Incorporation of the Bill of Rights

The incorporation of the Bill of Rights (or incorporation for short) is the process by which American courts have applied portions of the U.S. Bill of Rights to the states. Prior to the 1890's, the Bill of Rights was held only to apply to the federal government. Under the incorporation doctrine, most provisions of the Bill of Rights now also apply to the state and local governments, by virtue of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.

Prior to the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment and the development of the incorporation doctrine, in 1833 the Supreme Court held in Barron v. Baltimore that the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal, but not any state, government. Even years after the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment the Supreme Court in United States v. Cruikshank, still held that the First and Second Amendment did not apply to state governments. However, beginning in the 1890's, a series of United States Supreme Court decisions interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment to "incorporate" most portions of the Bill of Rights, making these portions, for the first time, enforceable against the state governments. -Wikipedia, state rights

Importance of Constituent Opinion

In our representative form of government, it is essential for the public to express their views to their elected officials. My job in Congress is to act on behalf of my constituents, and I constantly look for their guidance as I make these decisions. -United States Representative, Cliff Stearns, 6th District, Florida

In his Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln declared that, "This nation under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth." The input I receive daily by telephone, mail, e-mail, and fax allows me to know where people stand on specific issues and enables me to best represent their interests. -Congressman Zach Wamp, 3rd District, Tennessee

Not a Nation of Passive Citizenry

Thomas Jefferson once said, "Determine never to be idle...It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing." When he and his fellow Founding Fathers built this Nation, they imagined an active, not passive citzenry. They envisioned a government that would be responsive to the will of the people.

To realize this dream, America must have active and informed citizens. The National Write Your Congressman campaign aspires to achieve this goal. It aims to give Americans the opportunity to have his or her opinion reach those who need to hear it. Democracy is a participatory sport, and for America to win, the people must participate. -Congressman Jeb Hensarling, 5th District Texas

Events Leading to the Adoption of the Declaration of Independence

The following is a brief chronicle of events leading to the official adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

May 1775 - The Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia. A "petition for redress of grievances," sent to King George III of England by the First Continental Congress in 1774, remains unanswered.

June-July 1775 - Congress establishes the Continental Army, a first national monetary currency and a post office to serve the "United Colonies."

August 1775 - King George declares his American subjects to be "engaged in open and avowed rebellion" against the Crown. The English Parliament passes the American Prohibitory Act, declaring all American sea-going vessels and their cargo the property of England.

January 1776 - Colonists by the thousands buy copies of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," stating the cause of American Independence.

March 1776 - Congress passes the Privateering Resolution, allowing colonists to arm vessels in order to "cruize [sic] on the enemies of this United Colonies."

April 6, 1776 - American seaports were opened to trade and cargo from other nations for the first time.

May 1776 - Germany, through a treaty negotiated with King George, agrees to hire mercenary soldiers to help put down any potential uprising by American colonists.

May 10, 1776 - Congress passes the "Resolution for the Formation of Local Governments," Eight colonies agreed to support American Independence.

May 15, 1776 - The Virginia Convention passes a resolution that "the delegates appointed to represent this colony in General Congress be instructed to propose to that respectable body to declare the United Colonies free and independent states."

June 7, 1776 - Richard Henry Lee, Virginia's delegate to the Continental Congress, presents the Lee Resolution reading in part: "Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

June 11, 1776 - Congress postpones consideration of the Lee Resolution appoints the "Committee of Five" to draft a final statement declaring the case for America's Independence. The Committee of Five is composed of : John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, Robert R. Livingston of New York and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia.

July 2, 1776 - By the votes of 12 of the 13 colonies, with New York not voting, Congress adopts the Lee Resolution and begins consideration of the Declaration of Independence, written by the committee of Five.

July 4, 1776 - Late in the afternoon, church bells ring out over Philadelphia heralding the final adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

August 2, 1776 - The delegates of the Continental Congress sign the clearly printed or "engrossed" version of the Declaration.

Today - Faded but still legible, the Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution and Bill of Rights, is enshrined for public display in the rotunda of the National Archives and Records Building in Washington, D.C. The priceless documents are stored in an underground vault at night and are constantly monitored for any degradation in their condition.

Letters Can Change Lives

"Hearing the ideas and concerns of the people of this nation is the lifeblood of our democracy, and the impact of personal communication with elected representatives should never be underestimated. Our government can only live up to its potential, if each and every one of us does his or her part. My job in Washington is to vote in the best interest of my District. I cannot know what those interests are, if I do not hear from the people who are affected by those votes. There is power in written correspondence, power to change the course of history, power to change a life.

