Influences on the U.S. Constitution
University of Phoenix
HIS 301
07:06:29 GMT -05:00
, Section 1: Important Documents
Good morning, class. This week, we will be discussing the historical, political, philosophical,
and economic influences on the development of the U.S. Constitution. First, can anyone tell me what
important documents influenced the Founders during the writing of the Constitution? (give students
time to answer) These are all great answers to my question, but we only have time for a few. Today,
I will discuss two important documents that influenced the founders: the Magna Carta and the
Mayflower Compact. Tomorrow, we will discuss two philosophers and their philosophies, Baron de
Montesquieu and Thomas Hobbes. Then, on Wednesday, we will discuss the Protestant Reformation
and the European Enlightenment. On Friday, we will have a quiz on these topics.
Let's get started. The first document that I believe influenced the Constitution is the Magna
Carta. The Magna Carta was written and signed into law in 1215 by King John of England, Stephen
Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, and several Barons. The document was written because King
John abused his authority as King, and the Barons and Archbishop came up with this way of
restricting the King’s power. The writers stated that all men, even the King, are subject to the law.
The document ensured everyone had rights like the right to a fair trial and justice. The Magna Carta
was the reason the colonists started the rebellion because it established the Rule of Law, which is
[includes] the idea of no taxation without representation (Anastaplo, 2006). I believe the Magna
Carta is one of the most important influences on the Constitution because it was the start of what we
now consider human rights. It is also clearly reflected in the Bill of Rights.
The other document I feel influenced the writing of the Constitution was the Mayflower
Compact. The Mayflower Compact was the first document to establish a form of government in the
New World. The Pilgrims and non-Pilgrims on board the Mayflower got into an argument before
they could disembark from the Mayflower. The non-pilgrims believed that because the Mayflower
landed at the tip of Cape Cod, which was outside the jurisdiction of the Virginia Company, the rules
and regulations of the Virginia Company no longer applied to them. The Pilgrim leaders realized
they needed a local authority to keep everyone in line, so they made a written compact between
themselves and the non-pilgrims. This compact established a temporary government led by John
Carver, whom they had elected governor of their colony. Unfortunately, John Carver died less than a
year after taking office. William Bradford became the next governor, and each year, the “Civil Body
Politic” (The Mayflower Compact) got together to elect the governor and a couple of assistants.
While the colony was still small, Governor Bradford was the one to decide how the colony should be
run. As the colony grew and more towns popped up, it became more difficult for the men to attend
the governing meetings at Plymouth. In 1639, towns started sending one or two men from their town
07:06:29 GMT -05:00
University of Phoenix
HIS 301
07:06:29 GMT -05:00
, Section 1: Important Documents
Good morning, class. This week, we will be discussing the historical, political, philosophical,
and economic influences on the development of the U.S. Constitution. First, can anyone tell me what
important documents influenced the Founders during the writing of the Constitution? (give students
time to answer) These are all great answers to my question, but we only have time for a few. Today,
I will discuss two important documents that influenced the founders: the Magna Carta and the
Mayflower Compact. Tomorrow, we will discuss two philosophers and their philosophies, Baron de
Montesquieu and Thomas Hobbes. Then, on Wednesday, we will discuss the Protestant Reformation
and the European Enlightenment. On Friday, we will have a quiz on these topics.
Let's get started. The first document that I believe influenced the Constitution is the Magna
Carta. The Magna Carta was written and signed into law in 1215 by King John of England, Stephen
Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, and several Barons. The document was written because King
John abused his authority as King, and the Barons and Archbishop came up with this way of
restricting the King’s power. The writers stated that all men, even the King, are subject to the law.
The document ensured everyone had rights like the right to a fair trial and justice. The Magna Carta
was the reason the colonists started the rebellion because it established the Rule of Law, which is
[includes] the idea of no taxation without representation (Anastaplo, 2006). I believe the Magna
Carta is one of the most important influences on the Constitution because it was the start of what we
now consider human rights. It is also clearly reflected in the Bill of Rights.
The other document I feel influenced the writing of the Constitution was the Mayflower
Compact. The Mayflower Compact was the first document to establish a form of government in the
New World. The Pilgrims and non-Pilgrims on board the Mayflower got into an argument before
they could disembark from the Mayflower. The non-pilgrims believed that because the Mayflower
landed at the tip of Cape Cod, which was outside the jurisdiction of the Virginia Company, the rules
and regulations of the Virginia Company no longer applied to them. The Pilgrim leaders realized
they needed a local authority to keep everyone in line, so they made a written compact between
themselves and the non-pilgrims. This compact established a temporary government led by John
Carver, whom they had elected governor of their colony. Unfortunately, John Carver died less than a
year after taking office. William Bradford became the next governor, and each year, the “Civil Body
Politic” (The Mayflower Compact) got together to elect the governor and a couple of assistants.
While the colony was still small, Governor Bradford was the one to decide how the colony should be
run. As the colony grew and more towns popped up, it became more difficult for the men to attend
the governing meetings at Plymouth. In 1639, towns started sending one or two men from their town
07:06:29 GMT -05:00
