Influences of the Constitution

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Influences on the Constitution Table

Write one or two paragraphs in each section. Include citations for your sources.

Documents Summary What was its influence on the Constitution?

Magna Carta England's King John created this document in 1215 (Magna Carta, 2012). It was initially intended to be a peace treaty but it was unsuccessful and a civil war ensued only three months after it was presented. It was altered and reissued in 1216, 1217, and again in 1225 (Magna Carta, 2012). It was known as Europe's first written Constitution. The purpose for this document was to have a contract between the government and the governed guaranteeing the rights for certain wealthy citizens. This left the majority of Europe's citizens with no voice or opinion in the government.

The Magna Carta is considered one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy. The influence of the Magna Carta is most evident in the fifth Amendment of the Bill of Rights. The fifth amendment guarantees, "No person shall... be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." Our founding fathers took some of the ideals of this document to help create the foundation for American freedom.

Mayflower Compact The Mayflower Compact was signed on a ship, known as the Mayflower, by 41 English colonists on November 11, 1620 (Mayflower Compact, 1991). The Compact stated that for the general good of the colony they will create just and equal laws for everyone. All the men on board had to sign this compact before they got off the boat. They were bound by it and by signing they were promising to be obedient to the laws that were set when they landed. The Mayflower Compact is considered one of the foundations for our United States Constitution. The founding fathers drew the notion that all men are created equal from this very document.

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation was the first government of our country. They were the first set of rules for each of the 13 states to follow. Each state was independent, had its own power and freedom. There was a national Congress at the time. The members were paid and appointed by their state. When important decisions had to be made only nine of the 13 had to agree. When it came to making any changes to the Articles, all 13 states had to agree or no changes were to be made (Patterson, 2009). Under the Articles, the government was weak and had no real power. This eventually led to changes made to the Articles to create a stronger government (Articles of Confederation, 1991). The Articles of Confederation was the framework for the United States Constitution. The Articles were in place for eight years. Congress then took the flaws in the Articles made them better and created our United States Constitution.

Northwest Ordinance On July 13,1787 the Northwest Ordinance was created. It is considered one of the documents that created the foundation for the Unites States Constitution. This ordinance allowed the acceptance of new states and that they would be equal and have the same rights, responsibilities, and privileges as the existing states (2012). Also included in the Northwest Ordinance was freedom of religion, the writ of habeas corpus, trial by jury, reasonable bail, proportionate representation in the legislature, cruel and unusual punishment, no deprivation of liberty or property, it forbade slavery, and guaranteed that all citizens were equal by law (Reagan, R.,1987). The main idea behind the Northwest Ordinance was carried over into the Constitution in Section 4 of Article IV.

Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It is broken into five parts: The Introduction, The Preamble, The Indictment of King George III, the Denunciation of the British people, and the Conclusion. The Introduction explains that it was necessary for us to seek independence from Britain. The Preamble states that all people are equal and are granted certain immutable rights that the government cannot give; it also outlines what a good government is and how to handle an unjust government. The third and fourth part is a list of grievances against King George III to let the people know the importance of separating from the bad government and creating a better one (Declaration of Independence, 2012). The last part, the conclusion, reiterates the power that our United States of America has. The Declaration of Independence laid the foundation for the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments in the Constitution.

Philosophers Who was this? How did his writings influence the Constitution?

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was a philosopher. Hobbes was known as one of the most important political thinkers. In his book Leviathan (1651), he outlined the foundation for a legitimate government. The book showed how important it was for people to have equal rights and that no one should have any more power than the next person, except the highest authority. His idea suggested that the people needed a strong central authority to avoid civil war amongst each other. Thomas Hobbes idea for a social contract stated that the government's main objective was to protect the people. These ideas were taken