1.2 Historic Documents Study Guide
Learning Target 5: Explain a grievance listed in the Declaration of Independence in terms of its relationship to Enlightenment ideas of natural rights and the social contract.
Click on the image to complete an analysis activity on the Declaration of Independence.
The ideas of Enlightenment thinkers and a series of actions and taxes by the British government following the French and Indian War (1754-1763) contributed to discontent in the American colonies. The American colonists wanted to govern themselves. They united in 1776 to issue the Declaration of Independence, announcing their decision to free themselves from Great Britain.
The Declaration of Independence opens with a statement that separating from Great Britain required a defense. That defense begins with an explanation of Enlightenment thinking, particularly natural rights and the social contract. Enlightenment thinkers argued that people create a society by establishing a social contract. The most important part of the social contract is a government’s duty to protect the natural rights of the people. If a government did not protect natural rights, the people had a right to overthrow that government and create a new one. Natural rights are those that all people are born with, and therefore government must protect these rights, and cannot take them away.
The Declaration links Enlightenment ideas directly to the events in the American colonies. The document includes a list of grievances (complaints) the colonists have with the King of Great Britain and Parliament as a justification for independence. The grievances refer to a series of events since the French and Indian War which the colonists considered acts of tyranny that took away their natural rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The Declaration of Independence ends with a clear statement that the political ties between the colonies and Great Britain are ended. Independence is declared as an exercise of social contract thought.
The Declaration of Independence opens with a statement that separating from Great Britain required a defense. That defense begins with an explanation of Enlightenment thinking, particularly natural rights and the social contract. Enlightenment thinkers argued that people create a society by establishing a social contract. The most important part of the social contract is a government’s duty to protect the natural rights of the people. If a government did not protect natural rights, the people had a right to overthrow that government and create a new one. Natural rights are those that all people are born with, and therefore government must protect these rights, and cannot take them away.
The Declaration links Enlightenment ideas directly to the events in the American colonies. The document includes a list of grievances (complaints) the colonists have with the King of Great Britain and Parliament as a justification for independence. The grievances refer to a series of events since the French and Indian War which the colonists considered acts of tyranny that took away their natural rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The Declaration of Independence ends with a clear statement that the political ties between the colonies and Great Britain are ended. Independence is declared as an exercise of social contract thought.
Learning Target 6: Show how the Northwest Ordinance, in providing for government for the Northwest Territory, established a precedent for governing the United States.
In the Treaty of Paris (1783), which formally ended the American Revolution, Britain surrendered the Ohio Country to the United States. As Ohio country settlement advanced, the U.S. Congress recognized a need for governing the Ohio country. The Land Ordinance of 1785 set forth how the government would measure, divide and distribute the land. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided the basis for temporary governance as a territory and eventual entry into the United States as states.
The Northwest Ordinance also set some precedents that influenced how the United States would be governed in later years.
The Northwest Ordinance also set some precedents that influenced how the United States would be governed in later years.
- The Northwest Ordinance established a three–step plan for admitting states from the Northwest Territory (like Ohio) to the United States. New states were to be admitted “into the Congress of the United States, on an equal footing with the original States.” This provision was continued in later years and it meant that there would be no colonization of the lands as there had been under Great Britain.
- State governments were to be republican in structure. This provision was repeated in the U.S. Constitution.
- “Schools and the means of education” were to be encouraged. This wording reinforced the provision in the Land Ordinance of 1785 setting aside one section of each township for the support of schools and established a basis for national aid for education.
- Basic rights of citizenship (e.g., religious liberty, right to trial by jury, writ of habeas corpus) were assured. These assurances later included in the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment protects freedom of religion. Trial by jury is guaranteed in the Sixth Amendment. Habeas corpus, a legal action or writ by which a person can seek relief from unlawful imprisonment, is protected by Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution.
- Slavery was prohibited in the Northwest Territory. Although slavery was protected in many states until the end of the Civil War, this provision was later included in the Constitution as the Thirteenth Amendment.
