Comparison of the Most Famous and Influential Documents in the History of U.S.

George Washington vs John Dickinson (Jay’s Treaty vs Articles of Confederation)

Jay’s treaty is very important because it helped lessen the intensity of the problems between the United States and Great Britain. This treaty helped to establish a foundation for America to build a steady economy and reassure it’s future prosperity. Since the British agreed to remove troops they came to a deal with the U.S to establish a commission for the debts owed to the U.S. As far as trade, the British agreed to open ports for the U.S mostly in the British East Indies. While many feared this treaty gave too much power to Great Britain since it prevented the start of another war people became okay with it and it presented more economical growth. The Articles of Confederation were the first written Constitution of the United States. They gave Congress the authority to make treaties, form alliances, maintained armed forces, and coin money. Before the articles, each state was for themselves making them all different from the next. This document provided clearly written rules and a basis for a stronger constitution in the future. While the articles lacked the ability to tax and regulate commerce it was the first step in the right direction for the United States. Ultimately, Jay’ treaty was more important in American History. While the articles of Confederation were very important to Americans as far as establishing a government it helped. But since the articles were very weak and dissolved years later they were not that useful because of many key factors that were missing. Jay’s treaty helped to bring money into the United States this helping the economy grow. This document assured commercial prosperity for the newly found country.

Thomas Jefferson vs James Madison (Declaration of Independence vs Constitution)

The Declaration of Independence was a list of grievances to Great Britain and its king. It explained why the 13 colonies in the U.S. wanted to be independent and sovereign states no longer under British control. This declaration helped take the first steps in the right direction of forming the United States without the help of Great Britain. This document helped increase foreign assistance from France to also gain independence. By stating important ideas such as liberty and equality the colonist really gravitated toward this new idea of being separated from Great Britain. The need for the Constitution came from the weak governing system of the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was the first document to present the 3 branch system along with checks and balances to ensure no one branch had more power than the other. It also created a government that some of the power back in the hands of the people so they were able to have a say in what was going on. It also divided the power of the states and federal governments, so states were individually able to control minor problems that would only affect them. Lastly, the Constitution outlined many rights and freedoms of the people. Conclusively, the Declaration of Independence spurred the writing of the Constitution. Since the Declaration came first it put the initial idea into people's heads to become their own country. While it only stated reasons why to become its own country and not the government plan itself the Constitution proved to be more important. The Constitution became the basis for the American government with policies that are still used up to this day. Without the Constitution, America would probably not be able to function properly because everyone would want to have their own form of government.

Benjamin Franklin vs John Adams (Albany Plan of the Union vs. Massachusetts Constitution of 1780)

In Benjamin Franklin’s Albany Plan, his initial plan was to create a unified government for the 13 colonies. This plan represented one of the early attempts to form a unified government for national defense and other general important purposes. This plan also illustrated the importance of a unified government that would help regulate colonial-Indian relations and resolve territorial disputes between the colonies. This plan also how the government to levy taxes for its own support. The Massachusetts Constitution served as a model for the United States Constitution. Since it was the first Constitution to be put together by a convention it set the pace for the United States constitution and the conventions used to put it together. It also influenced the revisions to many other state constitutions because of how good it was in the state of Massachusetts. Ultimately, the document that is more important is the Albany Plan of the Union. This plan exemplified how the newly formed country needed a government that would help to give this country a strong foundation. By establishing the need to regulate economic problems and levy taxes it shows how they were trying to support their new country. As far as the Massachusetts Constitution, it did establish a foundation for the U.S Constitution but it was missing a lot of key components for it to be final which is why it is still changing until this day.

James Wilson vs John Quincy Adams (⅗ compromise vs United States vs The Amistad)

The ⅗ Compromise allowed every five slaves to be counted as three people for taxation purposes. Since slaves were perceived as property they did want to have pay for them as people. This allowed the Southern states to have more electoral power than they would if they had completely ignored all slaves. With the South gaining representative seats, it gave the South an opportunity to gain more political power because the North had a larger population. This document allowed slavery to expand causing Native Americans to be removed from their lands. The United States vs Amistad case was a result of the rebellious actions of Africans on a Spanish ship. The Africans on the ship had been captured from their home, illegally sold into slavery, shipped to Cuba, escaped, then took over the ship. In 1840, the federal district court found that the transport of kidnapped Africans was in violation of the laws and accepted treaties against the international slave trade in many countries. In the end, the Africans were allowed to take any necessary legal measures to obtain their freedom. John Quincy Adams spoke on behalf of the Africans, saying that they were at peace with the United States at not at fault in this situation allowing them to be able to go back to Africa. In conclusion, the United States vs Amistad is more important to the U.S structural history. Although slavery at the time was important to the economy some believed slavery was a sin. This court case helped open the eyes of some people to show them that the Africans they were enslaving are people too. As for the ⅗ Compromise, it did the opposite of this case. It showed how people did not think of slaves as humans thus showing America was not moving in the right direction to end slavery.

