Consitution, Declaration of Independence, & Bill of Rights essays

Consitution, Declaration of Independence, & Bill of Rights essays Although many people today get them mixed up, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights each had a specific purpose and use. The Declaration of Independence, for example, was written in 1776 and was the Americans way of telling Britain that they had put up with enough of her unfair policies and actions, and they wished to depart from the British Empire. Instead of just saying the American Colonies wanted out, plain and simple, the document was written in such a way where it pointed out exactly what the British (more specifically, the king) had done to bring the situation to such a breaking point, justifying their need for separation. After the war was over, the new country was still divided into independent states, which in turn kept the immediate success of America on hold. There were those in this country that saw the need for the states to band together and have a strong national government. Each state selected representatives that were sent to Philadelphia to work out a plan to help the country succeed. Through all of the debate and arguments, the Constitution was formed, taking place of the Articles of Confederation. The main idea that came from the Constitution was the power of the national government was divided into three branches. By doing so, the fear of having a leader-turned-tyrant would be eliminated. It also fixed the loopholes of the Articles of Confederation, which did not give the government the right to regulate trade or collect taxes. This new document was very specific and set out a guideline to work with. After the Constitution was written, it had to be ratified by nine out of thir teen state conventions. Seven were gathered without much of a problem, but the remaining six held off. After much persuasion, eventually nine states were gathered (all but New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and Rhode Island). Washington, Madison, and Jefferson, who all went into t...