Problem:
When the founders were drafting the new U.S. Constitution in 1789, they were drawing from a rich intellectual tradition and knowledge about important political events in history, as well as recent political and economic experiences. Some of these ideas appear in earlier governing documents and others come from important Enlightenment thinkers. All are reflected in the U.S. Constitution and how it structured government to be a federal republic where popular sovereignty is maintained through representative democracy.
Topic 1: Influences on the U.S. Constitution
Earlier governing documents that influenced the founders when drafting the new U.S. Constitution include the Magna Carta (1215), the Mayflower Compact (1620), the English Bill of Rights* (1689), the U.S. Declaration of Independence (1776), the Articles of Confederation (1777), and the Northwest Ordinance (1787).
The primary Enlightenment thinkers whose ideas were early influences on the founders are Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Montesquieu, as well as the founders' contemporary, the British legal scholar William Blackstone.
Where in the U.S. Constitution do you see ideas from these earlier governing documents and philosophical positions represented?
How did these historical documents and philosophical ideas influence the way the founders decided to structure U.S. government and restrain government power?
How is the U.S. Constitution different from these early governing documents? Need Assignment Help?
If you were using these early governing documents and philosophical positions as guidance to create the U.S. Constitution, do you agree or disagree with what was included? Explain.