Learning Target 7: a) Develop an argument that a particular provision of the Constitution of the United States would help in addressing a problem facing the United States in the 1780s. b) Explain a provision of the Constitution in terms of how it reflects Enlightenment thinking.
Click on the image to complete a graphic organizer on the Articles of Confederation and Constitution.
The Articles of Confederation were ratified as the first constitution of the United States. Under the Articles, the national government faced several serious problems. Some problems resulted from the structure of the government itself. These problems included weak provisions for management of national affairs. There was no separate executive branch of government. There was also no separate judicial branch. As a result, the national government had a limited ability to resolve disputes. There were also rigid requirements for passing legislation and amending the Articles.
National issues facing the government included paying the debt from the Revolutionary War, the British refusal to evacuate forts on U.S. soil, the Spanish closure of the Mississippi River to American navigation and state disputes over land and trade. Economic problems in the states led to Shays’ Rebellion, protests by American farmers against state debt collections.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 decided to replace the Articles altogether and create the United States Constitution. The Constitution strengthened the structure of the national government. Separate executive and judicial branches were established. More practical means of passing legislation and amending the Constitution were instituted. The new government would have the ability to address the issues facing the nation. Powers to levy taxes, raise armies and regulate commerce were given to Congress. The principle of federalism allocated the distribution of powers between the national government and the states.
The Constitution of the United States was drafted using Enlightenment ideas to create a more effective form of government. The Preamble and the creation of a representative government reflect the idea of the social contract. Articles I – III provide for a separation of powers in government. Article I also provides some limited protection of rights.
National issues facing the government included paying the debt from the Revolutionary War, the British refusal to evacuate forts on U.S. soil, the Spanish closure of the Mississippi River to American navigation and state disputes over land and trade. Economic problems in the states led to Shays’ Rebellion, protests by American farmers against state debt collections.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 decided to replace the Articles altogether and create the United States Constitution. The Constitution strengthened the structure of the national government. Separate executive and judicial branches were established. More practical means of passing legislation and amending the Constitution were instituted. The new government would have the ability to address the issues facing the nation. Powers to levy taxes, raise armies and regulate commerce were given to Congress. The principle of federalism allocated the distribution of powers between the national government and the states.
The Constitution of the United States was drafted using Enlightenment ideas to create a more effective form of government. The Preamble and the creation of a representative government reflect the idea of the social contract. Articles I – III provide for a separation of powers in government. Article I also provides some limited protection of rights.
Learning Target 8: Compare the arguments of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists on a common topic related to the ratification of the Constitution of the United States, and hypothesize about why the winning argument was more persuasive.
Click on the image to complete a t-chart summarizing the views of the Federalists and Antifederalists.
On September 17, 1787, the Constitutional Convention approved the new Constitution of the United States. The Constitution was different in many ways from the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution strengthened the power of the national government. In order for the Constitution to take effect, it had to be ratified by nine states.
Congress directed each state legislature to hold a ratification convention. Proponents and opponents of the Constitution had to persuade the ratifying conventions in the states. The proponents became known as Federalists and the opponents as AntiFederalists. The Federalists believed that that the problems of the country in the 1780s resulted from the weaknesses of the national government created by the Articles. For Federalists, a stronger national government was necessary to protect the liberty that the American Revolution had created.
New York was a key state in the ratification process. Federalists prepared a series of essays published in newspapers to convince New York to support the Constitution. These essays have become known as the Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers argued for national taxation and showed the benefits of a strong national defense through a standing army. Federalists did not think it was necessary to list the rights of citizens. They believed the distribution of powers in government protected citizens’ rights. The Antifederalists were a diverse group of people who opposed ratification of the Constitution. They feared that giving too much power to a national government could lead to tyranny.
The Anti-Federalist Papers is a collection of essays against the Constitution. The Anti-Federalist Papers opposed national taxation and the use of a standing army. Thy argued that Constitution granted too power national power versus state power. They also believed the Constitution failed to protect citizens’ rights because these rights were listed in a bill of rights.
