Christian Guerrero

Mr. Smiley
US History Period 3
12 September 2014
American Revolution/Constitution Essay
In the period between 1763 and 1789, the American colonies underwent two different
revolutions to overthrow existing governments that were centered on the Declaration of
Independence and the Constitution, respectively. Both revolutions had their reasons but the
American Revolution surrounding the Declaration of Independence is more in accordance to
what justifies a revolution than the Constitutional revolution.
It must first be established what justifies a revolution in order to determine which of the
revolutions in America is best justified. British philosopher John Locke, in his work Two
Treatises of Government, establishes the right of revolution and explains the reasons for
revolution that act as precedent for later revolutions. Under the Two Treatises of Government is
stated that whenever the Legislators endeavour to take away, and destroy the Property of the
People, or to reduce them to Slavery under Arbitrary Power, they put themselves into a state of
War with the People [and] whensoever therefore the Legislative shall transgress this
fundamental Rule of Society; and either by Ambition, Fear, Folly or Corruption, endeavour to
grasp themselves, or put into the hands of any other an Absolute Power over the Lives, Liberties,
and Estates of the People; By this breach of Trust they forfeit the Power, the People had put into
their hands, for quite contrary ends, and it devolves to the People, who have a Right to resume

their original Liberty (Locke). This is the epitome of the rationalization for revolution and is
repeated in other documents such as the Declaration of Independence which also explains in
great detail the criteria that justify a revolution. According to the Declaration, all men are created
equal and are given certain rights by their Creator which includes life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness and whenever a government attempts to take away these natural rights, the people
have the right to abolish such government and establish a new one that is based on these rights
(Jefferson). These two documents clearly define when a revolution is justified, and should be
used to identify which revolution in America was best justified.
The American Revolution centered on the Declaration of Independence, in which the
colonists separated from the British government, was justified as the situation the colonists were
in under the British rule met all the descriptions of when a revolution can be justified. On many
occasions under British rule the life, liberty, and property of the colonists were infringed. These
reasons can be easily found as they are specifically stated in the Declaration as a list of
grievances done by the British King and Parliament. These include the kings refusal to accept
laws for the good of the public created by the colonies, the refusal to allow colonial
representation in Parliament, the dissolving of colonial representative houses for opposing the
British invasions on the rights of the people, the refusal to provide trial by jury to colonists, and
many other examples (Jefferson). Some grievances that infringe on the right of life include the
kings actions of removing the colonists from the protection of Britain and waging was against
them, ravaging their coasts, plundering their seas, burning their towns, and destroying the lives
of the people, and the hiring of mercenaries to fight against the colonists (Jefferson). The cutting
off of trade with foreigners and the prevention of the population of the colonies by obstructing
naturalization laws, prevention of encouragement for migration to the colonies, and the

restriction of land appropriations interfere with the right to the pursuit of happiness of those
individuals looking for happiness and a better life in the colonies (Jefferson). Lastly, the King of
England and Parliament infringed the right to property by taxing colonists without consent or
representation and quartering troops in the property of colonists, among many others (Jefferson).
All of these abuses by the British government were destructive to the natural rights of the
colonists, giving the colonists the right and the duty to revolt against the tyrannical government
of the British Empire, which explains why the American Revolution centered on the Declaration
of Independence is the best justified revolution.
On the other hand, the revolution centered on the Constitution, which overthrew the
government under the Articles of Confederation with a new government, is not as justified as it
does not completely met the requirements for a just revolution. Rather than over throwing an
oppressive and tyrannical government that infringed on the life, liberty, property, and pursuit of
happiness of the people, the Constitutional revolution simple established a new government that
fixed the flaws in the previous government. The government under the Articles didnt take away
the natural rights of the people, but it did in a way fail to protect some of these rights. The central
government under the Articles had virtually no power and therefore could not practically create
and enforce laws to protect these rights. It could not raise a national army to protect the lives of
the people, it could not establish laws to protect the liberties and property of the people, and it
couldnt ensure the pursuit of happiness as it couldnt regulate trade and ensure domestic
tranquility. The grievances of the government under the Articles are never even stated in the
document that established the new government, but rather the Constitution simply sets the new
laws and regulations without justifying itself like the Declaration of Independence (Madison).
Despite the fact that some aspects of the Constitution better protected the rights of the people, the

previous national government did not purposely violate the principles of natural law, and
therefore the revolution that led to the Constitution was not as fully justified as the American
Revolution.
In breaking down the aspects that justify a revolution, one can identify the American
Revolution centered on the Declaration of Independence is better justified than the Constitutional
revolution due to the abusive actions of the preceding British government as compared to the
flawed but non-repressive government established by the Articles of Confederation.

Works Cited
Jefferson, Thomas. "The Declaration of Independence." Ushistory.org. N.p., 4 July 1995. Web.
11 Sept. 2014.
Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Edited by Peter Laslett. New York: Mentor Books,
New American Library, 1965.
Madison, James. The Constitution Founding.com. Claremont Institute, 2002. Web. 11 Sept.
2014