UNITED STATES

CONSTITUATION
Natasha Spinney
Southern New Hampshire University

(The Great Debate, (n.d.))

Historical Lenses and History’s Value

 History is the story of how the present came into existence

based on events that happened in the past. Historians will
use primary, secondary and tertiary sources to study these
events.
 Historians will approach topics in history from different
perspectives also known as looking through different
lenses. There are several lenses, however, three basic
lenses are social, political and economic.
My Topic
■ Drafting of the U.S. Constitution
■ What events in history lead James Madison to create a plan and George Washington
to officially modify it and declare it the U.S. Constitution?

(2019)
Three Historical Lenses

■ Social
Lens
■ Political
Lens
■ Economic
Lens
(Pendefender, 2018)
Social Lens
■ The essays that made up The Federalist was a large debate over redoing the
government to bridge the separation between the National Government and the
States.

Political
■ The United States Constitution was written due to the separate powers of the States
and the National Government.

Economic Lens
■ Part of unifying the government and making it one, meant there would be a cost, at
the time of writing the Constitution there was nothing funding the government.
Historical Narrative

■ Originally written on Why the Constitution was

written.
■ Focuses on a Political/Social Lens
■ Economic lens would focus on funding
Our Lives
■ Past mistakes in History make up the lives today
■ People that vote towards keeping the Second Amendment and people that vote
against it
■ New Presidential Election and voters making sound political judgments based on
their knowledge of the History in the United States.
History’s Value

■ History is a way to provide solutions to the present-day problems.

■ History influences the world, culture, and community we live in today.
■ Themes that have happened in history today, can be addressed using what was
learned from the past.
Does History Repeat Itself?
■ Opinion:
– I believe that through historical events, people learn and implement important rules,
regulations and laws to prevent history from repeating itself. With that said, it’s unlikely
that history will repeat itself, but more likely that themes in history will reappear in
present day debates or discussions.
■ Evidence:
– The Right to Bear Arms for example: with the rise of the mass shootings, Americans are
questioning if the Right to Bear Arms should be a part of the American Law. History is
not repeating itself, it is more that History is being discussed.

(PBS NewsHour, 2016)

Are Citizens Obligated to Know History?
■ As a United States citizen, it is my responsibility to understand and know the history
behind my country to ensure my actions do not allow for History to repeat itself.
Knowing the laws is important in keeping society, myself and my country safe. It is
also important to know and understand History because this attributes to the voting
system the United States has in place. To make a sound and responsible decision on
a Presidential candidate, one must know the History of the U.S. to vote for the
President who would not allow past events from occurring again.

(Carstensen, Jens 2017)

Reference
Carstensen, Jens (2017). 12 Fun Facts About the U.S. Flag. Retrieved from https://mentalfloss.com/article/50913/12-fun-facts-about-
us-flag

Meyerson, M. (2009). Liberty’s Blueprint : How Madison and Hamilton Wrote the Federalist Papers, Defined the Constitution, and Made
Democracy Safe for the World. New York, N.Y.: Basic Books. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-
com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=286531&site=eds-live&scope=site

PBS NewsHour. (2016, January 5). Watch President Obama Announce Gun Control Initiatives at White House. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IUVJCRfNS8

Pendefender. (2018, June 19). What is a Historical Lens. Retrieved form https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSMNvpkbnpY

Taylor, Q. P. (2002). Publius and Persuasion: Rhetorical Readings of The Federalist Papers. Political Science Reviewer, 31, 236.
Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ahl&AN=7387324&site=ehost-
live&scope=site

The Great Debate. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-articles-of-confederation/the-great-debate/.

US Constitution Fast Facts. (2019, October 2). Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/us/u-s-constitution-fast-

facts/index.html.