Impact of the Constitution essays

Impact of the Constitution essays The Federal Convention convened in the State House in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation (Burns 19). This was the beginning of one of the most impressive, adaptable, and symbolic document ever written in human history. Before this, Thomas Jefferson drafted The Declaration of Independence. This happened between June 11 and June 28, 1776 (Mount 3). It was and still is the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty. Both of these documents were written to serve different purposes in the 18th century and yet, their meanings have adapted over time. They continue to be very relevant documents that we live by even today. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are important to us now, but they served an even greater purpose in the beginning. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson as a means of expressing exactly what was in the hearts and minds of the colonists at the time. In essence, it was a list of grievances written to the world to give reason as to why the colonists of the New England territories were going to revolt against their King in England. The intention of the document was to gain support; not only the support of the people in the thirteen colonies, but also the support of other nations around the world (About 1). Not only did it serve this purpose, it gave the people of the United States a tangible written object that laid down exactly what rights the people had. This gave them a sense of unity and pride in themselves and each other. The Constitution, on the other hand, was a bit different. The Constitution was written to replace the Artic les of Confederation. That documents purpose was to provide the structure for the Union and give the people the law during the time of the Revolutionary War (Henick 2). After the war, the Continental Congress knew that the Articles would not be sufficient enough to provide the framework for a new go...