The Constitution gets detailed by dividing powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches each with their own roles—unlike the Declaration focusing on gripes against King George III. The difference between the Declaration of Independence vs. the Constitution is that the U.S. Constitution formed our federal government and set the laws of the land. The Declaration of Independence serves as a reminder of the American spirit of independence and the fight for freedom, while the Constitution outlines the system of government that has endured for over two centuries. At the National Constitution Center, you will find rare copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. These are the three most important documents in American history. But why are they important, and what are their similarities and differences? The United States of America is officially 248 years old as of July 2025, based on the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. On July 4, 1776, the United States officially declared its independence from the British Empire when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration was authored by a “Committee of Five”—John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman—with Jefferson as the main drafter. But Jefferson himself later admitted The Declaration of Independence, which oficially broke all political ties between the American colonies and Great Britain, set forth the ideas and principles behind a just and fair government, and the Constitution outlined how this government would function. After Independence, the Declaration remained as a statement of America’s natural law ideals. The Constitution was adopted to move American positive law closer to those ideals. The Constitution did this in at least two principal ways: by imposing procedures designed to produce better results. Compare the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Learn about their purposes, content, and roles in shaping American governance. This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and Thomas Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists, focusing on the separation of politics and religion. The essay explores the historical context, including the influence of religious governance and the Founding Fathers' emphasis on safeguarding citizens' rights. It highlights how these Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling and punctuation reflects the original. Comparison Paper: The U.S Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists The U.S Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Thomas Jefferson's Letter to Danbury Baptists are three very important documents in our history. The Declaration of Independence (created in 1776) was an historically important document that expressed the United States independence from Great Britain, and the Constitution (created in 1787) was designed to help establish the government of the United States. The Declaration of Independence was written by the young Thomas Jefferson in 1776 when the people of America went to war against the invading armies of Britain. Britain had colonized America under the rule of King George III. It was a revolutionary document written at revolutionary times. The Constitution and Declaration of Independence are both foundational documents in American history, but they serve different purposes. The Declaration of Independence, written in 1776, declared the colonies' independence from British rule and outlined the principles of liberty and equality that the new nation would be founded upon. Interconnected and interdependent, the Declaration of Independence, U.S Constitution, and Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists are indispensable and unprecedented documents that not only pertain to the establishment of the American federal government, but also promoted patriotism among the American people. To be able to compare the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, and the Letter to the Danbury Baptists, we must first be able to understand what they each represent. The biggest difference these documents have is that the Declaration of Independence was designed to break away from a government and the U. Constitution was designed to establish one. This lesson builds student understanding of the relationships between the United States’ founding documents by comparing and contrasting the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Using a close reading guide, students will explore the key concepts in Jefrey Rosen and David Rubenstein’s “Constituting Liberty: From the Declaration to the Bill of Rights The text in the second column is approximately that reported by the committee to Congress, and is taken from Jefferson's rough draft. The text in the third column is from the engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence.
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