Abraham Lincoln vs John Brown (Emancipation Proclamation vs Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry)

The Emancipation Proclamation was one of the first documents to free slaves in 10 states during the Civil war. This freed the slaves that were still fighting in the Civil War. This document was one of the first strong demonstrations of the president’s executive power before many presidents had not attempted this tactic but Abraham Lincoln justified his reason for emancipating the slave was fit and necessary for was measure. This document helped pave the way for African-American’s and start their way to freedom. While the proclamation only freed slaves in the rebellious states towards the end of the war some citizens were beginning to advocate and accept abolitionism for all slaves in the north and the south. Without this document, slaves my not have received their freedom until many years later down the road. The main goal of John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry was to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery entirely. Brown hoped that the local slave population would have joined in and as they became more successful they would find more weapons and win the fight. Brown originally stayed at the local arsenal to try and obtain guns and keep some slaves hostage but by morning his raid was surrounded by the marines. The soldiers overran Brown and his followers and 10 of his men were killed including two of his sons. In the end, this raid was unsuccessful because slavery still went on years afterward. Between these two documents, the Emancipation Proclamation was far more important than Brown’s raid. While Brown attempted to end slavery, he did not succeed with his radical idea of storming and arsenal and keeping slaves hostage. He did not free nearly as many slaves he hoped to free and many people told him that his plan was not going to work. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t free all the slaves it freed way more slaves than Brown’s attempt. The proclamation eventually led to the abolition of slavery in the United States which was ultimately the goal.

John O’Sullivan vs Andrew Jackson (Manifest Destiny vs Indian Removal Act)

Manifest Destiny was a phrase that many people in the 1840s believed in at the time. Advocates believed that God’s ultimate plan was to move west and expand its dominion and spread capitalism across the entire continent. Without Manifest Destiny, the U.S probably would not have extended farther than the Mississippi River. Also at this time, many Indians were still living in the west and the people wanting to expand found them to be a hindrance in their new endeavor. Their main goal with Manifest Destiny was to expand west and bring the U.S. government to the unenlightened people in those areas. The Indian Removal Act was put in to effect under Andrew Jackson to try and get souther Native American tribes for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for white settlement of their ancestral lands.

George Washington vs John Dickinson (Jay’s Treaty vs Articles of Confederation)

Jay’s treaty is very important because it helped lessen the intensity of the problems between the United States and Great Britain. This treaty helped to establish a foundation for America to build a steady economy and reassure it’s future prosperity. Since the British agreed to remove troops they came to a deal with the U.S to establish a commission for the debts owed to the U.S. As far as trade, the British agreed to open ports for the U.S mostly in the British East Indies. While many feared this treaty gave too much power to Great Britain since it prevented the start of another war people became okay with it and it presented more economical growth. The Articles of Confederation were the first written Constitution of the United States. They gave Congress the authority to make treaties, form alliances, maintained armed forces, and coin money. Before the articles, each state was for themselves making them all different from the next. This document provided clearly written rules and a basis for a stronger constitution in the future. While the articles lacked the ability to tax and regulate commerce it was the first step in the right direction for the United States. Ultimately, Jay’ treaty was more important in American History. While the articles of Confederation were very important to Americans as far as establishing a government it helped. But since the articles were very weak and dissolved years later they were not that useful because of many key factors that were missing. Jay’s treaty helped to bring money into the United States this helping the economy grow. This document assured commercial prosperity for the newly found country.

Thomas Jefferson vs James Madison (Declaration of Independence vs Constitution)

The Declaration of Independence was a list of grievances to Great Britain and its king. It explained why the 13 colonies in the U.S. wanted to be independent and sovereign states no longer under British control. This declaration helped take the first steps in the right direction of forming the United States without the help of Great Britain. This document helped increase foreign assistance from France to also gain independence. By stating important ideas such as liberty and equality the colonist really gravitated toward this new idea of being separated from Great Britain. The need for the Constitution came from the weak governing system of the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was the first document to present the 3 branch system along with checks and balances to ensure no one branch had more power than the other. It also created a government that some of the power back in the hands of the people so they were able to have a say in what was going on. It also divided the power of the states and federal governments, so states were individually able to control minor problems that would only affect them. Lastly, the Constitution outlined many rights and freedoms of the people. Conclusively, the Declaration of Independence spurred the writing of the Constitution. Since the Declaration came first it put the initial idea into people's heads to become their own country. While it only stated reasons why to become its own country and not the government plan itself the Constitution proved to be more important. The Constitution became the basis for the American government with policies that are still used up to this day. Without the Constitution, America would probably not be able to function properly because everyone would want to have their own form of government.

