Kim Eschler Influences on the Constitution Table

Influences on the Constitution TableHIS/301 Version 5

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University of Phoenix Material

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 Issued by King John of England in 1215 when Englishmen went to the colonies they were given charters that guaranteed them and their heirs would “have and enjoy all liberties and immunities of free and natural subjects.” The document clearly stated that no free man could be prosecuted by any means other than the law of the land.

ReferenceAll About History (unkn) The Magna Carta. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/magna_carta/ on June 6, 2011.

This was used as a template 575 years later in the Bill of Rights toward the fifth amendment. The fifth amendment guarantees “No person shall… be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”

Mayflower Compact Drawn up by the 41 adult males from the Mayflower, the new settlers from Plymouth created a contract with fair and equal laws, for the “general good”. The Mayflower settlers knew from previous attempts without some type of government they would fail. It allowed them to practice Protestant instead of the Church of England and other liberties without command.

ReferenceFeatured Documents (unkn) The Mayflower Compact. Retrieved from http://www.allabouthistory.org/mayflower-compact.htm on June 6, 2011.

The Constitution was created on the same bases as the Mayflower Contract. That all men are created equal, and each person has the right to unalienable rights.

Articles of Confederation Written by the Second Continental Congress of the 13 states, shortly after the Declaration of Independence. The document gave congress power to regulate foreign affairs, war, the postal service, appoint military officers and control Indiain affairs. It also dictated the borrowing of money, the value of coin and issue of bills of

The Articles of the Confederation was replaced by the Constitution. The Articles gave the frame work for the Constitution and was mostly written by the same men. With eight years between them, Congress was able to see what


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credit.

ReferenceBarefootsworld.net (unkn) Articles of Confederation 1777. Retrieved from http://www.barefootsworld.net/aoc1777.html on June 6, 2011.

was not working and create a better document in the Constitution.

Northwest Ordinance Created by the Second Continental Congress the Ordinance was created as a method for admitting new states in the Union and listed a bill of rights within the territory. The document ordained three specific items: 1. The northwest territory would not be less than three or more than five states. 2. Created a three stage method for admitting a new state into the union. 3. A bill of rights that protecting religious freedom, writ of habeas corpus, trial by jury and other individual rights. Additionally it encouraged education and forbade slavery.

ReferenceOur documents (unkn) Northwest Ordinance 1787. Retrieved from http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=8 on June 6, 2011.

This Ordinance was later used to create Article IV, section 3, Clause 1 of the Constitution. The frame work for admitting new states into the union was already working well, with a few tweaks they were able to use this.

Declaration of Independence

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 why the American people are declaring independence from England. 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 take care if the government is not being good. The third and fourth part is a list of grievances against King George III to justify separation from the bad government and creating a good government to replace it. The fourth part is an assertion of sovereignty by the United States of America.

ReferenceHistory(unkn) The Declaration of Independence. Retrieved from http://www.independencedayfun.com/263/summary-of-the-declaration-of-independence/ on June 6, 2011.

Created with influences Hobbes and Locke from The Declaration of Independence laid the ground work for the Bill of Right, the first ten amendments to the Constitution.


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

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was a philosopher that was looked to for his Cartesian dualism and mortality of the soul. He favored Galileo and Gassendi and looked at the world as matter in motion. He felt that “men in a states of nature, that is a state without civil government, are in a war of all against all in which life hardly worth living”. He felt strongly that social contracts were needed by the state to keep peace and order.

ReferenceOregon State.edu (unkn) Thomas Hobbes. Retrieved from http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/hobbes.html on June 7, 2011.

Thomas Hobbes wrote a book Leviathan and in it he outlined a doctrine for the foundation of a working societies and ideas for a legitimate government. The book showed the necessity of a strong central authority to avoid discord and civil war within a population. These ideas were taken to heart and used as an outline to do what is best for the people of a society.

John Locke John Locke (1632-1704) was a scholar, researcher and physician. He wrote a number of books that heavily influenced revolutions in England. In his book Two Treatises of Civil Government, Locke gives a theory of natural law and natural rights in which he distinguished between legitimate and illegitimate civil governments. He also was rather outspoken at a dangerous time during King Henry the VIII’s rein of the Restoration period, arguing for separation between church and state.

ReferenceOregon State.edu (unkn) John Locke. Retrieved from http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/locke.html on June 7, 2011.

