Malcolm Rivera
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are the three most important documents in American history. The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776, and the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, making the Declaration of Independence the document that came before the Constitution. The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for separation from Great Britain. The Constitution, on the other hand, defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Declaration of Independence | July 4, 1776 |
| Date of Constitution | September 17, 1787 |
| Declaration of Independence expresses | Ideals on which the United States was founded and reasons for separation from Great Britain |
| Constitution defines | Framework of the Federal Government of the United States |
| Declaration of Independence drafted by | Second Continental Congress |
| Constitution drafted by | Federal Constitutional Convention |
| Location | Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia (now known as Independence Hall) |
| Declaration of Independence signatories | 55 |
| Constitution signatories | 39 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776
- The Constitution was signed in 1787
- The Declaration of Independence expresses the reasons for separation from Great Britain
- The Constitution defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States
- The Constitution was ratified by 9 of the 13 states
The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776
The Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, are considered the three most important documents in American history. They are known collectively as the Charters of Freedom and have secured the rights of the American people for over two centuries. The Charters of Freedom are enshrined in the Rotunda of the National Archives and form the philosophy of the United States.
The Constitution, on the other hand, was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The Constitution was the result of passionate and thoughtful deliberations among the delegates, who met in Philadelphia in 1787. The delegates were tasked with revising the existing government but ended up forming an entirely new form of government.
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are distinct documents with unique histories, but they are closely related. The Declaration of Independence laid out the fundamental freedoms of the American people, which were later enumerated and made legally enforceable in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The Constitution built upon the foundation laid by the Declaration of Independence and provided a framework for the Federal Government of the United States.
Constitutional Crimes: Felonies or Misdemeanors?
You may want to see also
The Constitution was signed in 1787
The US Constitution, which defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States, was signed on September 17, 1787. This was after three months of passionate and thoughtful debate among the delegates. The Constitutional Convention, comprising 70 men from the original states except Rhode Island, assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787. 55 of the 70 men attended, and 39 signed the Constitution. The Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, who was absent.
The Constitution was the result of months of passionate and thoughtful deliberation among the delegates. Many others besides James Madison made important contributions, particularly those who served on the Committee of Detail, which included Oliver Ellsworth, Nathaniel Gorham, Edmund Randolph, John Rutledge, and James Wilson. Those on the Committee of Style included Alexander Hamilton, William Johnson, Rufus King, and Gouverneur Morris. Other notable delegates included Benjamin Franklin and George Washington (who served as president of the convention).
The delegates were tasked with revising the existing government but ended up forming an entirely new form of government. They created a powerful central government, wary about centralized power and loyal to their states. They crafted compromises, representing wildly different interests and views. The Constitution was adopted by the unanimous consent of the states present in the convention.
The Constitution did not go into effect immediately after it was signed. It needed to be approved by the people through the ratification process. Article VII of the Constitution established this process, stating that ratification by the conventions of nine states would be sufficient for the establishment of the Constitution. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, and the Confederation Congress established March 4, 1789, as the date to begin operating a new government under the Constitution.
Foundations of Freedom: Guarding Tyranny with the Constitution
You may want to see also
The Declaration of Independence expresses the reasons for separation from Great Britain
The Declaration of Independence was designed for multiple audiences: the King of England, the colonists, and the world. It was also designed to multitask. Its goals were to rally the troops, win foreign allies, and announce the creation of a new country. The introductory sentence states the Declaration's primary purpose: to explain the colonists' right to revolution and to declare the reasons for their separation from Great Britain.
The Declaration of Independence was a formal explanation of why the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. It was adopted by Congress during the American Revolutionary War, which began in April 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The Declaration was also influenced by de Vattel's "The Law of Nations," the dominant international law treatise of the period. Benjamin Franklin, a member of the Committee of Five, which was charged with authoring the Declaration, said that the book was "continually in the hands of the members of our Congress."
The most important and dramatic statement in the Declaration comes near the end: "That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States." This passage declares a complete break with Britain and its King and claims the powers of an independent country. The list of 27 complaints against King George III constitute the proof of the right to rebellion. Congress cast “the causes which impel them to separation” in universal terms for an international audience.
The Declaration of Independence was adopted in July 1776, and the Constitution was signed in September 1787. The Constitution was the result of months of passionate, thoughtful deliberation among the delegates. It was an extraordinary achievement, as the delegates came up with a completely new form of government.
Green Card Holders: Constitutional Rights or Not?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Constitution defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are three of the most important documents in American history. They are considered the Charters of Freedom, which have secured the rights of Americans for centuries and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States.
The Declaration of Independence, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for separation from Great Britain. It was drafted by a congress that met in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia in 1776. The document was signed over a long period, and its vision was later embodied in 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 Constitution of the United States, on the other hand, defines the framework of the Federal Government. It was drafted by delegates who assembled in Philadelphia in 1787, a few years after the Revolutionary War. These delegates, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, feared that their young country was on the brink of collapse due to the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles created a weak central government, giving the Confederation Congress rule-making and funding powers without any enforcement capabilities. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the country apart.
The delegates of 1787, representing a wide range of interests and views, engaged in passionate and thoughtful debates over four months. They ultimately created a powerful central government with a completely new system of governance. The Constitution did not go into effect immediately after it was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787. It had to be ratified by nine of the thirteen states, which occurred on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify. This marked the establishment of a new government under the Constitution, with the Federal Government's framework defined by this pivotal document.
Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense': Forging the Constitution
You may want to see also
The Constitution was ratified by 9 of the 13 states
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are considered the three most important documents in American history. They are the Charters of Freedom, which have secured the rights of the American people for over two centuries. The Declaration of Independence was drafted in 1776, and the Constitution in 1787.
The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for separation from Great Britain. The Constitution, on the other hand, defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States. It was the result of months of passionate and thoughtful deliberation among the delegates, who came up with a completely new form of government. Many individuals made important contributions, including James Madison, who is often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution."
The Constitution did not go into effect immediately after it was signed. It needed to be ratified by the people. Article VII of the Constitution established that ratification by "the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same." This meant that once three-quarters of the states ratified the Constitution, it would become the law of the land. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, and the Confederation Congress established March 4, 1789, as the date to begin operating a new government under the Constitution.
The ratification process was not easy, as Federalists and Anti-Federalists fought hard for their beliefs. At the time, only six of the thirteen states reported a pro-Constitution majority. The Federalists, who believed in a strong central government, needed to convert at least three more states. The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, opposed the Constitution because it created a powerful central government and lacked a bill of rights. The Federalist Papers, written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, played a crucial role in securing ratification in key states.
Understanding the Constitution: Awareness and Knowledge
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for separation from Great Britain.
The Constitution defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States.
The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776.
The Constitution was written in 1787.
