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The Framers Of The Constitution

Decent Essays
Civics and Citizenship
The Framers of the Constitution looked to history for examples of governments that directly represented the people. Early Romans wanted to create a lasting republic, a government in which citizens rule themselves through elected representatives. A republic is a government in which citizens rule themselves through elected representatives. Americans liked the roman form of government but also knew that eventually the Roman republic became a dictatorship, a government in which one person rules with all authority. The Framers wanted to avoid the Roman’s fate. They wanted to create a permanent government where the informed citizens ran their own government.
Another historic document the Founders looked to was the Magna Carta. In 1215, many of the landowning gentry of England rebelled against the unpopular King John. In order to help restore peace the rebels forced the king to sign the Magna Carta. It placed limits on the power of the English king and made Parliament the ruling body in England. The English Bill of Rights (1689) was another document the Framers looked to. It gave the citizens of England certain rights such as freedom of speech and separation of powers.
John Locke published “Two Treatise [essays] of Government” in 1689. In these tow documents Locke proposed that every person had the rights of life, liberty and property. The government cannot take these unalienable rights away unless they have a reason. Locke also stated that the
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