As a young man when I first heard the voice of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on an old radio, I felt like he was talking to me. I was so moved by his words that I wrote to him to share my desire to become involved in the cause of civil rights and social justice in America. It made an indelible impression on me that Dr. King took the time to answer my letter, and his personal reply changed my destiny.

Writing your congressman is an act of faith. It means you believe in the democratic process." -Congressman John Lewis, 5th District, Georgia

To: National Write Your Congressman

"The importance of constituents communicating their opinions to their member of Congress is too great to even measure. We are elected to Congress to serve the interests of the people in our districts. Hearing from the people on a regular basis helps keep us informed on their opinions no matter what they are.

I extend my most sincere thanks to you and National Write Your Congressman for the outstanding work that you do in connecting constituents with their elected leaders. This organization is keeping the traditions of our Founding Fathers' ideals alive by encouraging people to petition their representatives. For this reason, we in Congress owe you, and your organization, a great debt of gratitude." -Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.-Wisconsin

David McCullough

"Thank you for the opportunity to share a few thoughts on the importance of constituent communication. I cannot represent the people of Illinois without knowing what they think, and the best way to find out what they think is to communicate with them directly. Thus, communicating with people I represent is one of my most important responsibilities as a senator.

As the noted historian David McCullough is fond of saying, "writing is thinking." The act of putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, helps us organize our thoughts and marshall our best arguments in defense of our positions and ideals. Thank you for informing Americans about the issues we face as a nation, and encouraging them to write to elected officials like me." -Senator Barack Obama- Excerpt from letter to NWYC January 3, 2007.

"Laus Deo"

The Washington Monument is one of the outstanding engineering feats and still considered the finest historical monument in Washington, D.C. The pyramidion is 555 feet in height and weighs 300 tons. It was built entirely of fine-grained marble that was quarried at the Beaver Dam Quarry in Baltimore County, MD, and delivered to Washington by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Work began in June 1884 on the pyramidion by assembling materials and the machinery needed in its construction. It is constructed of 262 separate pieces of marble, containing 3,764 cubic feet of dressed stock. In December 1884 the mammoth structure was lifted into place without incident and in one piece.

To complete the obelisk, the aluminum capstone weighing 100 ounces, the largest single piece of aluminum cast to that time, was placed atop the pyramidion on Saturday, December 6, 1884.

Prior to delivery of the capstone in Washington, it was placed on exhibit at Tiffany's in New York City where it was placed on the floor and persons could have the dubious prestige of "jumping over the top of the Washington Monument." Engraved on the four sides of the capstone was the official record of the construction of the monument. The west face read: "Corner Stone laid on bed of foundation, July 4, 1848. First stone at height of 152 feet laid August 7, 1880. Capstone set December 6, 1884"; and the east face read "LAUS DEO". Laus Deo is Latin for "Praise be to God".

Let Your Voice Be Heard

"There have been so many times in my service to the residents of my District when I've pondered a vote on an issue only to resolve it because my constituents took the trouble to tell me where they stood and why. After all, unlike the Washington world of power, politics, and pretense, the men and women I represent live in the real world where every decision they make can mean life or death, success or failure, a goal realized or a hope dashed forever. I learn more from them than from all the newspapers, magazines and television programs combined about what they need to secure their family, grow a small business, want for their nation and the world."

"Keeping the lines of communication open between a legislator and the people he or she represents is essential to keeping democracy alive and well in America." -Congressman Vern Buchanan, 13th District Florida

Capitol Designer Dr. William Thornton

(1793, ca. 1797)

The model to the right shows how the Capitol would have looked if it had been completed according to the designs of Dr. William Thornton, the first architect of the Capitol, as shown in his architectural drawings.

An amateur architect from the British West Indies, Dr. Thornton was awarded $500 and a city lot for his design of the Capitol. A domed rotunda based on the ancient Roman temple called the Pantheon is the central feature of Thornton's composition. It is flanked by identical wings; one for the Senate and one for the House of Representatives. This model shows how the original Capitol would have looked if Thornton's design had been carried out unaltered by those in charge of it construction.

The principal feature of Dr. Thornton's design for the Capitol's West Front was a central circular conference room placed between the north and south wings. Around 1797 Thornton decided that the conference room would be topped by a circular colonnade and dome intended as a "Temple of Fame." While the flanking wings were built according to Thornton's design, the conference room and "Temple of Fame" were never constructed.

A Building and a Nation Grow

"Not everyone was pleased, in 1790, when Congress decided to establish the young Republic's permanent seat on the banks of the Potomac River instead of accepting one of a dozen other sites offered.

