The writing of the American constitution was the climax of the American Revolution having espoused and fully encompassed the ideals that were core to the Revolution. An analysis of the constitution reveals that the main ideas and aspirations of the American war for independence were captured and embodied in the most important document on political governance ever written in the history of the United States.
The American revolution was not only a representation of the American peoples’ dissatisfaction with the British colonialists but it went further to demonstrate the unity of a people, despite being culturally diversified, a people driven by the common need to fulfill their dream of becoming one nation governed by one constitution. The revolution was driven by key ideals as emphasized and categorically stated by its chief architects.
Liberty and democracy were core calls in the revolution where the 13 colonies wished to be de-linked from the yokes of British repressive rule, these two ideals were seeking to ensure a conducive environment through which individuals could pursue personal freedoms and happiness. The declaration of independence authored by Thomas Jefferson prominently declared, “All men are created equal” and hence should be treated equally; this had formed the basis for the need to gain independence.
It was the call that would rally people behind a cause they believed was justified. The evolution gained momentum due to the conviction the architects of the war had in the fact that in the independent America, the virtues and ideals of liberty and democracy would be entrenched in governance. The no taxation without a representation call was a major issue that was used to rally the support of the Americans in the thirteen colonies.
In fact it is the ideology upon which the revolution was based and was emanating from the need to arm the citizens with political powers and to incorporate them in the policy making process as one of the founding fathers of America, Abraham Lincoln, said “government of the people by the people, for the people”. The American constitution, ratified and put into operation on March 1789, was a strong document that echoed the aspirations and ideals of the American Revolution. Although ratified almost 10 years after independence war, in all intent and purpose, went to a greater length in encompassing what the revolution had aspired to achieve.
Liberty and representation was key to the revolution, they were core to the constitution. In the revolution, people were advocating against the arbitrary decision making process of the colonists without out any prior consultation of the Americans. This was too captured in the constitution. People have a right to elect their leaders and have also within their rights, to change their leaders after a certain period of time. The government has no right of taxing its people if it fails guarantee them their rights to representation; the founding fathers of the nation recognized this and made sure it was embodied in the constitution.
A look at the revolution reveals how the search for liberty fuelled the American independence war. There was vehement opposition and a rising discontent in the way the British were treating the Americans. Political and individual liberties were limited; the right of the citizens to contribute in decision-making was curtailed. Liberty is captured and embraced thoroughly in the bill of rights. This was as a result of the amendments introduced in 1791 by an Act of the Congress. In this Bill of Rights, the citizens were to be assured of freedom of speech, press, assembly and religion among others such as a speedy trial.
This was necessitated by the federalist who had issued the inclusion of the guarantee of individual rights to be a precondition for the ratification of the constitution. The bill of rights was as a result of the efforts of James Madison and a culmination of the aspirations of the American Revolution. Analysis of the Bill of Rights and the provisions in the constitution reveals the complete pursuit o individual freedoms and the reduction of the role of government in the individual’s lives (http://www. liberty. tree. org. itn/making. of.constituon. html).
The American evolution to an extent was a revolt driven by opposition to the over bearing role the colonialist government had over many aspects of the American society, controlling both politics and economics. The constitution was espousing to ensure that Americans are free to pursue their own happiness the way they thought best. Some however, may argue that the constitution was a betrayal of the ideals of the constitution; it did not fulfill the aspirations of the American society but rather watered down the dream.
This however is not true. One issue raised in this is the discrimination meted out against some races. A look at the constitution demonstrates that the constitution had clear stipulations on the equality of all persons and races in America, the problem arose in that the practice of discrimination of the minorities had been deeply rooted and entrenched in the society and in no way was it to change overnight, the issue of discrimination was to be tackled later in the amendment and acts passed decades later.
All in all, the constitution to a greater extent strengthened and reinforced with strongly worded provisions, the ideals and aspirations of the American Revolution. The Bill of Rights clearly indicates this.
Work cited Merill Jensen, The making of the American constitution. Liberty Tree. Retrieved on 2/11/07 from http://www. liberty. tree. org. itn/making. of. constituon. html.