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The Miracle Man; Kent State

The Miracle Man

"Thomas Jefferson still survives," John Adams' last words most definitely stand true, even today. Thomas Jefferson was a well-educated man with a wealthy and proper British-American upbringing. An excellent education was the beginning step to all the wonderful things Jefferson would do for our country. After college, he became a lawyer, and soon a member of the House of Burgesses. An intelligent writer and thinker, Jefferson, along with four others, was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence. Filled with Thomas Jefferson's great ideas, the Declaration of Independence greatly influenced the Constitution.
After the Declaration of Independence was written, a fire sparked in the hearts of the Americans who had suffered from the King of England's oppressive governing. A course of action had finally been taken against the King. New ideas spread regarding "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The young nation's hope of freedom was now becoming more of a reality than a dream.
In the years following, a Constitutional Convention was held in order to "form a more perfect union." Models for the constitution consisted of forms of government such as the Magna Carta, which limited power of the king or government figure, and the Declaration of Independence. Ideas taken from the Declaration and Thomas Jefferson included points such as "We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life…". By mentioning the truths that are self evident, Jefferson lets the colonists know that they do indeed have rights. The Declaration was used as a model for the Constitution, through its focus on equal rights, to remind us that all men are created equal, and should be treated with the basic respect human beings deserves, along with the right to choose our destiny.
Today, we know America as a nation of peace and refuge from...