Political Factors

Improved Essays
2.) Please briefly describe the political and historical factors that precipitated the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. What are some different accounts of the documents’ purposes?

Introduction
I will first describe the historical background that led to the Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution. After that, I will explain how the historical events influenced the creation of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. I will then analyze the influence of political factors. In the historical and political factors paragraphs, I will also explain what the documents were trying to achieve and why the documents are set up the way they are.

Historical Background
I will firstly provide a brief historical
…show more content…
The first factor was the wealth inequality between the rich and the poor: some sections of the constitution were designed to placate the masses. The second factor was the interests in trade. After the colonies became independent from Britain, about half of the people in charge were “New Money,” meaning that they were self-made business people involved with trade or deeply impacted by trade. Thus, many provisions are pro-trade. After the American Revolution, states favored businesses based in their own state. The state gave tax breaks to those businesses, which made interstate trade difficult, which in turn led to stifled trade. The Constitution aimed to “iron out” the “wrinkles” in the economy. The third factor is the states were powerful entities that predated the federal government and had their own separate interests. States were self-governing for about a century before the states joined together to create the United States of America. States were hesitant to give power to an umbrella government because the states had just fought a war against a centralized government (Britain) and the state leaders had tasted the power of complete control. The fourth factor is that there was an enormous need for unification for international relations and for the economy. America as a country was at the time new and therefore the military was extremely weak and vulnerable, and relations between states and …show more content…
It also “list(ed) grievances against King George III” (42). The Declaration of Independence was a form of anti-Britain protest because colonists were angry about the way Britain had treated them. Many parts of the Declaration were meant to be the opposite of the way Britain had run. For example, the Declaration called for public participation in government, contrary to Britain, where “only one in six British adult males had the right to vote for Parliament” (40). The Declaration is a reaction “against the limitation on the rights imposed by the British monarch and by royal governors in the colonies” (id.). Geer states that “the British…had a more limited view of both participation and representation” (40). On the other hand, the Declaration of Independence “declared the right of the people to alter or abolish governments that do not meet the needs of the people”

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The history of the United States of America usually begins with the Declaration of Independence as it was the first time the term, “United States of America” was used publicly. The origin of the Revolution leading to the Declaration of Independence has been debated by multiple historians, questioning whether it was for rule within the country or who should rule the country. Furthermore, the Declaration of Independence summarizes the reasons why the thirteen colonies declared independence from Great Britain and British rule. David Armitage’s essay, “The Declaration of Independence in World Context” focuses on the impacts the declaration created across the world. The lives of Americans were not the only ones altered as it also impacted others through building international relations, inspiring other anti-imperial movements and established a system of communication.…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Constitutional Convention delegates gave the citizens of each state the opportunity to ratify their Constitution. Orginally meeting to repair the Articles of Confederation, the delegates of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia made the decision to create an entirely new and unique document, the United States Constitution, in 1787. The U.S. Constitution marked a turning point in American history by changing both political and economic aspects in the country, forming a strong central government that allowed for taxation. While some aspects before the Constitution and after it changed, others remained the same like the desire for a republican non-tyrannical government where the people had sovereignty.…

    • 474 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    So having the power given to the state governments lead to the idea of liberty. This then resulting in the state governments deciding on a low tariff which helps farmers and…

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Declaration of Independence and Constitution are the starting blocks of the United States government. The both of them stated our natural rights and laws that we should follow, these rights and law come from the wrongdoing of the King and his troops. King George III’s monarchy had no part of the U.S in mind intruding our land and that's why we have the laws that we do today. The leading men of our United States built up the courage to separate from the King, and did so in a way that shaped America leading to the great nation we have today. The British government took it upon themselves to send their troops to the U.S without having set land for them to stay.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution are both two important documents that highlight the rights of human beings. When these documents were written they took into account of all humans, regardless of race and religion. The Declaration of Independent discussed the rights that every man was created equal under God, the people, and the government. The Constitution contains many amendments and acts that guaranteed the rights to African Americans. Although these important documents were in play throughout society, many conflicts still occurred.…

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    With smaller states, the idea of people governing themselves works. However, they wanted all the benefits of a larger government protection. As it stood before the Constitutional Convention, trade, money system, and property protection were not universally regulated and caused conflict for…

    • 1282 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution are some of the most important documents created with the conception of the United States. At the core of these documents are the ideals and principles which have shaped the American values held today. The Preamble to the Constitution pertains to the ideals of Republicanism, whereas the Declaration of Independence is classically liberal. The ideas presented in the Preamble to the Constitution are in line with ideas regarding to that of Republicanism.…

    • 752 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many revolutionary events occurred just a year after “the shot heard round the world” was fired. The Continental congress elected five people to write a statement that would express the reasons why the colonies wanted independence. Among the five who were elected to write this statement was Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson is the founding father that is credited with writing the historical document that declared freedom from Great Britain. There are many excellent ideas presented within the Declaration of Independence, although four ideals inparticular have had a major impact on society, inalienable rights, the consent of the governed, the right to alter or abolish a government, and most importantly equality.…

    • 981 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What is the Articles of Confederation and what is the Constitution? What are the similarities between the two and what are the differences? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the two? What are Federalist and Anti-Federalist? What is the Bill of Rights?…

    • 1026 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Tristan Utech Mr. Westlund U.S. History 10/10/15 Comparative Essay of the “Declaration of Independence” and “Common Sense” Two documents quite essential to the founding of America may actually have much more in common than just being a tool for action. The two documents addressed are “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine and “The Declaration of Independence” written by Thomas Jefferson.…

    • 1664 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Declaration of Independence refers to the people of the colonies as being free, and outlines how the British monarchy stands in the way of them living freely. This is similar to the first clause of the French Declaration, where it states that all people are free and are to live in equality. Living free and equal would be represented by fair and equal taxes, taxation with representation, and reconstructed governments. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen wanted a change in voting. Each estate would deliberate and each had a single vote.…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In this paper I will compare, and contrast the Declaration Of Independence, and The Declaration of the rights of man and citizen. These two documents are mostly the same just different use of words. There are some differents like both of these documents leave out something that the other document does not have. In this paper I will show what they both talk about.…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Natural Rights The Enlightenment was a time period between 1650 and 1800 in Europe where people began to use logic rather than rely on the church or a king. People began to question religious beliefs and become more tolerant of new ideas. Philosophes such as Baron de Montesquieu, John Locke, Cesare Beccaria and many more introduce revolutionary new ideals that still affect our society today. Natural rights influenced the people and led them to revolution.…

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In comparing the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists, it will be shown that all three of these historical documents relate to one another in some form, especially the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. It is important to note the dates that each document was written, as this has bearing on the relationship between each document. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, edited by the Second Continental Congress, and adopted by them on July, 4 1776. It was a written statement severing political independence of the thirteen original American colonies from Great Britain, therefore declaring themselves and independent nation.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Declaration of Independence is an important document whom today, almost every free country have. Every declaration of independence have a different structure and includes different categories and content but every country must include the justify for her existence as a legal and free country. In this paper I will include 4 justifications of 4 different countries as they shown in each country declaration of independence. first justification who is the most common is the power of history. Both Israel and Haiti remind them history in the document as a reason for them to have a free country.…

    • 243 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays