Reynolds GOVT200-redo

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Apr 3, 2024

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GOVT 200 Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence was finalized and approved by Congress on July 4, 1776, but it was not until August 2, 1776, that the document was officially signed. The Declaration held two main purposes. The first purpose of the Declaration was to explain that the people had rights. Declaration of Independence stated, “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Declaration of Independence, 1776), meaning that God created all men equal and as such, gave them all equal rights. Not only did the declaration state that people had equal rights, but it provided that the government is responsible in assuring that these rights are secure for the people. If the government fails to protect said rights or withholds those right, then the people have the right to terminate and designate new government. The second purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to announce the freedom of the thirteen colonies from Great Britian. “ We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here…. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.” (Declaration of Independence, 1776) It was also used to declare that the colonies were recognized as independent states, as such, they held full power to declare war, form alliances, initiate commerce, and anything else that an independent state may do. U.S. Constitution The U.S. Constitution was drafted over the summer of 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, and was signed on September 17, 1787 by 39 of the 55 delegates. The other sixteen delegates were not interested in signing the document as it lacked a guidelines 1

GOVT 200 of rights for the people. The Constitution of the United States established our government. It is used as a set of guidelines as to the branches of our government, their powers, and how they work. It consists of seven different articles. The first Article, Article I, provides rules, qualifications, and guidelines for how the legislative branch, Senate and the House of Representatives, operates. Article II focuses on the powers of the President and Vice President, which make up the executive branch, as well as their operations. Article III focuses on the judicial power of the supreme court and their duties as so. Article IV provides that all citizens, regardless of the state they reside within, have equal rights. It also provides that the states are required to respect and abide by the legislative and judicial laws of one another, meaning that a citizen can’t just simply flee a state to avoid facing the law. Article V focuses on the process and the responsibility of the state to ratify the amendments of the Constitution. Article VI states “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.” (U.S. Constitution, 1787), which is known as the supremacy clause. Article VII is simply just stating the ratification of the Constitution, which makes it official or valid. the separation and the differences. As I previously mentioned dates, it is obvious that the Declaration of Independence was executed years before the U.S. Constitution. While the Declaration of Independence announced the separation from an unjust government, the U.S. Constitution established a fair government of our own as well as its’ function. To create a fair and just government, it was important to separate church and state when it came to government. In Thomas Jefferson’s letter, he states “I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole 2

GOVT 200 American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.” (Thomas Jefferson, 1802) This was important as without such separation, we would not be able to have freedom of religion. Reading the Declaration of Independence, it may be difficult to see a separation of God from government given the references thereto. There are quite a few references to God throughout the declaration as to God as our maker or creator, and how he made us equal. "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” (Declaration of Independence) Divine Providence refers to God’s intervention with the universe.” However, Glenn Martin declared the opposite. “The case for the American rebellion was not based on the Bible; it was based on the natural rights thesis of the rationalist, John Locke! Therefore, there are no grounds for stating that the American Revolution was a Biblical movement.” (Martin G. R., 2006, Chapter 6) 3

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