June 29, 2023

Melissa Joseph

US Constitution, chapter 2

Week 1A, Blog 2

The Constitution on Slavery, Freedom, and The Great Compromise

During the development of the Constitution, the conflicts between delegates kept growing their disagreements concerning the authority the Central government might have if they all agreed to be present to revise the Article of Confederation. I would say even though the delegates were ready to be freed from Britain’s rule they wanted to keep their authority to govern themselves as well. Their disagreement about which state is more populous, and small states fear that their value will be undermined. The idea of the meeting was to create a society of law and order, so they had to work together collectively or become independent of the will of the national government.

            Most of the delegates were seeking to protect the rights of individuals from government abuse by giving political rights to all freemen, while others contradict the idea that freedom is what caused the Shay rebellion. The delegate’s concerns about slavery created division,  the north abolished slavery while representatives from the South did not abolish slavery, and feared that the others might try to outlaw the Constitution. Which should not even be a debate if the Constitution protects the rights of all individuals to form a new nation. Thus, a free nation and slavery abolished from all parts is the best way to accomplish it. For this reason, I believe the election of George Washington as the president of the convention was a way to abolish slavery for the last time.

             The state’s disagreement fundamentally compromised the Constitution’s idea of building the United States. Pennsylvania law to gradually abolish slavery, all people born in the states to enslaved mothers would become indentured servants to be set free at the age of twenty- eight. These laws only show the idea of promoting individual rights was not supported by those who were not willing to lose their main resource and guaranteed profit which is enslaved people. This will be proven further in the Tree- Fifths Compromise. Different propositions were made to include enslaved people in the Constitution as part of the population. 5 citizens =5 votes 5 enslaved persons = 3 votes. I disagree with this proposition, more over article I postponed the abolition of the foreign slave trade until 1808, and in the interim, states in slave holding were allowed to import as many enslaved people as they wished. Furthermore, the Constitution placed no restrictions on the domestic slave trade, so residents of one state could still sell enslaved people to other states.

Blog 2 – Chapter 2

 Melissa Joseph

06/27/2023

US Constitution the road to Democracy

In this chapter, the Enlightenment and John Locke’s ideas of natural rights caught my attention for many reasons. The US Constitution was designed following the failure of the first revolutionary, therefore an absolute change was necessary to prevent history from repeating itself. First, John Locke’s political ideas that the “relationship between government and natural rights, which were believed to be God-given rights to life, liberty, and property”.  His idea adopted in the making of the constitution gave the people an opening to participate in their country’s politics, and understand that there should be a relationship between the government and the people and put and to monarchy.

This thinking diminishes the Monarch’s power, and the reign of only a successor can be a political figure. Eventually, the idea is that the King owns the land and the people the king can decide someone’s fate.  On the contrary, the king should be working with the people. The foundation of the Constitution was to bring all the states together to protect the country from the British. Evidently, their own disagreement, and the weakness found in the tax imposition, make the National government unstable and underfunded. The state’s official ideas are to protect their states, therefore they were not willing to cooperate or obey Government requests. In the drafting of the Articles the Confederation after the American Revolution they had freed themselves from the British abuse and were fighting for their right as citizens. Many of them were not satisfied and they were worried that a government representative elected by the people might become overbearing.  They wanted to be self-governing to protect themselves while together they will be stronger. However, the framers of the Articles of Confederation created an alliance of sovereign states that held them together.

This reading of the Us Constitution demonstrates how a group of strong-minded individuals were able to free themselves from Britain and Create a new nation based on human rights, and freedom. Even Though they had disagreements on the rule every state was protecting themselves they were able to Draft a Constitution so powerful and meaningful that 225 years later is being used, and rule the United States that we know now.

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June 26, 2023

Melissa Joseph

My goal for this semester is to pass the class, I am aiming for an A+ I would also be satisfied with an A or B+. This is my first blog I am nervous. I am a sophomore at KBCC, and this is the first class I am taking outside of Blackboard, however, I am optimistic. I will do my best to understand US politics and its constitution while learning these new techniques of learning. I plan to do the weekly blogs on their deadline, not after. I will find a way to use audio to listen to the chapters while reading this way I don’t get distracted.  I will do most of the reading at night when it’s quiet at home, for the assignment I choose, What’s your problem, Film review, Community Resource, Meme, and Selfie with George, I am undecided about the Museum assignment.  I overthink everything, so I will try to keep up I do not want to get overwhelmed and drop the class midterm. I am excited about this adventure