Evolution of the US Constitution
explanatory Essay
1319 words
Evolution of the US Constitution There were several drafted documents prior to 1787 that had huge influence on our United States Constitution. These documents helped shape America into the country that we have today as far our justice system, responsibility of government and equality of rights for all. Each document led to another that built off the previous and further explained the ideas of the American people. These documents eventually led to the United States Constitution, the oldest federal constitution still in use (lc-ugrad1.gcu.edu).Out of all of the documents preceding the U.S. Constitution, there are five that the will be discussed in regards to their purpose and significance they had in contributing to the creation of the US Constitution. Magna Carta 1215: King John put his seal on the Magna Carta at Runnymede, England, a document that granted certain rights and privileges to his barons and provided a model for later bills of rights (digitalhistory.uh.edu/). During this time, King John seemed to be exercising power to achieve his own selfish agenda. He was taxing the wealthy barons to support war against France (encyclopedia.com). The barons and the other occupants of England were clearly not in support of the war or funding it for that matter. Another issue that Magna Carta addresses is found within Chapter 39: No free man shall be arrested or imprisoned or disseized [property taken] or outlawed or exiled or in any way victimized, neither will we attack him or send anyone to attack him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land (encyclopedia.com). Some have interpreted this provision to mean that Magna Carta guaranteed to freemen the right to a trial by jury (www.crf-usa.org). However, the i... ... middle of paper ... ...n May 10, 2014. The story of King John and Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence. Found on Constitutional Rights Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.crf-usa.org/foundations-of-our-constitution/magna-carta.html on May 10, 2014. Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and Federalist Papers. In Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Declaration_of_Independence.aspx on May 10, 2014. Timeline of Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation and Federalist Papers. Digital History, Using New Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Research. Retrieved from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/timelines/tlgenerator.cfm on May 10, 2014. Articles of Confederation. History. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/articles-of-confederation on May 10, 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the mayflower compact 1620, a plan for self-governing colony. puritans wanted to break free from the roman catholic church and create their own congregations.
- Explains that the declaration of independence was a statement in which the thirteen colonies justified their separation for great britain.
- Cites magna carta, cornersone of the us constitution, in national endowment for the humanities.
- Explains that several drafted documents before 1787 helped shape america into the country that we have today as far as justice system, responsibility of government, and equality of rights.
- Explains that the first constitution of the united states of america, the articles of confederation, was written with the constitution already in place.
- Explains the story of king john and magna carta, declaration of independence, articles of confederation and federalist papers.
Related
- analytical
- argumentative
- opinionated
- explanatory
- Gun Ownership and the Second Amendmentanalytical essay"The Declaration of Independence." Archives.gov. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that gun ownership and the second amendment have come under fire in recent years in the wake of major tragedies such as the newtown, aurora and tucson shootings.
- Explains that since gun control is a largely controversial issue, there are many political individuals and groups on both sides of the issue that struggle to either preserve gun ownership or increase regulations.
- Explains that the proposed federal assault weapons ban of 2013 sought to ban "military" style weapons with pistol grips, folding or detachable stock, and other features. gun supporters view these laws as violations towards their right to bear arms.
- Explains that gun control advocates believe it will reduce gun violence, while gun activists believe that it only restricts law abiding citizens from owning certain firearms.
- Argues that gun control legislation is constitutional as the right to bear arms applies mostly, or only, to military or police personnel and that firearms for civilian use must be regulated strictly.
- Explains that the second amendment granted the people the right to own firearms to protect themselves from those who would harm them.
- Opines that the right to bear arms is important in a free state, as it protects the civilian population and allows civilians to use firearms for hunting or sporting purposes.
- Summarizes the assault weapons ban of 2013. feinstein.senate.gov, n.d. web. 19 apr. 2014.
1232 wordsRead More - Constitution Timelineargumentative essayStates operate from various powers, policies, and laws created within each state’s government, but the entire United States of America operates under a fundamental law. This law is the only law known to be the highest law of the land and it is the United States Constitution. The Constitution has proposed such remarkable power from documents and events that it holds such significance not only in the United States of America, but also other countries. The purpose of this paper is to create a chronological narrative delineating the significance of documents and events that has place an impact on the U.S. Constitution.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the united states operates from various powers, policies, and laws created within each state’s government, but the constitution is the highest law of the land.
