Paste your essay in here…The Declaration of Independence was written to notify the king of England that the people of the newly founded 13 colonies had the desire to become independent and free of the King's tyranny. Specifically, it was written for the king of England and the Colonist. The tone of the Declaration is a straightforward legalistic tone. It states directly the wrongs the British crown and parliament have committed against the colonist. The final tone is defiance clarifying they are not simply in rebellion but creating their own independent government.
Although Christopher Hitchens was often cheerfully iconoclastic, his 2005 biography of Thomas Jefferson affirmed the scholarly and popular consensus: the Declaration of Independence is based on John Locke’s ideas. The Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by English philosopher Thomas Hobbes in establishing America’s First Principles, most notably the recognition of the Social Compact, limited government, and unalienable rights, the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that are given to American citizens and cannot be taken away or denied. One of the intellectual traditions which stands behind modern classical liberalism is that of natural law and natural rights. This tradition emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries and argues that the world is governed by natural laws which are discoverable by human reason. Human beings, because of their particular natures have a number of natural rights, or what Tom Paine described as “imprescriptible rights”. According to the founding fathers, a key aspect of this intellectual tradition is the notion that natural rights are not created by government but exist anterior to it and that governments are in fact created to “secure these rights.” During the 19th century the natural law/rights traditions was overtaken by English utilitarianism which argued that the government should pursue policies which would do “the greatest good for the greatest number.”
Locke also argued that individuals should be free to make choices about how to conduct their own lives as long as they do not interfere with the liberty of others. Locke therefore believed liberty should be far-reaching. The purpose of government, Locke wrote, is to secure and protect the God-given inalienable natural rights of the people. For their part, the people must obey the laws of their rulers. Thus, a sort of contract exists between the rulers and the ruled. But, Locke concluded, if a government persecutes its people with "a long train of abuses" over an extended period, the people have the right to resist that government, alter or abolish it, and create a new political system.
He said in the mid-1770s, radicals Sam Adams, Thomas Paine, and George Mason were wanting radical change and to remove utterly anything reminding them of English rule and English tradition in America. "But most other American 'revolutionaries,' such as Washington, John Adams and Patrick Henry, were conservative – they were simply asserting their rights that had been guaranteed to them under the English constitution, which had evolved over the course of centuries. These and most Americans thought it was King George who sought radical change by imposing his will, and by suppressing the rights and liberty of his subjects contrary to law and tradition. Most Americans did not want to change their government" but "to prevent the King from encroaching on their traditions, their principles, and their rights. In this regard, the American Revolution might be said to be a conservative revolution. The Framers of the American Constitution were visionaries. They designed our Constitution to endure. They sought not only to address the specific challenges facing the nation during their lifetimes, but to establish the foundational principles that would sustain and guide the new nation into an uncertain future. The text of the Constitution reflects this vision. It defines our most fundamental freedoms in general terms: “freedom of speech,” “due process of law,” “free exercise” of religion, “equal protection of the laws,” “cruel and unusual punishment.” The Constitution sets forth governmental powers in similarly general terms: Congress may regulate “commerce… among the several states,” the president will “take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” the courts are authorized to decide “cases” and “controversies.”
There is an Executive Branch, headed by the president. The president carries out federal laws and recommends new ones, directs national defense and foreign policy, and performs ceremonial duties. Powers include directing government, commanding the Armed Forces, dealing with international powers, acting as chief law enforcement officer, and vetoing laws. Under the Executive Branch, is the Legislative Branch, Headed by Congress. The Legislative Branch includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. The main task of these two bodies is to make the laws. Its powers include passing laws, originating spending bills (House), impeaching officials (Senate), and approving treaties (Senate). Under the Legislative Branch, is the Judicial Branch, headed by the Supreme Court. Its powers include interpreting the Constitution, reviewing laws, and deciding cases involving states' rights. By creating three branches of government, the delegates built a "check and balance" system into the Constitution. This system was built so that no one branch of our government could become too powerful.
The Constitution is divided into seven articles on different topics. Each article is further divided into sections. Article I deals with the legislative branch of government. Article II concerns the executive branch of government. Article III establishes the Supreme Court as the highest judicial power in the United States. Article IV defines the relationship between the states. Article V describes the procedure for amending the Constitution. Article VI declares itself, the Constitution, as "the supreme Law of the Land". Article VII ratifies the Constitution.
The system of checks and balances has worked very well over the course of the United States history. The system of checks and balances and separation of powers is meant to keep the three branches of government in balance. There has been some times where one branch turns out to have more power over another branch, in which they could improve in that area.
A major issue was between northern and southern states over the issue of slavery. Many of the northern states sought to ban slavery entirely, and, failing that, at least to ban the importation of new slaves. A compromise was reached whereby Congress could legislate against the slave trade, but not until 1808, effectively protecting the trade for another 20 years, during which time there was a substantial rise in the importation of slaves into the South. Additionally, when determining each state's number of seats in the House of Representatives, southern states such as South Carolina wanted their slave population to count towards their total share of representatives, even though the slaves had no legal rights as citizens. A compromise was eventually reached whereby slaves were counted as 3/5 of a person in determining a slave state's representatives.