The Founding Documents: The Interplay of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution

In every country, a constitution is a very important document as it acts as a guide for the government and its citizens. In the United States, the Constitution is considered the tool that keeps the government in check regarding the power the government has. The Constitution is meant to establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility in The United States. Together with the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence is also an important document that announced the separation of thirteen North American British colonies from Great Britain. This document led to one of the most celebrated days in United States history; hence, it is very important in this country’s independence journey. This essay will focus on the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution as primary documents in the founding of the United States.

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The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Second Continental Congress in July of 1776. It contained information on how Congress unanimously voted that 12 colonies should have the right to be free and independent states (“Declaration of Independence: A Transcription”, 2020). The document explains in detail why the colonies have overthrown their ruler and chosen to be independent countries. Also, the document mentioned the rights that the government should never violate. If they are violated, or the government fails to protect these rights, the people have the right to overthrow the government. This meant that the people had a duty to create a government that would protect the fundamental rights that would protect them. These fundamental rights include the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Also, in the Declaration of Independence, the King of Great Britain was found guilty of many abuse cases, which led to the creation of tyranny over the states (“Declaration of Independence: A Transcription”, 2020). The colonial government tried to reach a peaceful resolution with the United States, and they were repeatedly ignored. Thus they have no choice but to declare independence from Great Britain (“Declaration of Independence: A Transcription”, 2020). The document ends by declaring that the new nation will be called the United States, and they have severed all connections to Great Britain.

The Constitution of the United States is the law of the country. It is the source of all government power with consent from the state’s legislature and the people’s authority (“The Constitution | The White House”, 2020). It also protects the rights of the citizens of the United States by imposing limitations on the government (“The Constitution | The White House”, 2020). With the definition alone, the Constitution is the most important document in the country as it provides guidance and at the same time ensures the protection of the citizens from the government. The Constitution is meant to promote justice in the country, help form a perfect union, ensure the common defense, etc. (Caggia, 2020). The Constitution has principles that make the government what it is today, and it includes popular sovereignty, the rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism (Caggia, 2020).

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are important documents to the founding of this great country, and they both have maintained their relevance to this day. The Declaration of Independence set the ball rolling when it cut all ties with Great Britain, and it presented the idea of an independent government. The Constitution justified the idea, and it outlined how this independent government would function and, at the same time, protect its citizens from the power the government has. The United States government was meant to uphold the rule of law, and it regarded individual rights as very important. These two documents completing each other provide us with a government that is looked up to by other countries in the ways it takes care of its citizens and the principles it upholds.

The Declaration of Independence was the foundation for the government our founding fathers wanted to build. Looking at the document, it was built on sovereignty and the idea that the government was meant to serve the people in a fair and just manner. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence to clear the relationship between the United States and Great Britain, bringing a new dawn to the American colonies. The Declaration of Independence highlights the idea that the government is there for the people, and they can overthrow the government when they feel they are not being protected. By understanding what type of government our founding fathers wanted to build, the United States Constitution provides the government’s template and how it is supposed to function to achieve the goals set by the Declaration of Independence. The Constitution explains the whole system of governance that meets all the country’s requirements to prosper. Also, the Constitution helps protect the citizens by controlling the power the government has over the citizens who are the minority.

The Declaration of Independence declared the country as an independent country that can survive on its own, i.e., “… they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which the Independent States may of right do.” (“Declaration of Independence: A Transcription”, 2020). Declaring its sovereignty, the United States had to become a constitutional state by abiding by the limits of its uses of power for the people’s safety and happiness (Tsesis, 2016). The original Constitution had a clause protecting the institution of slavery. It was not morally acceptable given the Declaration of Independence's principles in terms of keeping the people safe (Tsesis, 2016). This led to the amendment of the Constitution to do away with that clause. These reconstruction amendments were essential to the people because they gave Congress the power to implement legislation to make the community fair and just for the citizens. The reconstruction amendments also led to the formal incorporation of the Declaration’s principle of representative governance into the United States Constitution (Tsesis, 2016). This was a great step because it was like a consolidation of two essential documents to this country’s founding. From the Declaration of Independence, this principle was one of the key factors that inspired the document.

Although these two documents had different views on slavery, they were more or less driving to the same goal. The Constitution had a clause that protected slavery, but it was amended to propagate the Declaration’s principle completely. The Declaration set a basis for natural law because the founders believed in natural law principles. The founders wanted to build the government using natural law principles because they believed it would be fair to the United States people. The Constitution, however, does not exactly achieve natural law principles because it is a document of positive (Natelson, 2017). Since the founders were strong believers in natural law, the Constitution was meant to show the government’s structure that would be fair and just and not fulfill their natural law (Natelson, 2017). The amendments that followed tried to tailor the Constitution to fulfill natural law principles, but it made the Constitution the best tool to control the government’s power.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Declaration of Independence was the foundation for building a new country that could survive on its own with the ability to protect its citizens. The Constitution provided a vivid plan to build a government that would fulfill the requirements of the nation. These two documents are essential because they gave birth to the United States we live in today. Their relationship made the government stronger in providing for and protecting their citizens.

References

Caggia, M. (2020). Goals & Principles of the US Constitution. Slideshare.net. Retrieved 10 December 2020, from https://www.slideshare.net/mcaggia/goals-principles-of-the-us-constitution.

Constitution | The White House. The White House. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/the-constitution/#:~:text=Empowered%20with%20the%20sovereign%20authority,rights%20of%20United%20States%20citizens.

Declaration of Independence: A Transcription. National Archives. (2020). Retrieved 10 December 2020, from https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript.

Natelson, R. (2017). The Relationship Between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution - Independence Institute. Independence Institute. Retrieved 11 December 2020, from https://i2i.org/the-relationship-between-the-declaration-of-independence-and-the-constitution/.

Tsesis, A. (2016). The Declaration of Independence and Constitutional Interpretation. Law Ecommons, 89, 368-398. Retrieved 11 December 2020.