Benjamin Franklin vs John Adams (Albany Plan of the Union vs. Massachusetts Constitution of 1780)

In Benjamin Franklin’s Albany Plan, his initial plan was to create a unified government for the 13 colonies. This plan represented one of the early attempts to form a unified government for national defense and other general important purposes. This plan also illustrated the importance of a unified government that would help regulate colonial-Indian relations and resolve territorial disputes between the colonies. This plan also how the government to levy taxes for its own support. The Massachusetts Constitution served as a model for the United States Constitution. Since it was the first Constitution to be put together by a convention it set the pace for the United States constitution and the conventions used to put it together. It also influenced the revisions to many other state constitutions because of how good it was in the state of Massachusetts. Ultimately, the document that is more important is the Albany Plan of the Union. This plan exemplified how the newly formed country needed a government that would help to give this country a strong foundation. By establishing the need to regulate economic problems and levy taxes it shows how they were trying to support their new country. As far as the Massachusetts Constitution, it did establish a foundation for the U.S Constitution but it was missing a lot of key components for it to be final which is why it is still changing until this day.

James Wilson vs John Quincy Adams (⅗ compromise vs United States vs The Amistad)

The ⅗ Compromise allowed every five slaves to be counted as three people for taxation purposes. Since slaves were perceived as property they did want to have pay for them as people. This allowed the Southern states to have more electoral power than they would if they had completely ignored all slaves. With the South gaining representative seats, it gave the South an opportunity to gain more political power because the North had a larger population. This document allowed slavery to expand causing Native Americans to be removed from their lands. The United States vs Amistad case was a result of the rebellious actions of Africans on a Spanish ship. The Africans on the ship had been captured from their home, illegally sold into slavery, shipped to Cuba, escaped, then took over the ship. In 1840, the federal district court found that the transport of kidnapped Africans was in violation of the laws and accepted treaties against the international slave trade in many countries. In the end, the Africans were allowed to take any necessary legal measures to obtain their freedom. John Quincy Adams spoke on behalf of the Africans, saying that they were at peace with the United States at not at fault in this situation allowing them to be able to go back to Africa. In conclusion, the United States vs Amistad is more important to the U.S structural history. Although slavery at the time was important to the economy some believed slavery was a sin. This court case helped open the eyes of some people to show them that the Africans they were enslaving are people too. As for the ⅗ Compromise, it did the opposite of this case. It showed how people did not think of slaves as humans thus showing America was not moving in the right direction to end slavery.

Abraham Lincoln vs John Brown (Emancipation Proclamation vs Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry)

The Emancipation Proclamation was one of the first documents to free slaves in 10 states during the Civil war. This freed the slaves that were still fighting in the Civil War. This document was one of the first strong demonstrations of the president’s executive power before many presidents had not attempted this tactic but Abraham Lincoln justified his reason for emancipating the slave was fit and necessary for was measure. This document helped pave the way for African-American’s and start their way to freedom. While the proclamation only freed slaves in the rebellious states towards the end of the war some citizens were beginning to advocate and accept abolitionism for all slaves in the north and the south. Without this document, slaves my not have received their freedom until many years later down the road. The main goal of John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry was to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery entirely. Brown hoped that the local slave population would have joined in and as they became more successful they would find more weapons and win the fight. Brown originally stayed at the local arsenal to try and obtain guns and keep some slaves hostage but by morning his raid was surrounded by the marines. The soldiers overran Brown and his followers and 10 of his men were killed including two of his sons. In the end, this raid was unsuccessful because slavery still went on years afterward. Between these two documents, the Emancipation Proclamation was far more important than Brown’s raid. While Brown attempted to end slavery, he did not succeed with his radical idea of storming and arsenal and keeping slaves hostage. He did not free nearly as many slaves he hoped to free and many people told him that his plan was not going to work. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t free all the slaves it freed way more slaves than Brown’s attempt. The proclamation eventually led to the abolition of slavery in the United States which was ultimately the goal.

John O’Sullivan vs Andrew Jackson (Manifest Destiny vs Indian Removal Act)

Manifest Destiny was a phrase that many people in the 1840s believed in at the time. Advocates believed that God’s ultimate plan was to move west and expand its dominion and spread capitalism across the entire continent. Without Manifest Destiny, the U.S probably would not have extended farther than the Mississippi River. Also at this time, many Indians were still living in the west and the people wanting to expand found them to be a hindrance in their new endeavor. Their main goal with Manifest Destiny was to expand west and bring the U.S. government to the unenlightened people in those areas. The Indian Removal Act was put in to effect under Andrew Jackson to try and get souther Native American tribes for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for white settlement of their ancestral lands.