Question One
The Declaration of Independence and the U.S Constitution have had great significance in the way people are governed. The former was issued as a declaration that the American people were capable of ruling themselves and not rely on the European powers for leadership. It also declared that natural law would be the guiding factor in setting up various institutions(The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, 2020). It recognized the fact that every human being was equal in the eyes of God thus deserving similar treatment just like the other irrespective of race or social status. Other issues spelled out by the Declaration of Independence include the government’s role in protecting the rights of each citizen and the supreme power of people over their leaders. The U.S Constitution on the other hand is a document containing positive laws. Those are rules the government can enforce on people or institutions within a country. Before the U.S Constitution and Declaration of Independence documents were formulated, the country depended on laws formed in Europe while not all people were equal to each other. The two came and gave people the supreme power to decide their fate in terms of governance. They also introduced democracy where each individual was free to decide the fate of his/her future.
Question Two
“We the People” form the first preamble of the U.S Constitution about the power and rights bestowed upon every American. It is a declaration that makes everyone aware of the role the American public play in forming the driving force and the foundation of every government. Through this phrase, every citizen in the United States is guaranteed fundamental rights which include the freedom to choose one’s destiny. The preamble also defines “we the people” as those who helped in establishing the U.S Constitution. Initially, the “people” were described as free White men thus sidelining people of color and women in making important decisions for the country. However, the constitution has undergone several amendments to suit the need of different generations. After the first ratification of the U.S Constitution in 1788, each state retained the freedom of determining who was granted which privileges like the right to vote(Cuniberti, 2017). This was granted to property owners, the majority of whom were male White. This changed in 1870 during the 15th Amendment granting every citizen the right to vote irrespective of race and gender. The Constitution has seen major changes since that time to address different issues affecting the people.
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Question 3
The term ‘American’ refers to a person who shares the identity and the ideals of the United States. The country was founded on the principles of liberty and universal freedom to choose one’s destiny. This involves making critical decisions like choosing the course of the nation through voting. After the Declaration of Independence, the United States was free to make her own decisions in terms of governance without relying on European powers. The power to choose its leaders was mainly bestowed upon the wealthy White male citizens who had attained the age of 21. The poor, women, and people of color were not allowed to make such important decisions as they had not acquired genuine citizenship. Slavery was still legal in almost all states and therefore Americans of African descent were still considered unable to vote together with their masters. There was agitation for change to the voting discrimination and in 1870 the 15th Amendment was adopted which recognized the right of every race in the United States to vote. This was followed by the Nineteenth Amendment that barred states from denying people the ability to vote based on gender and finally the 26th Amendment which lowered eligibility age to sixteen years
References
Cuniberti, G. (2017). The Constitution of the United States. In Rethinking International Commercial Arbitration . https://doi.org/10.4337/9781786432407.00017
The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. (2020). America’s Founding Documents.