- Explains that king john wanted to have vast control over the riches of his land, but not for the noblemen who had to pay them. this led to the creation of the u.s. constitution.
- Analyzes how the pilgrims and colonists were deceived that the land they thought were contracted to them was not controlled by the english king. the mayflower compact was a contract that highlighted the ideas of john locke.
- Explains that the declaration of independence was written to give people equal rights, liberty, and self-government.
- Explains that the articles of confederation signified a constitutional plan for independence, which was written by benjamin franklin in 1775.
- Explains that the federalist papers brought about justice, centralized government with power and liberty from the three branches of government, within a constitution that society upholds.
- Concludes that the united states constitution, the most powerful law of the land, was written from significant impacts from certain documents and events to create equal power as well as its meaning.
- Cites kaminski, j.p., "the oxford companion to the u.s. supreme court: the federalist."
- Cites kromkowski, c. a., mccullough, j.a. and mount, s.
- Explains the oxford guide to the u.s government.
1154 wordsRead More - America Must Permit Prayer in Public Schoolsopinionated essay“Declaration of Independence.” Nation of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American Republic. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the u.s. should not limit students' freedom of expression of religion as they have been allowed in occasions.
- Explains that the declaration of independence and the constitution are both laws written in respect of the will of god.
- Explains that the prayer circle was a great way for them to lift up their thoughts and feelings to the god they worship before the day began.
- Argues that school sponsorship of a religious message is impermissible because it sends the ancillary message to nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community.
- Explains that the passage makes it sound like the prayer infringes on the rights of those who don’t believe in religion and that prayer is designed to coerce people into a certain way of thinking.
- Explains that the first amendment of the united states states that every person has freedom of religion and free speech.
- Opines that even the strongest government will never cease men from serving the god they love. they pray that god will grant the leaders of our country the integrity and wisdom to protect their religious rights.
1057 wordsRead More - Democracy According to Maileranalytical essayJefferson, Thomas. "Declaration of Independence." A World of Ideas. 5th ed. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford, 1998. 76-79.
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how they re-read the bulk of their work in the course of a spring and summer, one theme came to predominate-it was evident that most of my writing was about america.
- Analyzes how the first time they read norman mailer's book, armies of the night, they thought he was an arrogant, self-righteous jerk.
- Analyzes how norman mailer's writings offer an invaluable historical memoir of sorts, the piercing thoughts of a man involved in the essence of what america has been for most of the 20th century.
- Analyzes how mailer set himself the goal of offering "some hint at a societal and cultural history over these last 50 years." he saw the tight-knit relationship between government and corporate corruption bind itself to the democratic process.
- Analyzes how the media boom has aggravated ambiguity in our modern political system, from the behavior of candidates to patterns of voting.
- Analyzes how corporate america's stranglehold on the democratic process has stifled the influence of the common citizen and ruined the careers of countless politicians.
- Analyzes how mailer's america shaped his ideas and opinions through two world wars, a cold war, the vietnam war and firestorms of presidential scandal.
- Analyzes how mailer sees his role as a societal watchdog as necessary component to functioning democracy. the constant tug of war between him and the government and culture around him helps us understand his fixation on themes that thread through his writing.
- Analyzes how mailer's choice of language is biting, provocative and incendiary, and his style is often heavily sarcastic and highly critical to the point of being downright disagreeable.
- Analyzes how mailer is more pessimistic and trusting than enlightenment philosophers. jefferson's rhetoric is sensible in the context of a spiritual, almost supernatural belief in perfectibility.
- Analyzes how mailer's cynicism, critique, and contempt was to motivate us to move through our democracy’s winter of discontent.
- Opines that america will never achieve perfection, and from the beginning, we've never assumed that it eventually has to. norman mailer writes to help realize our flaws as a society.
- Explains jefferson's declaration of independence. a world of ideas, 5th ed. ed. lee a. jacobus, boston, 1998.
- Analyzes how mailer equated the public's grand misperception of government figures to a "gentle seductiveness all good politicians have."
