Balance Of Rights

Words: 845
Pages: 4

One of the most difficult tasks appointed to those in control of government is to find a balance between protecting the rights of individuals, and forming a Union that will remain strong through the test of time. This was no different during the formation of the American government we know today. When America was first struggling to find its independence, and form a government stronger than the one it had left behind, several famous documents were written to help find that balance of rights and government power. Three of these documents are The Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution, and The Federalist No. 10. Each of these documents attempt to balance the rights of individuals with building a strong Union by declaring …show more content…
The author, Thomas Jefferson, declared within the first ten lines of his document what exactly the rights of an individual are, stating, “We hold these truths to be self-evident:-That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Jefferson spends the rest of the document listing how the current King of Great Britain had abused his citizens’ right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A few lines from this section read, “He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection, and waging war against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people…” By writing this document, Jefferson attempted to protect the rights of American citizens, while also leading them towards a stronger from of government, a Union that would not crumble under the power of …show more content…
Constitution. This document was divided into two sections: the Preamble, and the Bill of Rights. 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 defence, 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.” This sentence means that the Constitution would attempt to form a stronger, more perfect Union, while also protecting the rights of its people. This theme continues in the Bill of Rights, where the Ten Amendments are listed. Each of the Amendments were written for the sole purpose of protecting individual rights, while keeping the government controlled yet strong. The Third Amendment, for instance, reads, “No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without consent of the Owner…” This protects an American’s right to domestic tranquility, while keeping the Union from becoming tyrannous. The entire U.S. Constitution was designed around the idea that individual rights needed to be protected, and that a strong Union needed to be formed to govern those