"A howling, malarious, wilderness," some called the area chosen. "The Indian place...in the woods on the Potomac," said one disgusted official.

But the decision had been made, and much could be said for it. Washington, District of Columbia-marked off by, and named for, the first President-was near the midpoint of the long stretch of states. It lay close to the thriving centers of Georgetown and Alexandria, accessible to overland and water transport. "It is a beautiful spot, capable of any improvement," said Mrs. John Adams when she first saw her brief home as the wife of the second President,"...the more I view it the more I am delighted with it."

Few realized it then, but the embryo settlement also was favored by the vision of a city planner on the grand scale. Pierre Charles L'Enfant, French-born engineer who had served under General Washington in the Revolution, laid out a city whose broad avenues and sweeping circles anticipated the needs of the future metropolis.

On a June morning in 1791, President Washington and L'Enfant made a horseback inspection of the Federal District's wooded and swampy site. "I discover no one (situation)," L'Enfant wrote in his report, "so advantageously to greet the Congressional building as is that on the west end of Jenkins heights..." It stands, he added in the felicitous, oft-quoted phrase, "as a pedestal waiting for a monument." -"We, the People...The Story of the United States Capitol" pgs. 16 & 20

What Does "Founding Father" Mean?

Does the term "founding father" apply to any person or group in American history who had some type of influence on the writing of the Constitution? What about those people like George Mason, Edmund Randolph and Elbridge Gerry who helped tremendously in the writing of the Constitution, but then refused to sign it because of philosophical differences? There were 70 individuals chosen to go to Philadelphia to attend the Constitutional Convention, 55 who attended most of the meetings and 39 who actually signed the Constitution. Of this last group, only 15 to 20 actually played an instrumental role in either the founding philosophy or the fight for ratification.

The Constitution was a consequence of several documents and the work of several men either directly or indirectly. Those who made significant intellectual contributions to the Constitution are considered to be the "founding fathers" of our country.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams are considered two of our founding fathers even though they were not at the Constitutional Convention. They were both serving in diplomatic positions at the time. Jefferson kept abreast of the proceedings in Philadelphia while ambassador to France by carrying on correspondence with James Madison. John Adams, as ambassador to Great Britain, wrote "Defense of the Constitution of the Government of the United States of America." He became the new country's first vice president. Other founding fathers include Thomas Paine, who was in England at the time of the meeting in Philadelphia, but the impact of "Common Sense" on the philosophy behind the writing of the Declaration of Independence is immeasurable. Patrick Henry was opposed to the idea of changing the Articles of Confederation, but once the agreement was made to add a bill of rights to the Constitution he fought hard for ratification in Virginia.

The term "framers" could be used to specify those who helped "craft" the Constitution, and "founding fathers" could be used in a broader sense to characterize those individuals who contributed to the development of independence and nationhood. However, the notion of a framer or a founding father is not something to be narrowly defined in a technical or legal sense, but may be a large mythic and philosophical idea. It sustains our vision of ourselves, inspiring our ongoing inquiries into our national self-identity. -"America's Legacy, The Foundation of Freedom" pg. 11

The First Amendment

"The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America says that people have the right to petition their government. I firmly believe this is one of the strengths of our nation and our democratic republic.

There are many examples where constituents have alerted me to issues that I was not aware involved the federal government or where the federal government needed to improve the way it handled an issue. These have involved me sponsoring legislation or contacting the government agency involved.

Without constituent contact, I would not have the confirmation that I was doing the job I have been elected to do." -Congressman John Shimkus, Ill.

What Makes NWYC Unique

"What makes National Write Your Congressman unique is we are not just a computer screen, a Blackberry application, a high tech do-it-yourself, push-a-button, impersonal organization. We are in the people business. We always have been, and we must always be in the people business. Face to face, eyeball to eyeball, heart to heart. Most people need to be moved to take action. We are unique in that we care enough to move our Members through personal communication, personal interaction, and personal relationships. We should never move away from this God given mission and responsibility." -Dotti Zimmerman

One Voter's Voice

"One of my proudest legislative achievements is the Child Support Recovery Act of 1992 which is the direct result of a constituent's personal experience. After a town hall meeting in Alabama, I was struck by the story of a financially struggling single mother whose husband avoided paying child support by moving out of the state. As a result of her story, I authored legislation that makes it a federal crime for parents to cross state lines to avoid paying child support. Her voice made a difference and vastly changed the legal consequences for fathers who leave the state in hope of evading their child support obligations. This law clearly illustrates the vital impact individuals can have on the legislative process." -Senator Richard Shelby, Alabama

Founding Fathers Creation...by the people and for the people.

