Dbq Essay On We The People

In the Preamble to the United States Constitution we get the famous line, “We the People…” . Pilgrims from different countries came over. Looking for religious freedom, and the three G’s. God, Gold, and Glory. From the years of 1607- 1807 the nation has been shaped into ‘We the People’, from the people fighting for and gaining their rights, creating a democracy, and establishing justice equally under the law. The Americans set them self aside from other nations, proving to be an independant and a place of liberty.

Coming to the new world, settlers had no rights. But here they could start a new life, but only if britain was out of the way. So the settlers made colonies, and those colonists came together to gain there natural born rights. Fighting

with Britain in the American Revolution for seven long years, the colonists finally gained independence. With it they formed new governments and wrote the Bill of Rights. In that Bill of Rights held the first 10 amendments. The first was the most important, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”(Bill of Rights). There the colonists received one of the most sought out freedom, and with that the people were overjoyed. Not only with that were the people becoming more liberated but they got the ability to not have to house soldiers, could have a fair and lawful trial, could not be searched without good reason, and more. Rights may not have come to be the way it had if it wasn't for the enlightened thinking Locke. His belief was in the Natural right to “Life, Liberty, and Property.”(Locke). This idea was interpreted into America’s, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”.

The Americans have come a long way from the pilgrims they once were.

Coming over here from the old world, they all came looking for religious freedom, glory and gold. Upon arriving the settlers of Plymouth made the first document to establish a new government. “ Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick”(Mayflower Compact). Though the settlers were still under the reign of KIng James, this was the first step into gaining future independance. Through a long, bloody war the Americans won. The colonists gained their independence they had been longing for. A document written by Thomas Jefferson called The Declaration of Independence made it so America was a new nation, separate from others. “...That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved…”(The Declaration of Independence). Other than independence the people gained there natural born rights; Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. People ran in the new government and created laws that ran threw the legislative branch, enforced by the executive branch. The judiciary branch judged trials based on the new constitution. Thus from all of this came a democracy. As mentioned the judicial branch judges the trials based on the constitutions. Everyone is entitled to a fair and speedy trial, and looked down on equally under the law. This would not have happened if it weren't for John Adams trial for the Boston Massacre, and Washington's Judiciary Act. First, the Judiciary Act created by Washington established

Judicial courts in America. Then, there's the Boston Massacre court case were the man John Adams represented the british soldiers even though he was a colonist. “The witnesses are confident that they know the prisoners at the barr, and that they were present that night, and of the party; however, it is apparent, that witnesses are liable to make mistakes, by a single example before you. Mr. Bass, who is a very honest man, and of good character, swears positively that the tall man, Warren, stood on the right that night, and was the first that fired; and I am sure you are satisfied by this time, by many circumstances, that he is totally mistaken in this matter...”(John Adams). This brought on the idea of a fair and speedy trial, and everyone being equal under the law.

Critics argue that when it says ‘We the people’ in the preamble, the writers didn't mean everyone. In the preamble it promises everyone justice, and a ‘more’ perfect union. If that's the case, then why couldn't women vote during that time and all the way till 1920? Also, the african americans were still considered below the white man and had no equal rights till 19 64, because of the civil rights act. How could it be ‘We the people’ if the preamble only serves the white man and not the whole country? “It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people - women as well as men.”(Susan B. Anthony). To back up whats being said, Susan B Anthony put everything into perspective. A common argument over the main position is that women and black men are not included in ‘We the People’, but

Between the times of the Jamestown settlers to Madison's presidency the nation got shaped into ‘We the People’, that happened because of an established justice under the law, created democracy, and gained rights. The people fought and won their independence, and builded new governments off of that till a type of democracy was formed. Where elected representatives run the government and the people have a say. Then there's the rights citizens yearned for since the ruling of King James, and here in America the people finally earned them. And in America people have equal rights under the law. Thus gaining equal justice too under the law. We are all ‘We the People’.