Mitchell Talbot Waite

Class Reflection

As I look back over the subjects and themes covered during this class, one single event
comes to mind as the most important and relevant moment in the American History discussion;
and that is none other than the drafting and signing of the United States Constitution.
Many events in American history could be regarded as the most significant or important
to todays world. For example, one could make the argument that Christopher Columbus
discovery of the New World is the catalyst of our history, which lead to the eventual
colonization of North America, then the Revolution, and then a new government based on
democracy and the rights of the individual man. Or, the same could be said for the American
Revolution itself, which lead to the new way of thinking about equal rights and who was
entitled to what. However, all of these events were very important aspects of the most
significant moment in American history, which was the creation of the United States
Constitution.
The Constitution was a major leap of faith by the people. It was the first real and honest
try at a representative government wherein the power of the people governs the decisions and
legislation. This idea did scare many Americans at the time and thus, it was such a great and
successful experiment to even attempt drafting such a document as this (160, Nash).
I think that Henry Steele Commager puts it perfectly when he wrote, The generation
that brought forth the Revolution and made the Constitution was politically the most inventive,
constructive and creative in modern history. Its signal achievement an achievement whose
magnitude grows upon us with the passing of time was to institutionalize principles and
theories that had long been entertained by historians and philosophers, but practiced rarely by
statesmen and never by kings. Thus the Americans took the principle that men make
government and institutionalized it into the constitutional convention a mechanism which
perfectly satisfied every logical requirement of that philosophical mandate, (174, McClellan).
Commager highlights an important point. That is that the ethos and principles in which
most men had believed throughout history were finally institutionalized and codified into a
practical and fully functioning constitution. Commager further explains how this is still affecting
us today as most political debates in this country are based around the Constitution.
Furthermore, the Constitution with the American Revolution immediately had an effect on
the rest of the world. For example, we examine the timing of the Haitian and French
Revolutions, which were largely inspired by the American Revolution. These two successful
revolutions were also accompanied by a constitution, which possessed such obvious similarities
to the US Constitution that it could only be assumed from where they were derived.
For example, it should not be considered a coincidence that these revolutions: the
American, French, Haitian, and Spanish Revolutions all occurred at the same time. For instance,
revolution prior to the 17
th
and 18
th
centuries never really reached a global scale; this was
for the reason that the aristocratic status quo remained largely in check. Each individual new
that elitism and prestige only came about through the ownership of land.
The aristocratic status quo began to corrode with the discovery of the New World.
Individuals who were once considered nominal citizens soon found themselves in
possession of land and property, as the European powers scrambled to colonize the Americas.
The Caribbean, American continent, and Central and South Americas gave rise to a new elite
group. All revolutions save the one in France were instigated by New-World elites with
ambitions for change. The American Revolution was the initiator of this change and the US
Constitution would serve as the catalyst for the further change in other parts of the world.
For example, when examining the constitutions that came about from the revolutions,
the commonalities become apparent. In the case of the United States Declaration of
Independence, the infamous first line reads We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal, and that each mans rights include Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness. The French constitution, which was the first of many more to come, echoes the
same ideologies. In Title I of the constitution it states that all citizens are admissible to offices
and employments, without other distinction than virtues and talents; additionally men are
given the freedom to speak, write, print and publish his opinions. The Haitian Revolution also
brought social change. The constitution of that nation states, There cannot exist slaves on this
territory, servitude is therein forever abolished. All men are born, live and die free and French.
So many constitutions today are byproducts of the one written in the United States at the
conclusion of the revolution.
The Constitution still permeates throughout our society today and governs our politics.
It is the primary topic of debate and serves as the anchor to the entire legislative system. Thus,
in my mind, the writing of the Constitution has to be the most relevant topic that was discussed
during this course.