Congress directed each state legislature to hold a ratification convention. Proponents and opponents of the Constitution had to persuade the ratifying conventions in the states. The proponents became known as Federalists and the opponents as AntiFederalists. The Federalists believed that that the problems of the country in the 1780s resulted from the weaknesses of the national government created by the Articles. For Federalists, a stronger national government was necessary to protect the liberty that the American Revolution had created.
New York was a key state in the ratification process. Federalists prepared a series of essays published in newspapers to convince New York to support the Constitution. These essays have become known as the Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers argued for national taxation and showed the benefits of a strong national defense through a standing army. Federalists did not think it was necessary to list the rights of citizens. They believed the distribution of powers in government protected citizens’ rights. The Antifederalists were a diverse group of people who opposed ratification of the Constitution. They feared that giving too much power to a national government could lead to tyranny.
The Anti-Federalist Papers is a collection of essays against the Constitution. The Anti-Federalist Papers opposed national taxation and the use of a standing army. Thy argued that Constitution granted too power national power versus state power. They also believed the Constitution failed to protect citizens’ rights because these rights were listed in a bill of rights.
Learning Target 9: Cite evidence for historical precedents in the rights incorporated in the Bill of Rights.
Click on the image to complete the organizer showing historical precedents for the Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights draws upon ideas from several sources. These range from the English heritage of the United States to the debates over the ratification of the Constitution.
English sources for the Bill of Rights include the Magna Carta (1215) and the Bill of Rights of 1689. The Magna Carta provided some constitutional protection of rights and granted trial by jury. The English Bill of Rights recognized many rights including the right to habeas corpus and protection against cruel punishments and excessive bail.
Enlightenment ideas about natural rights of life, liberty and property were becoming well-known around the time of the American Revolution. In the 1760s and 1770s, American colonists believed new British policies violated their rights. The Quartering Act of 1765 was seen as taking away property rights. The Massachusetts Government Act limited the colonists’ ability to assemble in their town meetings. The Enlightenment ideas and British policies became central points of the Declaration of Independence.
As the American people began to govern themselves, they included individual rights in governing documents. The Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776) included protections for the press, religion and rights of the accused. Other colonies also included individual rights as part of their constitutions. Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which provided for religious liberty, due process, protections for the accused, and property rights.
Individual rights were one of the key issues in the debate over the ratification of the Constitution. Anti-Federalists argued that the original Constitution did not contain sufficient protections for individual rights. As a result, the First Congress added 9 amendments the Constitution to protect individual rights.
Note: You will not be expected to identify specific precedent documents (e.g., Magna Carta). Instead, you will be asked to provide information concerning the precedents set by the documents (e.g., right to life, trial by jury, property, etc.).
English sources for the Bill of Rights include the Magna Carta (1215) and the Bill of Rights of 1689. The Magna Carta provided some constitutional protection of rights and granted trial by jury. The English Bill of Rights recognized many rights including the right to habeas corpus and protection against cruel punishments and excessive bail.
Enlightenment ideas about natural rights of life, liberty and property were becoming well-known around the time of the American Revolution. In the 1760s and 1770s, American colonists believed new British policies violated their rights. The Quartering Act of 1765 was seen as taking away property rights. The Massachusetts Government Act limited the colonists’ ability to assemble in their town meetings. The Enlightenment ideas and British policies became central points of the Declaration of Independence.
As the American people began to govern themselves, they included individual rights in governing documents. The Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776) included protections for the press, religion and rights of the accused. Other colonies also included individual rights as part of their constitutions. Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which provided for religious liberty, due process, protections for the accused, and property rights.
Individual rights were one of the key issues in the debate over the ratification of the Constitution. Anti-Federalists argued that the original Constitution did not contain sufficient protections for individual rights. As a result, the First Congress added 9 amendments the Constitution to protect individual rights.
Note: You will not be expected to identify specific precedent documents (e.g., Magna Carta). Instead, you will be asked to provide information concerning the precedents set by the documents (e.g., right to life, trial by jury, property, etc.).
