Influences on the Constitution
James Madison, Baron de Montesquieu, the Magna Carta
Natural Law
In jurisprudence and political philosophy, a system of right or justice common to all humankind and derived from nature rather than from the rules of society, or positive law.
Top Influences
James Madison
The "Father of the Constitution" James Madison drafted most of the Constitution and was a key champion and author of the U.S Bill of Rights. He also created the Virginia plan which called for 3 branches of government as well as writing 29 of the 85 federalists papers. He was also the floor leader of the constitutional convention.
Baron de Montesquieu
Montesquieu believed that all things were made up of rules an laws that never changed. He argued that the best government would be one in which power was balanced among three groups of officials. Despite Montesquieu's belief in the principals of a democracy, he did not feel that all people were equal. Montesquieu approved of slavery. He also thought that women were weaker than men and that they had to obey the commands of their husband.
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a document forced onto the king of England by the feudal barons in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges. The charter was an important part of the historical process that led to rule of constitutional law in the English speaking world. The magna carta also placed the fabric for some rights that are present both in the magna carta and the U.S constitution. Such as the right to trial by jury, the due process of the law, and the right to private property.