Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution - Research Paper Example

Constitution. The U.S. constitution was finalized on July 4th 1776 and was drafted by Thomas Jefferson. A significant portion of the Declaration, pointed at the tyranny of King George III, and his refusal to grant the right of self-governance to the Americans. This was used as a base / foundation for the formation of the Constitution. Due care was taken to ensure that the setbacks and abuses faced during the rule of King George III were prevented. This was done by including provisions that ensured the protection of basic human rights, a right which was denied during the reign of the King. . The new constitution guaranteed a basic set of rules in the interest of the nation, which included the protection of liberty of the people; and the right to democracy i.e. the dispersion of power which was initially concentrated in the hands of a few.

This rule was included specifically, in response to the tyranny experienced by the colonists, during the reign of King George III when the power was highly concentrated and the common man hardly had a say in matters important to them. The colonists had experienced severe setbacks under the reign of the King, which was mainly on account of his atrocious laws and a total disregard for the well being of the Americans. There was a severe lack of ethics in the laws formed under the King’s rule, which hindered the progress and development of not only individuals but of the nation as a whole.

Hence, the key emphasis during the formation of the new constitution was to include principles of ethics and morality, in order for the laws to be fair and just. The basic concepts of self-government and a basic respect for the individual are the key laws, which were proposed and included in the new U.S. Constitution and can be considered as intrinsically ethical in nature. Furthermore, various religious ethics such as the Judaeo-Christian ethics and political ethics also formed a significant part of the new constitution.

The constitution provided for equality among all, its people, a rule which is the foundation of social ethics. The social contract theories propagate the formation of equitable social living arrangements for all. The abolishment of dictatorship and the advocacy of self-government, is also a distinguishing force, which represents a highly ethical view, which is