Thomas Jefferson was highly impressed by the ideas put forth by John Locke. It is said that Jefferson used The four basic rights, the responsibility of government and the representatives coming from the consent of the governed, straight from Locke’s book, Two Treatises of Civil Government, in the constitution.

Selected patriots Who was this? What were his views on governmental structure as related to the social compact?

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (1706-1706) Known as one of America’s Founding Fathers. A self-taught publisher, scientist he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Edinburgh and Oxford Universities. He created and printed Poor Richard’s Almanac which became quite influential and enabled him to be elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly for England. In 1775 he was elected to the

Benjamin Franklin’s greatest influence on the Constitution was the Great Compromise. He allowed the states with larger population who wanted proportional representation, versus the smaller states that wanted to be equal. He suggested and convinced others to agree on


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Continental Congress where helping Thomas Jefferson, edit the Declaration of Independence. Additionally, he created the first library and fire department.

ReferenceUS History.org (unkn) Benjamin Franklin. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/franklin.htm on June 9, 2011.

the Senate having equal representation and the House of Representatives got proportional representation. Benjamin Franklin felt strongly that the people needed a free government. A government that the people are the rulers with all the power and the rules are the servants working in the best interest of the people.

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) Only the second person to be placed on United State currency that is not a president. Alexander Hamilton was self-drive, respected by George Washington, and financially competent. A strong military leader, not well written, but very blunt and passionate about what he supported, he was either loved or hated.

He founded the Bank of New York and became the first secretary of the Treasury for George Washington. He established America’s credit with other nations, and wrote a report to create a National Bank.

Reference

UMKC.org (unkn) Alexander Hamilton. Retrieved from http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/burr/hamiltonbio.htm on June 9, 2011.

Alexander Hamilton was asked to serve as assemblyman from New York County. He was the first delegate picked for the Constitutional Convention. He was a major player in gathering people, and using his influence and writings to support the Constitution, but on the whole, his direct influence was minimal. Alexander Hamilton felt that government was necessary to restrain the passions of men. That law and rules would be needed to preserve liberty.

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (1736-1799) A radical of his time, and strong opinions made Patrick Henry disliked by the colonists and Great Britain. He purposed the Virginia Stamp Act acting in literal treason of Great Britain. He was in the first Continental Congress, and went on to serve four terms as the Governor of Virginia.

Reference

US History.org (unkn) Patrick Henry. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/henry.htm on June 9, 2011.

Patrick Henry “fired the first shot” of the Revolutionary war with the Stamp Act. From that came the Declaration of Independence and from that the bill of rights. But, he would not support the Constitution because he felt it gave the government too much power and the presidency was too new a position to give so much power. Patrick Henry felt strongly that the people needed to find how to represent themselves and are the best at finding a way to make that happen, because they themselves are personally affected by their decisions.


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Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Mentioned as being the silent member of congress due his is quite nature, he would often use his words and write his thoughts far more than he would voice them. He was the first Secretary of State for George Washington. He became the third President of the United States, even though he lost by three votes, a flaw in the Constitution made him president. As president he cut the military, cut the budget, reduced the national debt by one third, and kept the United States out of the European wars.

Reference

WhiteHouse.gov (unkn) Thomas Jefferson. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson on June 9, 2011.

Thomas Jefferson was highly influenced, by John Locke and Thomas Paine. From these influences he wrote the Declaration of Independence. As previously mentioned, the Declaration of Independence was the ground work for the bill of rights. Thomas Jefferson was hesitant about the Constitution before the bill of rights was added. Thomas Jefferson felt that government did not rule by simple politeness. That the treat of constant overthrow by the people being governed. Jefferson and many other Founding Fathers expected this republic to be overthrown, as every recorded republic before had done.

Comparison How did the views of Hamilton and Jefferson compare and contrast?

Both were involved of the creation of the declaration of independence and separating from England. Hamilton ran for president in 1800 and won vice president, although it was challenged and lost to Aaron Burr. Jefferson was the third president of the United States. Hamilton was George Washington’s secretary of Treasury and Jefferson was his secretary of State. Hamilton was the leader of the Federalists party that represented the mercantile market and wanting to keep things the way they had been. Jefferson was the leader of the Antifederalists party which advocated states’ rights, rural and southern welfare. Hamilton favored a strong central government that promoted international trade and building industry within the United States. He feared tyranny and always put liberty and freedom above all. Jefferson favored a government made of a collection of states that supported mostly agricultural. He feared anarchy and had a strong distrust of popular rule.


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