. The elegant writing style of the Declaration is what sets it above the Constitution. Every word of the Declaration was put there intentionally to incense the nationality of the colonists. Unknown to many Americans of the present, …show more content…
Many of the ideas for the organization of our government came from Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace, such as the three branches of government and the idea of ‘checks and balances’ between branches. While the system helps veer those more interest in self towards the greater good of society, it is an inefficient process and many of the clauses of the document are still highly debated today. For example, for many years the meaning behind the phrase “We the People” was a hot topic. While it seemed to describe all American citizens, women and minorities were denied the rights outlined in the constitution for decades. Unlike the primarily positive impact the Declaration had, the Constitution came with negative connotations. While the Declaration was created to inspire the people and denounce the British Empire, the Constitution was created as means to fix problems created by the Articles of Confederation (i.e. Shay’s Rebellion) and took a year to be ratified. Many states did not agree with the Constitution’s blueprint for government, and felt it related to much to Parliament. Dissimilar to the unifying effect of the Declaration, the Constitution was weak in motivation and didn’t do a ton to decrease tension between the