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. They each contribute to the
freedoms we were given in the United States as well as creating the foundation for our
government. The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 by 56 members of the
Continental Congress in Pennsylvania and laid out the principles that our government is based
on. The U.S Constitution was signed in 1778 by 39 delegates of the Constitutional Convention
in Pennsylvania which established the three chief branches of the Federal Government creating a
system of checks and balances. Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptist was sent in
1802 as a response to a letter they had sent him stating how they were upset with the Connecticut
Federalist Government’s religious oppression, which became infamous for his use of the phrase
“a wall of separation between Church and State”. Though all three documents are very different
in nature, they all share the common thread of protecting individual’s rights and freedoms.
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin
Franklin, John Adams, Robert Sheman, and Robert R. Livingston. They created this document to inform
Great Britain that they would be leaving their Nation to create their own. In the declaration, they define
the rights of the people, list their grievances against the king, and define a tyrant. The Declaration of
Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness.” (Jefferson, 1776). This means that from birth we are given the right to life, the
right to be free, and the right to property. The Declaration of Independence was a turning point in
political history because it was the first formal document created by the nation’s people declaring their
right to choose their government.
The U.S. Constitution
The main authors of the U.S. Constitution were James Madison, Alexander Hamilton,
and John Jay. It was the foundation for the U.S. Federal Government to establish the three
branches of the government (legislative, executive, and judicial). This set the motion of check-
and-balances, limited government, and federalism into place. The U.S. Constitution states;
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general
Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (National Archives, 1787)
This statement known as the preamble means that as a country we will create peace
within our country, protect our nation from attacks, support the well-being of our people, and
ensure that we will forever have the freedom to create a better country.
The Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights, created by James Madison, was the first ten amendments added to the
U.S. Constitution to protect people’s freedoms from the government ensuring that they didn’t
have too much power. Most notable is the First Amendment which protects people's rights to
speech, press, assembly, and religion. This was the first time the concept of the separation of
church and state was mentioned. It protects one’s religious beliefs and practices so that the
government can’t favor one specific religion.
Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Republic
The letter Thomas Jefferson sent to the Danbury Baptist was a response to a letter the Danbury
Baptist had sent him regarding their unhappiness with the Connecticut State Constitution because they
felt that their ability to practice religion outside of what the state was pushing for them to practice was
a “favor” rather than an inalienable right. They had hoped that he would give his support to their cause.
Jefferson had then responded that regardless of his own beliefs in their practice there should be a
separation between the government and religion. He states, “…no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between
Church & State.” (Library of Congress, n.d.). This phrase is still commonly used in today's day and
age.
What would the signers of these important documents think about the separation of church
and state?
In the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution itself, there is no mention of the
separation of church and state. I believe that the founding fathers wanted the church and state to
be separate so that the government couldn’t control someone’s religion, not that people should be
less religious or that God should be taken out of everything completely. This is evident in the
fact that four states have been called “Commonwealth States” since the 1770s. A commonwealth
is defined as “…a covenantal approach to life, or, more simply, the application of God’s truth to
all human relationships.” (Ferdon, 2019-08-19). They built this nation with God in mind as He is
mentioned frequently throughout the three documents.
References
Ferdon. (2019-08-19). Constitutional Government and Free Enterprise: A Biblical Christian Worldview
Approach and Emphasis Interactive Notes, 3rd Edition. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]].
Retrieved from vbk://9781792402081
Jefferson, T. (1776, July 4). Declaration of Independence. National Archives; The U.S. National
Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-
transcript
Library of Congress. (n.d.). Jefferson’s Letter to the Danbury Baptists (June 1998) - Library of
Congress Information Bulletin. Loc.gov. Retrieved January 21, 2024, from
https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danpre.html
National Archives. (1787, September 17). The constitution of the United States: A transcription.
National Archives; The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
