What Do You Consider to be the Founding Document?

[tso-d_chris 0]

Remember, the DOI refers the the "united States of America," and not the "United States of America."

We were united in cause only.

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[tbrown 26]

There was an interesting explanation offered on a documentary about Lincoln's Gettysburg address. Up until the time of the Civil War, a time when people were more likely to say THESE United States than THE United States, the Declaration was always considered to be a list of grievances against King George, or the "Bill of Divorce" that's been mentioned here.

But when the Confederacy walked out and America was suffering through its bloodiest war, Lincoln chose to focus on the preamble and Jefferson's language of the Rousseauian Enlightenment, about things like life, liberty, and the pursuit of hapiness.

Philosophically, the Declaration is indeed out founding document, though it has no particular legal force. The supreme law of the land is the Constitution, with its Amendments.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[GTAVercetti 0]

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There was an interesting explanation offered on a documentary about Lincoln's Gettysburg address. Up until the time of the Civil War, a time when people were more likely to say THESE United States than THE United States, the Declaration was always considered to be a list of grievances against King George, or the "Bill of Divorce" that's been mentioned here.

But when the Confederacy walked out and America was suffering through its bloodiest war, Lincoln chose to focus on the preamble and Jefferson's language of the Rousseauian Enlightenment, about things like life, liberty, and the pursuit of hapiness.

Philosophically, the Declaration is indeed out founding document, though it has no particular legal force. The supreme law of the land is the Constitution, with its Amendments.

I am glad you said "philosophically"....

I would be more inclined to say that the DOI "got the ball rolling" towards founding rather than a founding document. Certainly, without the DOI, the Constitution would not have occured but it was not the document upon which our country was created. Indeed, those years betwen the DOI creation and the COnstitution, it could have gone in many directions.

As a similar situation:

Take Christianity. Martin Luther's 95 Theses was not a defintion of a new church but was instead a declaration of a break from the church because of greivances against it. No one can deny that his Theses sparked the protestant movement but they did not automatically created the many sects of protestants that came into being.

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[ReBirth 0]

Let no one question this man's understanding of history as it relates to this nation.

Very well put.

[tmontana 0]

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I was listening to the Sean Hannity Radio show the other day. He, Tony Snow and Will Press were discussing a few different issues and one thing they touched on, but didn't really get in-depth with was what they considered to be the founding document of the United States.

I'm surprised Sean Hannity didn't say it was the Ten Comandments

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[rehmwa 2]

I refuse to answer, there is neither a choice for the Lord of the Rings nor Dilbert.

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