The Bill of Rights by Herman Belz, Research Paper Example

Liberty and equality for whom? How to think inclusively about the constitution and the bill of rights by Herman Belz

The essay analyses the article by Herman Belz titled Liberty and equality for whom? How to think inclusively about the constitution and the bill of rights, providing insight into the arguments presented, examining the credibility of the author and the general merit of the article. Further, the essay will compare the article with two other articles with related themes. The article is focused on the evolution of human rights and constitutionalism in the United States. Historical studies have indicated that the adoption of Bill of Rights has always been examined from the perspective of federalism. Even though there is a disagreement on the emphasis and details, various scholars are from the school of thought that the First Amendment that was made to the constitution was simply to allay the increasing fears on the enormous powers that were wielded by the national government.

The authors have rightly outlined that the revolution witnessed in social history that resulted in the study of women, blacks, as well as ethnocultural minority persons permanently altered our perception of the past. However, the author argues that in the recent period there has been an increasing focus on the development of an inclusive understanding of American history through the strengthening of the Bill of Rights and Constitution. The author has argued that the framers of the American constitution were biased in their conception of equality and liberty by excluding the black Americans from the historic civil rights that were to be guaranteed by the constitution.  Indeed, the article is well-articulated and the facts presented are in agreement with the topic under study. In general, this article contained in-depth data on the topic discussed. For most of the article, it appeared well organized and written. Moreover, it presented a clear account of the history of liberty and equality in the context of the American constitution and human rights. In a nutshell, this article was very interesting and will contribute positively to the field of history.

On the other hand, the article titled Young American Males and Filibustering in the Age of Manifest Destiny: The United States Army as a Cultural Mirror by Robert May also discusses the underlying issues of the rights of women. The article is in agreement to that of Herman Belz that women were not accorded adequate opportunities. Robert has presented his argument well by showing a case study of the United States where the women were denied admission into the United States Army. The women were considered by men to be a weaker gender who could not take part in the combative war. Women were used for non-combative roles that include cooking, nursing among others. However, women such as Deborah Sampson disguised herself to be a man to take part in the combative, and she did so well. Indeed, she one of the women who fought actively during the revolution and was later awarded pension for her role in the military service. Indeed, women played as significant role during the war, and this was captured by Judith S. Murray in her book.

Further, the article by Leonard Levy titled, Liberty and the First Amendment 1790-1800 also discusses the introduction of the fundamental rights and liberty of the Americans through the implementation of the First Amendment. The First Amendment introduced freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of petitioning the government, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. Moreover, in the article, the author provides evidence of the march by women to Versailles seeking to be involved in political activities. The women were simply seeking political involvement which they had been denied. However, the Sedition Act of 1798 introduced four different laws that infringed on the rights of individual especially immigrants. The law attracted increased uproar and has remained controversial.

The articles reviewed have a common theme on the fundamental rights and freedom. The authors have presented their arguments well and simple so that the reader can easily understand. Moreover, the authors have incorporated the use of secondary data that makes it easy to understand. Furthermore, the authors have incorporated data from credible sources that make the information presented valid and reliable. Indeed, the articles are a useful piece of information regarding the history of the American Constitutions and Bill of Rights. In a nutshell, the articles are well presented, the facts discussed and made simple to understand and the sources used are credible.

Works Cited

Belz, Herman. “Liberty and Equality for Whom? How to Think Inclusively about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.” The History Teacher, vol. 25, no. 3, 1992, pp. 263–277

Levy, Leonard W. “Liberty, and the First Amendment: 1790-1800.” The American Historical Review, vol. 68, no. 1, 1962, pp. 22–37

May, Robert E. “Young American Males and Filibustering in the Age of Manifest Destiny: The United States Army as a Cultural Mirror.” The Journal of American History, vol. 78, no. 3, 1991, pp. 857–886