How did our Constitution come into being? Did our Framers mosey into an English-style Pub, order an adult beverage, and begin kicking some ideas around the table? Who inspired them? Today, social media has key influencers. Although our Framers of the Constitution did not have the internet, they had “influencers” whose ideas stood the test of time. These ideas eventually became a part of our Supreme Law of the Land (see Article VI). Let’s take a look.
The Framers’ Influencers
The Framers were widely read, studious citizens. They leaned upon historical and contemporary ideas about government -ideas that, when applied, worked.
For example, take Baron Charles Montesquieu from France, who reasoned that God is the author of all moral and physical laws, but humans are prone to go their own way, do their own thing, and depart from God’s laws. He proposed that the government’s job was to restrain the impulse to give a single leader unlimited power to avoid despotism. The government’s duty is to maintain order, not promote selfishness or lawlessness. To do otherwise leads to tyranny with a leader who exercises absolute power over the citizenry.
Montesquieu’s works influenced our Framers to divide power between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. This avoids merging all the power in one individual or a single department. Ultimately, the separation of powers leads to freedom.
John Locke was another influencer on American political theory. He reasoned that government was a contract with the people. He believed in natural rights—that all law ultimately must agree with the Creator’s law. Locke proposed that our rights to life, liberty, and property belong to us and are not gifted to us by our government.
William Blackstone wrote the “Commentaries on the Laws of England.” He contributed to the idea of judicial restraint. In other words, judges do not make law. Judges are to discover and apply the law from the laws of nature and nature’s God, laws of the land, and precedent. Judges are not to follow their own biases or preferences.
Additional Influences
The Framers had additional influences from the Bible, international philosophers, and non-Christian sources. In other words, they were well-rounded in their sources, forming our Constitution’s basis. Besides, they had the Articles of Confederation in operation. Still, the Articles were too loose, and the opportunity for chaos was too great with the possibility of future tyranny if they didn’t add more structure.
The Framers’ Main Contribution
So, the Constitution was written. Our Framers shaped a document and laid the foundation for a resilient Constitutional Republic that continues to inspire generations. Understanding their influencers helps us appreciate the enduring principles of our Constitution and the importance of our need for civic engagement today.
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