Our Constitutional Heritage Assignment Instructions

Short Paper: Our Constitutional Heritage Assignment Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to encourage you to research and
reflect on the historical tradition the Founding Fathers rooted themselves in
when writing our founding documents. The Founding Fathers did not invent
democracy; rather, they drew upon a long history of democratic thought dating
back to Ancient Greece. You’ll have the opportunity to explain the historical
influences on the American Founding in this assignment.
James
McClellan begins Liberty, Order, and Justice with
the following words: “The American Constitution is an evolutionary rather than
a revolutionary document.” For this paper, provide an explanation of that
statement. Discuss the historical traditions in which the American founders
grounded themselves.
Instructions
Your paper must address the following 4 major questions (McClellan
will help you on the first two questions, Lutz on question 3, and then both
authors will help you with question four):
1. What did the Greco-Roman
tradition contribute to the American constitutional system?
2. What did the English common-law
tradition contribute to the American constitutional system?
3. How did the American
constitutional system itself specifically develop from a covenant, to a
charter, to a constitutional system?
4. What are the specific, major
political ideas of the Founding Fathers as a consequence of being rooted in
this tradition?
Be sure to refer to the Magna
Carta, the English Bill of Rights, the Mayflower Compact, and the Fundamental
Order of Connecticut, among others, in your answer.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality
via the SafeAssign plagiarism tool.

Last Completed Projects