Simone Lawson
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are considered the Charters of Freedom, which represent the core values of the United States. The Declaration of Independence, influenced by Enlightenment ideas and Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Common Sense, expressed the ideals on which the United States was founded and its separation from Great Britain. It affirmed the principle of popular government, stating that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed. The Constitution, on the other hand, defines the framework of the US federal government and, along with the Bill of Rights, enumerates and legally enforces the liberties and rights of citizens and states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded | The United States' independence from Great Britain |
| The fundamental freedoms of the American people | The liberties of the American people |
| Influence of Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Common Sense | The capacity of ordinary people to govern themselves |
| Influence of John Locke's philosophy of the "social contract" | The relationship between the governed and those governing |
| Affirmation of the republican principle of popular government | The people are the source of all sovereignty |
| Influence of Thomas Jefferson | The ideals of government by consent |
| Influence of Benjamin Franklin | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
- The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are both part of the Charters of Freedom
- The Declaration's promise of equality was vindicated by the 14th Amendment
- The Declaration's vision influenced the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
- The Declaration's principles inspired the women's rights movement
- The Constitution was influenced by Thomas Paine's pamphlet, 'Common Sense'
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are both part of the Charters of Freedom
The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for its separation from Great Britain. It affirmed the republican principle of popular government, stating that the people were the source of all authority in the representative government. The Declaration also made promises about which liberties were fundamental and inherent, but these liberties only became legally enforceable when they were enumerated in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
The Constitution defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States. It was written in the present tense to make it a "living document". The Preamble to the Constitution outlined that the new constitutional government would also be based on the principle of popular sovereignty, stating, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union." This meant that the people of the United States, through their representatives, established this new government. The Constitution was also intended to better preserve liberty by having greater authority to pass and enforce laws that would promote and protect citizens' liberty.
The Declaration and the Constitution are fused together in the minds of Americans as they represent what is best about America. They are symbols of the liberty and equality that allow Americans to achieve success and ensure that all are equal in the eyes of the law.
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The Declaration's promise of equality was vindicated by the 14th Amendment
The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for its separation from Great Britain. It states that "all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1868 after the Civil War, extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to formerly enslaved people. It also nationalized the Bill of Rights, making it binding upon the states. The 14th Amendment addresses many aspects of citizenship and the rights of citizens, including the commonly used phrase "equal protection of the laws", which has been central to a wide variety of landmark cases concerning civil rights.
Section 1 of the 14th Amendment states that:
> "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
The 14th Amendment thus vindicated the Declaration's promise of equality by ensuring that all citizens, regardless of race or background, are guaranteed equal protection under the law and enjoy the same fundamental liberties and rights. This process of extending equal rights to all citizens has continued beyond the 14th Amendment, with efforts such as the women's suffrage movement culminating in the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.
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The Declaration's vision influenced the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
The Declaration of Independence expressed the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for its separation from Great Britain. The Declaration's vision influenced the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, which expanded civil rights for Americans.
The 13th Amendment, passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, abolished slavery in the United States. This amendment was a direct response to President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all persons held as slaves within any state in rebellion against the United States shall be forever free. The 13th Amendment ensured that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crimes, would exist within the United States or any place subject to its jurisdiction.
The 14th Amendment, adopted on July 9, 1868, addressed citizenship rights and equal protection under the law at all levels of government. It was designed to protect the rights of freed slaves following the Civil War and included the Citizenship Clause, which granted citizenship to all born within the United States, overruling the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision that African Americans could not become citizens. The 14th Amendment also included the Due Process Clause, which built on the Fifth Amendment to prohibit all levels of government from depriving people of life, liberty, or property without due process.
The 15th Amendment, passed by Congress on February 26, 1869, and ratified on February 3, 1870, granted African American men the right to vote. It stated that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This amendment was seen as a fulfillment of promises made to African Americans, as it addressed the issue of African American disenfranchisement.
In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence's vision of freedom and equality laid the foundation for these amendments, which collectively expanded civil rights and ensured that all citizens, regardless of race, were guaranteed certain fundamental freedoms and protections under the law.