"The importance of constituent feedback is a top priority for my staff and I. All too often, Members of Congress and their staff become insulated from what is going on across the nation. I pride myself on being able to read and respond to a large amount of constituent requests, and although we may not always agree, it is important that my constituents know their opinion matters, and their concerns are not being properly considered.

Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. believe they have all the answers, but in reality it's their constituents back home who frequently have some of the best ideas. The reason is simple. The people of the United States, and my constituents, are the ones who work in the industries, teach in the schools, and protect our loved ones from harm, and more often than not they have unique insight of how proposed legislation will affect their jobs and families.

Our founding fathers created a government founded by the people and for the people, and with our government citizens participation is not only inherent, it is vitally important, and I am always happy to entertain the thoughts and suggestions of the American people."
-Congressman John Campbell (R) 48th Dist. California

My Constituents

"Every day I hear from hundreds of Minnesotans from Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs. The opinions that they share with me encourage, inform, and challenge me as I represent them in Congress.

As a Member of Congress from the 5th Congressional District, this is important to me so that I better know the concerns of the communities I serve. This understanding is reflected in an active conversation between my constituents and me. I, along with my staff, am committed to read and respond to every call, letter, and email we receive. I set aside time to call constituents and listen to their priorities. During session, I enjoy meeting with families and groups that visit the office in Washington, DC. Speaking with them, I am reminded that this is their office. I am honored to serve them. As I spend weeks back in the district during District Work Periods, I am able to spend time with my constituents in their own neighborhoods. Their input is always invaluable as I return to Washington to represent them."
-Keith Ellison (D) 5th MN

Importance of Constituent Opinion

"I appreciate the shared sense of importance we assign to the individual letters and e-mail that travel from our Missouri home to Washington, DC, where I am charged with representing our district in the best way possible. These messages contain the important thoughts, opinions, questions and concerns of the people who it is my duty to serve (whether they voted for me or not).

Let me explain the significance of the many correspondences I receive daily from Missouri. During the debate over any important article of legislation, my staff and I are deluged with materials on both sides of the issue from special interest organizations and advocacy groups, most of which are headquartered in Washington, DC. It is the letters from home, with real-life examples of how the proposed law would affect them, that provide the best and deepest insight into a bill for me. I think descriptive, personal letters and handwritten testimonials are some of the most valuable resources a representative can use in the decision-making process over a vote."
-Jo Ann Emerson, (R) 8th Dist. Missouri

Independence Day

Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States of America commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

By June 1776 their efforts had become hopeless and a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the congress on June 28. After various changes a vote was taken late in the afternoon of July 4th. Of the 13 colonies, 9 voted in favor and the Declaration, 2-Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted No, Delaware undecided, and New Your abstained.

To make it official John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence. It is said that John Hancock signed his name "with a great flourish" so "King George can read that without spectacles!"

The following day copies of the Declaration were distributed. The first newspaper to print the Declaration was the Pennsylvania Evening Post on July 6, 1776. On July 8th the Declaration had its first public reading in Philadelphia's Independence Square. Twice that day the Declaration was read to cheering crowds and pealing church bells. Even the bell in Independence Hall was rung. The "Province Bell" would later be renamed "Liberty Bell" after its inscription - Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof

Although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the 4th of July has been accepted as the official anniversary of the United States independence. The first Independence Day celebration took place the following year - July 4, 1777. By early 1800s the traditions of parades, picnics, and fireworks were established as the way to celebrate America's birthday.

This 4th of July make it your resolution to read the Declaration of Independence.
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Congressional Communications

"It's not unusual to see David Berry and Cissy Palomares on Capitol Hill. In past years, they have gathered letters on the importance of constituent opinion. But this year's campaign is different.

NWYC'S Congressional Communications Director, David Berry, is adding another dimension to the Customer Service Task Force program. He and Cissy Palomares, Manager of Congressional Communications, are approaching Capitol Hill with a new objective; that is to gather stories from Congress about how constituent opinion has actually influenced legislation. The results to date have been extremely impressive, and many letters are already on file." -The Banner

-"In my over thirty years in Congress, constituents, through written correspondence, town halls, telephone calls, and meetings have directly affected my voting record and legislative priorities. I believe my vote is your voice in Washington and I work every day to ensure the interests and principles of Alabama voters are reflected in my work on behalf of our great state and nation."
-Senator Richard Shelby (R) Alabama