Constitutional Timeline

The creation of the U. S. Constitution was not as easily done as some people would think. As with most things done in life, people learn by trial and error. There are many documents that are of great significance that attributed to the creation of the U.S Constitution. The five documents or events that helped with the creation of the United States Constitution was the Magna Carta (1215), the Mayflower Compact (1620), the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Articles of Confederation (1777), and the Federalist Papers (1787-1788). Going in order, I will begin with the Magna Carta (1215). According to the NEH, “the Magna Carta served to lay the foundation for the evolution of parliamentary government and subsequent declarations of rights in Great Britain and the United States.” The Magna Carta defends the “dew process” of the law; everyone has legal rights that the states to follow. “Near the completion of the 13th century, the Magna Carta contributed to the support of the idea of a “higher law,” one that could not be modified by executive mandate or legislative acts,” (NEH, 1996). The notion helped to enfold toward the Supremacy clause of the United States Constitution and enforced by the Supreme Court. This was only the beginning to the making of the Constitution. The second document was the Mayflower Compact (1620), and it was the “scaffold to the Plymouth colony. Being that this document was convenient where by the settlers would subordinate their rights to follow laws passed by the government to ensure protection and survival made it a unique document,” (Martin, 2012). The Mayflower Compact helped the founding fathers while they created the U.S. Constitution. The colonies had to find some way to break from the hold that King George III had on them because he was still in control of everything. Thirdly, is the Declaration of Independence (1776), and it has great significance to the American people because King George III had control of everything and it was time for the American people to claim their independence. “The Declaration of Independence justified our right to revolt against a government that no longer guaranteed us our national rights, and it helped us to get increased foreign assistance from France in our fight to become free from King George III of England,” (Feldman, 2010-2012). The colonist came up with what was important for man to have, and what they believed man should have is equality and liberty. King George did not allow them to have their own thought process and the colonist pulled together to try and create a new beginning, they knew what their New America should have and they worked hard to maintain what they thought would make a strong country. The forth document, I will discuss is the Articles of Confederation (1777), and it played an important role in the creation of the United States Constitution. “Through the first American government was intentionally weak, it institutionalized the idea of a federal republic. It held the states together until Americans were ready for a stronger union,” (Murphy, 2011). The Articles of Confederation were good for only 13 colonies, they learned from their mistakes and by coming up with the Articles of Confederation they got things going to help make America what it is today. Last but not least was the Federalist Papers (1787-1788), and the Federalist Papers were a series of eighty-five essays advising the citizens of New York to approve the New United States Constitution. “Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, these essays first appeared unidentified in New York in 1787 and 1788 under the pen name “Publius,” the three authors provided the most precise and extensive interpretation of the Constitution as well as explained the motives of the Founding Fathers,” (Anderson, 2010). These essays helped the founding fathers to understand and to know what the new world or America would need to stand alone without other countries trying to rule it from afar. The Federalist Papers was the beginning of a terrific Constitution. In closing, there was a lot of work that went into the creation of the United States Constitution. Had it not been for the brave Americans that produced the Constitution there is no telling what America would have become. All five of these documents helped to establish the Constitution to what it is.

References
Anderson, K. (30 July 2010). The Federalist Papers. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from http://www.probe.org/site/c.fd.KEIMINsEoG/b.4420793/k.681D/The_Federalist_Paper.htm
Feldman, B.J. (2010-2012). The significance of the Declaration of Independence. Surfnetkids. Retrieved May 18, 2012, from http://www.Independencedayfun.com/230/the-signifiance-of-the-declaration-of-independence
Kelly, M. (2012). Mayflower Compact foundation of the Constitution. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from http://www.americanhistory.about.com/od/colonialamerica/a/may_compact.htm
Murphy, D. P. (2011). The Articles of Confederation. Retrieved May 18, 2012, from http://www.netplaces.com/american-revolution/the-politics-of-war/the-articles-of-confederation.htm
National Endowment for the Humanities. (1996). Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from http://www.edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/magna-carta-cornerstone-us-constitution

References: Anderson, K. (30 July 2010). The Federalist Papers. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from http://www.probe.org/site/c.fd.KEIMINsEoG/b.4420793/k.681D/The_Federalist_Paper.htm Feldman, B.J. (2010-2012). The significance of the Declaration of Independence. Surfnetkids. Retrieved May 18, 2012, from http://www.Independencedayfun.com/230/the-signifiance-of-the-declaration-of-independence Kelly, M. (2012). Mayflower Compact foundation of the Constitution. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from http://www.americanhistory.about.com/od/colonialamerica/a/may_compact.htm Murphy, D. P. (2011). The Articles of Confederation. Retrieved May 18, 2012, from http://www.netplaces.com/american-revolution/the-politics-of-war/the-articles-of-confederation.htm National Endowment for the Humanities. (1996). Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from http://www.edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/magna-carta-cornerstone-us-constitution