How did the Constitution of 1787 represented a True Revolution in Government? (Research Paper Sample)

Response Essay Summary Sheet
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Question: How did the Constitution of 1787 represented a True Revolution in Government?
Thesis: The initial sections of the document are among the most important statements of American ideals ever expressed and represented a true revolution in government.
Outline: The Articles of Confederation gave little power to the central government as opposed to the 1787 Constitution which addresses the unalienable human rights including freedom to life and pursuit of happiness. The document was based on the belief that all humans are equal. Thus, the 1787 Constitution gave power to the American people, which makes it a truly revolutionary document.
Works Consulted:
Feinberg, Barbara Silberdick. The Articles of Confederation: The First Constitution of the United States. Brookfield, Conn.: Twenty-First Century Books, 2002.
Jayne, Allen. Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence: Origins, Philosophy, and Theology. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2015.
Nester, William R. The Frontier War for American Independence. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2004.
“The Supreme Court and Sovereign States.” Princeton Alumni Weekly, vol. 24, no. 22, 1924, pp. 469-471. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton Alumni Weekly, 1968.
Wills, Garry. Inventing America: Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002.
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How the Constitution of 1787 Represented a True Revolution in Government?
It can be said that the American Constitution drafted and passed in 1787 produced a true revolution in government. A young but fast rising revolutionary leader Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence (Wills vi). The Continental Congress embraced the draft on 4th July 1776. The Declaration of Independence was the first endeavor by the United States of America to outline the unalienable rights that were the basis of the revolution and the need to be independent and separate from the British colonies. The 1787 constitution represented a true revolutionary in the government because; 1) it championed the basic human rights, 2) it served as the first constitution after independence and 3) replaced the articles of confederation. Some of the initial sections of the document are among the most important statements of American ideals ever expressed.
The truths of the revolutionary American Constitution are self-evident. It is conventional that all men were created equal and that they were gifted with particular unalienable rights. Among these rights were pursuit of happiness, freedom, and many others. The governments that derived their control from the approval of their subjects were called to secure these rights. According to them, the governed people had the rights to abolish or alter the government in case it became destructive or insensitive to these rights (“The Supreme Court” 470). The people then found a new government that laid its foundation on such values and organized its powers in such a manner that brought them happiness and safety.
The American government was formed and shaped on the basis of the principle that all men were equal and that the government was founded on the consensus of the subjects (the governed). It was the ultimate obligation that the government should serve the people that it was controlling. The American Constitution was formed as part of the Americans’ decision to be independent (“The Supreme Court” 470). It was among the first written constitutions in the world’s history. The law included the declaration of rights in addition to the manner in which their new state government was to work. The rights included in the constitution were: freedom of speech, the right to trial by jury, freedom of worship, the freedom to have arms in case of citizen militia, and many others (Jayne 126). The state laws were courageous revolutionary attempts, and in many instances, they were never perfect since the American leaders wanted to document how their administrations should operate. However, the efforts were a significant step forward to the concept that the need for a government was to serve the interests of the people and, at the same time, protect individual freedoms.
It should be remembered that the independence of the United States was declared in 1776, and the country had to go into war to gain that liberation (Nester 2). Just after the independence, the Articles of Confederation were created by the thirteen states. The document gave too little power to the Central American government to the extent that it looked more of a treaty between the independent states than a law for the newly formed nation. The law amounted to something like a confederacy of friendship where every state remained sovereign, free and independent. However, the central government was given considerable duties (Feinberg 26).
The first American government was formed under the Articles of Confederation, which was the first ultimate legal system of the country. After the end of war in 1781, America was still under the Articles of Confederation as their form of government (Feinberg 26). The document was similar to the constitution in some ways, but there were key variations. Among the differences was the fact that the president had to be chosen from among the representatives of the states as opposed to national election. Choosing the president was done on a yearly basis. It therefore means that before the election of George Washington as the first constitutional president, America had had 11 presidents.
Another big difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution was that any needs of the country were addressed by the states (Feinberg 27). For instance, according to the document, in case there was a need to deal with pirates from the coast of South Carolina, each state had to provide a given number of men and other necessary resources for the task. Indeed, this process was very cumbersome and took a lot of time and resources since the transport and communication methods of the day were not efficient.
The American leaders of the time did not take long to realize that something needed to be done. It was clear that the nation did not have sufficient resources to defend itself under the prevailing system. Thus, a convention was held with the aim and purpose of rebuilding the nation. There were numerous objections since such an idea was seen as being against the Articles of Confedera...