1787: Virginia and New Jersey Plans. (2014, April 10). Retrieved from Online Library of Liberty: http://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/1787-virginia-and-new-jersey-plans
The article focuses on the debates surrounding the nature of and functions of the American government after the American War of Independence. Before the drafting and ratification of the American Constitution, disparities emerge between the big and small States on the kind of government representation that was ideal for all the regions. The division between the North and the South is renowned because of the American Civil War but apparently, another form of States' divide was evident even before the country took sides on the issue of black slavery. The site presents the resolutions reached after Virginia presented plans for a bicameral legislature while proposing every State representation ought to be proportion to its size. The people of New Jersey were not for the idea and supported a unicameral legislature that ensured each State had one representative regardless of its size. The Virginia plan birthed the U.S. House of Representatives that functioned based on population sizes and the New Jersey Plan paved the way for the Senate that relied on an equal number of votes per State. In other words, the plans explain the writing and design of the American Constitution.
Adams, S. (1772, November 20). The Rights of the Colonists: The Report of the Committee of Correspondence to the Boston Town Meeting. Retrieved from Constitution Society: http://www.constitution.org/bcp/right_col.htm
The colonists’ grievances stemmed from the antics of the mother country as the Monarch imposed tax laws without consulting them; however, the duties merely provided the grounds on which they could voice other injustices done to their persons. Apparently, while the colonists had rights as Christians and the subjects of the King, they were also subject to their fundamental rights that came from the fact that they were human. In that sense, a hierarchical society and Monarchy ruling were against their personal interests because they both made them perpetual servants to people whose power came from birthrights. The statements on the rights of the Constitution are important as they highlight some of the major grievances that the residents of the American colonies harbored. By extension, the accusations hauled against the British formed the framework of the Constitution as elections determined authority and the branches of government prevented tyrannical ruling and absolute power for government officials.
Bernstein, R. B. (n.d.). The Revolution And State Constitution-Making And Legal Reform. Retrieved from Humanities & Social Sciences Online (HNet): http://revolution.h-net.msu.edu/essays/bernstein.constitutions.html
The text utilizes primary documents to trace the emergence and growth of revolution fervor in British North America and according to the author, the American Constitution was the outcome of individual sets of laws that the colonists implemented before the evacuation of British forces. Apparently, the colonists’ desire for self-rule determined their response to the authority of the British Empire; however, different forms of catalysts hastened the North America territories to revolt. The art of proper and successful revolutions depend on the ability to destroy yet build at the same time, and the revolutionaries of the thirteen colonies were are if the same when they sought independence from the English Crown. Primary documents that include Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (1776) manage to capture the peoples’ need for a legitimate government and democracy. In the States of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, and New Hampshire, constitutions were already in effect before the end of the Revolutionary War. Eventually, the writer explores the relevance of religion, slavery, and loyalty as the foundations on which the writers of the American Constitution drew inspiration.
References
1787: Virginia and New Jersey Plans. (2014, April 10). Retrieved from Online Library of Liberty: http://oll.libertyfund.org/pages/1787-virginia-and-new-jersey-plans
Adams, S. (1772, November 20). The Rights of the Colonists: The Report of the Committee of Correspondence to the Boston Town Meeting. Retrieved from Constitution Society: http://www.constitution.org/bcp/right_col.htm
Bernstein, R. B. (n.d.). The Revolution And State Constitution-Making And Legal Reform. Retrieved from Humanities & Social Sciences Online (HNet): http://revolution.h-net.msu.edu/essays/bernstein.constitutions.html
