Analysis essay pertaining to the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and The Civil Rights Act.

Essay by murf3030University, Bachelor'sA-, August 2002

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In this paper I have chosen three historical documents that have played a role in defining significant issues in American history. The three articles are: The Declaration of Independence, written July 4th, 1776 by Thomas Jefferson, The Bill of Rights, December 15, 1791, and The Civil Rights Act passed on July 2, 1964. I will attempt to define the issues portrayed in each document and whether or not the understanding of the issue remains the same today or has changed.

The Declaration of Independence was originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson and officially adopted on July 4, 1976. The issue at hand was the desire of the American colonies to obtain independence from the British Empire. In this document, the thirteen colonies established the desires of equality, life, liberty and happiness. They believed the only way to do so was by separating

themselves from the King. Once the Revolutionary War ended, the newly freed colonists could do whatever they wanted.

This gave way to the organization of a new government.

The government that was created continued to develop into the government that we have today. The Declaration of Independence created a basis in which the American government is founded. Without this declaration, the United States would not exist as it does today. This document started a movement towards independence and other countries around the world got ideas from this. I believe that this document till to this day expresses the ideas in the hearts and minds of the American people. Thomas Jefferson outlined four universal truths that the colonists and American people have in common: equality, life, liberty and happiness.

The next document to be discussed is The Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights came about due to pressures to amend the constitution in order to define individual liberties and...