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The Declaration's principles inspired the women's rights movement
The Declaration of Independence, one of the Charters of Freedom, expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for its separation from Great Britain. The Declaration of Sentiments, written at the first women's rights convention in American history, held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848, was inspired by the Declaration of Independence. The writers of the Declaration of Sentiments, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, purposefully mimicked the style of the Declaration of Independence to convey that the fight for women's rights was equally important as the fight for national independence.
The Declaration of Sentiments proclaims:
> "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal."
This statement replaces the colonists' grievances against a tyrannical king with the injustices women endured, including women's inability to control property and severely limited educational and professional opportunities. The Declaration of Sentiments ends with a plea:
> "In view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half of the people of this country ... women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of these United States."
The Declaration of Sentiments inspired other women across the country to hold local conventions, bringing attention to the cause and growing the movement. In 1850, the first National Women's Rights Convention was held, indicating that the movement had become a coordinated effort of women from across the country. The fight for women's suffrage and equality in the United States continued for decades, with the 19th Amendment being ratified in 1920.
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The Constitution was influenced by Thomas Paine's pamphlet, 'Common Sense'
Thomas Paine's pamphlet, "Common Sense", was highly influential in shaping the Constitution. Published in 1776, it was a provocative and persuasive argument for independence from Great Britain, and it swept through the colonies, uniting Americans behind the cause of rebellion. Paine's writing played a significant role in pushing the colonies towards declaring independence, and his ideas continued to resonate after the victory over the British, with some finding their way into the Constitution.
In "Common Sense", Paine promoted the idea of American exceptionalism and the need to form a new nation. He argued that the British system of government was flawed because it gave too much power to the monarchy and nobles, undermining the people's elected representatives. Paine believed that government should be responsive to the people's needs and that it existed to serve them. He described government as a “necessary evil”, a structure that allowed people to work together and prosper. Paine's espousal of religious freedom also appealed to those who resented being forced to pay tithes to churches they didn't belong to.
The pamphlet's impact was immense. It sold an estimated 500,000 copies, an extraordinary feat at the time, and was read aloud in taverns and meeting places. It was so influential that Thomas Jefferson, who received an early copy, began drafting a formal document announcing the creation of a new nation. "Common Sense" was seen as a unifying force for Americans, and its ideas put pressure on the rebellion's leaders to declare independence.
Paine's pamphlet directly influenced the Constitution by shaping the ideals and principles that would define the new nation. It promoted the concept of a republic, where the power of the king was diminished and the people had the liberty to choose their representatives. Paine's belief in a government that served the people and responded to their needs helped lay the foundation for a framework that defined the rights and responsibilities of citizens and states in relation to the federal government.
While the Declaration of Independence expressed the reasons for separation from Great Britain and the ideals on which the United States was founded, "Common Sense" played a pivotal role in galvanizing public support for independence and shaping the political and philosophical landscape of the new nation, which would be codified in the Constitution. Paine's pamphlet was a powerful catalyst that not only inspired revolution but also helped lay the groundwork for the principles and values that would be enshrined in America's founding documents.
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Frequently asked questions
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are both considered founding documents of the United States, and they are fused together in the minds of Americans as they represent the best of America. The Declaration of Independence announced the separation from Great Britain and expressed the ideals on which the United States was founded. The Constitution, on the other hand, defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States.
The Declaration of Independence affirmed the republican principle of popular government, stating that the people were the source of all sovereignty and that their consent was required for their elected representatives to govern them. The Preamble to the Constitution outlined that the new constitutional government would also be based on this principle of popular sovereignty.
Both documents uphold common republican principles and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States. They are symbols of the liberty and equality that are fundamental to the American people.
The American Revolution and the War for Independence were influenced by the Enlightenment, a 17th-century intellectual movement in Europe that sparked new ideas about human rights, government, and reason. The philosophy of the English Enlightenment thinker John Locke, in particular, greatly influenced Thomas Jefferson, and his ideas can be seen throughout the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration's vision of equality and liberty influenced the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, which formally ended slavery, guaranteed equal protection under the law, and gave African-American men the right to vote. The 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, can also be traced back to the Declaration of Independence, as it served as a guide for the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, which sought to gain greater rights for women.
