The Constitution as an Artifact Essay Example
The Constitution as an Artifact Essay Example

The Constitution as an Artifact Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 5 (1133 words)
  • Published: September 12, 2018
  • Type: Essay
View Entire Sample
Text preview

Abstract This paper is an analysis of the single cultural artifact that best represents the culture in which I live in today. The paper will provide a detailed analysis of the artifact and how it relates to the values and beliefs of the culture. Additionally, it will address the deep cultural roots of the artifact, the historical roots of the artifact, what allowed it to come into being and who was affected by its development. This information will come as someone trained from the humanities. There are many great artifacts that represent the culture we're currently residing in.

However, as an American and someone trained in the humanities, I believe there is no better example of this than the actual Constitution of the United States. I will describe the artifact and analyze in detail how the artifact relates to the values

...

and beliefs of our culture as Americans. I will also investigate the deep cultural roots of the artifact and what cultural roots resulted in the creation of this marvelous item. Furthermore, I will address what cultural periods. Finally I will explain how this artifact will be pushed through the future generations and what evolutions may ccur to the artifact.

The United States Constitution is a document that has assumed the work as the framework for the establishment of the United States Government. It is a veritable representation of coordinated effort and statesmanship based on numerical representation by the people. The document was written on parchment paper in the 18th century and was officially adopted on September 17, 1987 by the constitutional convention in Philadelphia, PA (contitution Net, 2010). It was ratified by representative

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

of the people in the name of "The people. This document created he three branches of the government and gave those powers and responsibilities as well as established the individual powers allocated to each and a checks and balance system to ensure no branch became too powerful. The first ten amendments to the constitution were known as the bill of rights, which outlined the rights given to individuals that government is never allowed to take away (contitution Net, 2010). The constitution holds a central place in the United States law and political culture.

It is the Base for all law adjudication and could be amended to fit the cultural equirements of the day (Cottrol, 2010). However, the framers of the constitution did such an outstanding Job of setting the guidelines for law, that over an expanse of many years only 21 amendments have been added. The Hand-written document currently resides in on display at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington D. C. Why was the United States Constitution ever created? What cultural beliefs and values contributed to its creation?

It was created to establish national law to help guide interactions between the states. This represents cultural value of allowing veryone the freedoms that would otherwise be denied. It is very indicative of the culture of that time frame (contitution Net, 2010). People during its creation wanted freedom above all else and they put the nation before themselves. The idea of what's actually on the constitution it focuses more on what the government cannot do to you as opposed to what the government is allowed to do; with strict emphasis on the limitation of

power and power to the people.

Also, from the artifact you can gather that the people during this time period were heavily immersed in religion, lthough they did a great deal of work to ensure that the religious beliefs they had didn't go into the creation of the document which ensured rights of all people and their religions. From the document, one could also discern that the people of that age were tired of absolute rule (in their case the British) by the way they framed the constitution. People controlled the governments; those in positions were representatives of their individual states or regions.

During the inception of the constitution, you could tell that the framers were "fired up" based on their recent ictory against the British and wished to ensure that everyone had the same chances in the land of the free. Specifically, the framers wrapped their heads around the notion that every man is created equal and should have the same chances to excel as everyone else (Williamsburg Foundation, 2005). The constitutional creators also believed in limited government, as large government hindered the rights of the people and thus stifled innovation.

The roots of the constitution come from a largely pragmatic and realist base who wished to ensure that people in the future could odify the constitution as necessary. However, they would have to go through quite a bit of red-tape to do it. This would ensure nobodys rights were trampled and that everyone agreed on the change. It was a brilliant idea. Very few documents have ever lasted through the test of time such as the United States Constitution (Williamsburg Foundation, 2005). I

envision the United States Constitution standing through the next few generations.

However, currently it's under attack by the ever-growing socialist movement. The idea that government should control resources and people aren't mart enough to do it themselves (Phyllis Shayfay report, 2009) is a tenet of the extreme left movement. The "big brother" state is consistently assaulting the constitution; basing their beliefs on the fact they believe the government is equipped to handle all problems that are created. However, this is many years in the works, and it will likely not be realized in our time. Hopefully, our children are taught properly that innovation and excellence will allow you to succeed in this country.

The constitution represents that opportunity. It is an artifact that basically encompasses he cultural mindset of the pragmatist and realist with special emphasis on fairness. If it does survive the next few years, it will likely be amended by adding some new amendments regarding the electronic age we live in. Obviously, the framers of the constitution, as brilliant as they were, didn't know that we'd be so advanced. With the new environments of social interactions and crime, the constitution may face some inevitable changes. This is fine, as long as the original intent of the framers remains intact.

These laws, based on the right of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" hould remain in the constitution and should drive all lawmaking. The constitution remains the Physical beacon of Freedom in our country, and we would do well in giving this chance to our children. In conclusion, you can gain complete cultural awareness of the time frame of the much freedom and

cultural diversity are important to us, as Americans. We must embrace all cultures and allow ourselves the chance to be successful. The Constitution of the United States embodies these principles and our cultural heritage. References Contitution Net. (2010).

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New