Analysis Of The Constitution Dbq Essay

The Constitution of the United States, created in 1787 in hands down the most creatively named building ever, (Independence Hall, pfffft.) has been symbolic of liberty in America. Abraham Lincoln once said that “Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard for our liberties.” Do you agree with this quote? (I mean, this is the same guy that said “When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.”) When the Constitution was sent to the states for ratification, many states didn’t give the thumbs up right away. In fact, in the first year, only three states approved it. There were many reasons to agree or disagree with the Constitution, but it all really comes down to a person’s perspective.

On an observation paper about the Constitution, Mercy Otis Warren wrote that “There is no security in the system either for the rights of conscience or the liberty of the press.” (Document 2) Which in simpler terms meant that there was no protection for the people’s rights. And in even simpler terms, he was saying that the Constitution was worse than modern art. Not only did he state this in the article, he also said that the executive and the legislative branch were “so dangerously blended that they give just a cause for alarm.” This means he thought that the power of the executive and legislature were joined so that the government might become a repeat of Britain. A condensed national government overtaking weaker state governments. Patrick Henry, one of the most influential person on board with the whole independence, was even criticizing the Constitution. He said “our right and privileges are endangered, and the sovereignty of the states will be relinquished...The rights of conscience, trial by jury, liberty of the press….are rendered insecure.” (Document 4) He basically stated the same concepts as the Warren

These folk were known as, ‘federalists’. Delaware ratified the Constitution on December 7th, 1787, with a vote of 30-0. An editor of the Massachusetts Sentinel newspaper wrote about the Articles of Confederation in the paper. He proclaimed “Let us look and behold the distresses which prevail in every part of our country… and then say that we do not require a new, a protecting, and efficient federal government if you can.” (Document 1) The editor of this newspaper was basically saying, “Hey! Look at the trash government that we’ve made, and tell me that we don’t need a better system!” He also included the things he felt were wrong. He included the “the complaints of our farmers… the complaints of every class of public creditors… the melancholy faces of our working people… our ships rotting in our harbors… the insults that are offered to the American name and character in every court of Europe.” Washington himself said that “we have errors to correct.” (Document 1) Even our 1st president said that the Articles of Confederation were garbage. He added that “We have probably had too good an opinion of human nature in forming our confederation.” Which meant that they were being too nice when creating the government, which would lead to a atrocious layout of the country. But as a response for all the criticism about the Constitution, the Massachusetts Constitutional Ratification Convention, held in 1788, went