- Analyzes how franklin delano roosevelt lived in an age when the citizens who elected him never knew he was wheelchair bound. mailer realized that democracy had become an act, a glorious play performed to appease the many.
3496 wordsRead More - The Opposition to Human Cloning: How Morality and Ethics Factor inopinionated essayJefferson, Thomas. “The Declaration of Independence.” A World of Ideas. Ed. Lee Jacobus. Boston: Bedford, 2002. 75-84.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that it is not morally and ethically right to clone humans, due to the killing of human embryos, the unsafe process, and the resulting consequences.
- Explains that human cloning is the process by which genetic material from one person would be artificially transferred into a human or animal egg cell.
- Argues that the risks and uncertainties associated with the current technological state of cloning are the basis for why it's unethical and immoral.
- Analyzes how the massachusetts institute of technology biologist rudolf jaenisch paints a grim scenario about the initial human cloning attempts.
- Explains that for the first 100 attempts, only five live births should be expected. surrogate mothers may experience risky miscarriages, stillbirths, at least a hard pregnancy, and some cloned animals were born twice as large as they should have been.
- Opines that there is not enough scientific evidence to indicate that cloning will be safe to use with humans, and that society isn't ready to answer these types of questions.
- Opines that the news is one of a few sources where the real information about cloning is being presented.
- Opines that cloning would be wronged in morally significant ways, such as a child being constantly compared to the adult from whom he/she was
- Argues that human cloning is unethical and immoral because it will devalue human life. the panelists included george annas, karl ebert, and ruth hubbard.
- Explains that there is a congressional battle brewing over whether the government should provide funds for stem cell research in which human embryos are killed. stem cells can develop into almost any type of cell in the human body.
- Explains that stem cells can be obtained for medical research from adult fat, blood, bone marrow, umbilical cords, and placentas.
- Explains that the declaration of independence states that men are created equal, and that they are endowed with certain inalienable rights, but if human clones do come about, who created them?
- Explains that milton and rose friedman wrote extensively on the ideas of equality of opportunity. they state that if a perfect human clone is created, it goes against their god-given rights.
- Argues that it is immoral and unethical to clone humans. there is no evidence that the process is safe to perform with human embryos.
- Describes caplan, dr. arthur. interview. cnn.com, 7 august 2001. television interview posted on internet.
- Describes the recommendations of the national bioethics advisory commission on cloning human beings.
- Opines that dolly, the creator of cloned sheep, wouldn't want to make copies of humans.
- Describes jefferson's declaration of independence. a world of ideas. ed. lee jacobus.
2868 wordsRead More - Exposing American Myths Todayanalytical essayJefferson, Thomas. “Declaration of Independence.” The Presence of Others. Eds. Andrea Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford, 2005. 517-520.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the united states of america has been blessed with the grace of god, and is superior to other nations when faced with moral dilemmas.
- Analyzes how the obscene story of the cornucopia, turkey, and new friends began when the first pilgrims set foot on plymouth rock.
- Explains that the "american dream" is a rags-to-riches tale that immigrants believe faithfully for the sake of sheer motivation and drive to live the moral lives they dreamt of.
- Argues that the myth of no man is above the law is broken by the idolization of famous actors, athletes, and other well-known faces in american society.
- Opines that the first amendment allows freedom of speech, press, and religion, which makes many more than satisfied. however, many have become oversensitive to people’s words and actions diminishing the significance of the first amendment.
- Argues that voting misconceptions are prominent problems in america's democratic society. americans are obsessed with money and power, fanatical about financial appearance, and always in hurry to do the unimportant.
- Explains the importance of understanding america's myths for the sake of learning and education.
- Describes churchill, ward. "crimes against humanity." the presence of others.
- Describes douglass, frederick, and john ruszkiewicz's "what to the slave is the fourth of july?"
- Describes jefferson's declaration of independence, the presence of others, andrea lunsford and john ruszkiewicz.
- Explains shindle, kate, "miss america: more than a beauty queen?" the presence of others.
- Describes postman, neil, the great symbol drain, and the presence of others.
