American Revolution: Birth of a Nation & Its Constitution

The American Revolution: Birth of a Nation

The American Revolution was a conflict between thirteen British colonies in North America and Great Britain between 1775 and 1783. From this process, a new nation emerged. The new state that emerged from the revolution settled on a set of values and institutions inspired by liberal thought. According to them, at birth, anyone has a series of guaranteed natural, individual, and transferable rights: life, liberty, equality, property, the right to overthrow an unjust government, legal defense, and freedom of expression, association, and the press. These rights were enshrined early in the Declaration of Independence (Philadelphia, July 4, 1776), written by Thomas Jefferson, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights.

The First Continental Congress and the Virginia Declaration of Rights

In 1774, representatives of the thirteen colonies met in the First Continental Congress, which resulted in the drafting of a declaration of rights. In 1776, the Virginia Declaration of Rights was drafted, stating:

1. That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights.
2. That all power resides in the people and, consequently, is derived from them.
3. That the legislative and executive branches of the state should be separate and distinct from the judiciary.
4. That the election of members to serve as representatives of the people in the assembly ought to be free.

The US Constitution of 1787

The US Constitution of 1787 was the first constitution to incorporate the political principles of liberalism. It was inspired by the principles of equality and freedom that the Enlightenment defended. It established a republican and democratic system. The Preamble states:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Division of Powers and Form of Government

• Legislative Power: Congress
• Judicial Power: Supreme Court
• Executive Power: President

Form of Government: Federal Republic. A political system in which individual states have autonomy to govern themselves but with a common foreign policy, army, and constitution.

Separation of Powers in the Constitution

The Constitution establishes the principle of the separation of powers, whereby none can exercise powers belonging to another.

• Article One: Establishes the legislative power of the United States Congress, including the House of Representatives and the Senate.
• Article Two: Establishes the executive branch, powers, and duties of the President. The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States and of the Militia of the several States, ratify treaties, is required to file a report to Congress on the State of the Union every so often, and must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed," instructing all officials of the United States, including their Army and Foreign Service.
• Article Three: Describes the legal system (judiciary), including the Supreme Court. Congress, at its discretion, can create lower courts, whose judgments and orders can be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

Democracy and its Principles

Democracy postulates that if men are equal and if the origin of society is simply a contract, it is obvious that one can then assume the political power of the people's sovereignty, freedom, the written constitution, the supremacy of law, the division of powers, and federalism.