The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to state why the English colonies were not a part of the British empire and to clarify the natural rights of a citizen that could never be taken away. The US Constitution similarly discusses natural rights of the citizens, but also, it is the essential foundation for the American government today. The grievances described in the Declaration of Independence are reflected in the Constitution and past events in American history as well.
The colonists recognized the British king with authority, but they did not accept the Parliament’s laws. The Declaration of Independence expresses the unjust application of the Parliament on colonists, “He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution… For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us” (Grievance 14). A direct example of this can be seen with the Quartering Act which made the housing of British troops legal, thus forcing the colonists to pay for it, even in private homes (Out of Many, 119). The Quartering Act, part of the Intolerable Acts, was passed in 1774 to make sure colonists paid their taxes, as the British were so focused on collecting revenue (Out of Many, 119). Along with the other acts, all of them sought to punish Massachusetts and other colonies in response to the Boston Tea Party. Other
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To prevent future occurrences of forced soldier housing, the writers of the Constitution included, “No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law (3rd Amendment). The Constitutional Convention would set the basis for the United States’ government by abandoning the Articles of Confederation. The goal of the convention was to set up a consolidated government that would enforce equality, righteous representation, and