1864 wordsRead More - Paperexplanatory essay"United States (U.S.) Articles of Confederation." Learn About the Constitution & More. Oak Hill Publishing Company, n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2014. .
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the constitution and articles of confederation were intended to limit power, but they had their differences, similarities, strengths, and weaknesses.
- Explains the articles of confederation, which was a transition into the better united states government.
- Explains how the u.s. constitution came about, with issues that caused a ruckus within the country.
- Opines that the articles of confederation brought the states closer together, but the powers it gave the government were weak and did not allow the country to change for the better.
- Explains that articles of confederation strengths vs. weaknessess was published by n.p., n.d.
679 wordsRead More - A Brief Biography of John Lockeanalytical essayJohn Locke Chronology. (2010). The Online Library of Liberty website. Retrieved Nov 10, 2013, from http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1586&Itemid=273
In this essay, the author
- Explains that john locke, a famous political philosopher, left his mark in history through his writings, his political philosophy, and his studies of knowledge, understanding and education.
- Analyzes how locke firmly expressed his views that government is justly obligated to serve the people that they represent.
- Explains that locke's writings are many and his influences great. voltaire the french philosopher referred to him as "the man of the greatest wisdom."
- Analyzes how locke's views were viewed as radical and unacceptable. king charles ii sent spies to follow him and shaftesbury fled to holland.
- Concludes that john locke and his influences influenced the 16th and 17th centuries, but his views are present in the declaration of independence and the bill of rights.
- Explains that john locke's writings did much to inspire the american revolution.
685 wordsRead More - Freedom vs. Determinationanalytical essayDeclaration of Independence. The Harvard Classics: American Historical Documents. Third Edition. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Enterprises Corporation, 1994. pp 150-155.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that no matter which way one approaches this subject, one finds both, free will and determinism, in each of these arguments.
- Explains that society determines one's public behavior, moral responsibility, and how one is to survive in today’s environment.
- Explains that public behavior is set by the limits of general decency, and its conventional standard of politeness. good manners and a pleasant demeanor are essential to one's dealings with others.
- Opines that society's moral responsibility is held in high regard to the efficient functioning of society as a whole.
- Explains that in order to obtain the "necessities" of survival, one must contribute something that society views as valuable and rewarding to the whole.
- Analyzes how aldous huxley's brave new world illustrates society determining the lives of its members.
- Explains that the right to vote is another form of free speech in that it allows us to choose suitable representatives and legal reform.
- Explains that the disciple's morals are dictated through the words or actions of their supreme being. each religion has detailed guidelines in their writings.
- Explains that most religions emphasize an authoritarian structure with the father/male as the family head, who is not to be challenged or disobeyed.
- Explains how the family determines the individual. the family plays an intricate part in the determination of one's religion, political orientation, social class, educational goals, and what you are going to look like.
- Explains that in catholicism, the parent oversees the child's religious growth from birth to confirmation in their teens.
- Explains that the family determines the social status and political orientation of the child. contrary to the american dream, social class is determined more by family tradition than individual opinion.
- Analyzes how margaret atwood's the edible woman depicts the effect of free will on society.
- Explains that freedom of religion is important to our free will. it allows us to express our beliefs in the religious creed that fits our convictions.
- Explains that one is determined by the combination of genes handed down by our ancestors.
- Introduces the third edition of the harvard classics: american historical documents.
1504 wordsRead More - On the Subject of Prayer in Schoolanalytical essayColumbia University, Press. "Text Of The Constitution Of The United States." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1-10. History Reference Center. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that prayer is a touchy subject these days. there are no laws against individual prayer and involuntary prayers.
- Explains that freedom is an idea that many influential people have pondered. jefferson, writer of the declaration of independence, was a huge promoter of religious freedom.
- Explains the freedom of religion portion of the first amendment. the establishment clause describes the idea of separation of church and state; the government will not constrain a doctrine on the people.
- Argues that public prayer is an individual's freedom or does it infringe the rights of others. in engel vs. vitale, the court declared that school-sponsored prayer was unlawful.
- Argues that due to the separation of church and state, any religious action (private or public) should be done off of school grounds, which is state property.
- Describes the five new york families that ended coercive prayer in america's public schools.
875 wordsRead More