-
Writing of the Declaration of Rights and Grievances
The Declaration of Rights and Grievances stated that taxes imposed on British colonists was unconstitutional. There should be no taxation without representation. This impacted the US Constitution because it provides that all taxes must be approved by the house of representatives and the senate. The writers of the Constitution made sure they addressed every grievance in the declaration. This helped the new American government focus their ideas for the writing of the Constitution. -
Passing of the Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were the laws passed by the British government after the Boston Tea Party. The laws were intended to discipline the Massachusetts colonists for rebelling against the taxes on goods. Colonists felt that these laws violated their human rights. These rights included invading their privacy, taking away their rights to elect government officials and decreasing land rights. This directly impacted the need for a Constitution to give the colonists back their human rights. -
American Revolution
The American Revolution created a need for a new type of government with a Constitution to guarantee liberty. The world was used to monarchies and the idea of a democracy was unknown. When the United States declared independence from Britain, it allowed the US to establish their own laws and government. The new Americans didn't want to repeat history and end up being under ruled of a King ever again. -
Publishing of Common Sense
Common Sense was a flyer written by Thomas Paine. It gathered support for the independence from Great Britain to the people of the 13 colonies. Common Sense was played an important role in convincing the colonists to fight back against English rule. It was influential in igniting debates of morales, government, and democracy. Common Sense was an important jump towards independence. -
The Signing of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence had a great effect on the writing of the Constitution. The Declaration opened the door to allow the Constitution to be written. The Declaration echoes a summary of what the Constitution stands for. The Declaration of Independence broke all political ties between the American colonies and England. The Constitution described how the new government would be run. -
Adoption of Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation served as the US Constitution. The articles did not create a strong government. There was a fear at this time that a strong central government would take away the liberties of the people and states. The articles were weak and left most of the power with the state governments. This led to a need for a stronger federal government which eventually led to the writing of the Constitution. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was an armed uprising in western Massachusetts that directly led to the writing of the Constitution. Shay's Rebellion happened when farmers were facing economic problems. They couldn't get the money they needed to pay their taxes. It convinced many people that the Articles of Confederation were inadequate. Shay's Rebellion gave strength to the leaders that wanted a new constitution for the United States. -
Start of the Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia addressed the problems of a weak central government. The United States Constitution was a result of the convention. It established a federal government with specific powers. The revisions included reforms to the federal system and ideas on relationships with foreign governments. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 and is still the basis of US government today.
