How Does the Declaration of Independence Influence the Constitution?

What is the relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution? In this episode of The American Idea, Professor Jason Stevens explores how the Constitution was designed to fulfill the Declaration's foundational principles of liberty, equality, and consent of the governed. Learn why the Articles of Confederation failed to live up to these promises and how the Constitution became the framework for securing natural rights. Discover how state constitutions adopted similar language to the Declaration and why understanding this connection is essential for interpreting American founding documents.

Abraham Lincoln's "apple of gold" metaphor reveals how he viewed the Declaration as the golden principle of "liberty to all," with the Constitution serving as the silver frame protecting it. This video examines how Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, and modern Supreme Court justices like Clarence Thomas have interpreted the Constitution through the Declaration's lens, while others like Woodrow Wilson and Antonin Scalia took different approaches. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, understanding the Declaration-Constitution relationship remains crucial for addressing contemporary constitutional debates and preserving the founding principles that define American self-government.

Timestamps
00:32 This episode continues the America 250 series by exploring the vital connection between the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, examining how this relationship has shaped American history and public life.

03:24 The Constitution acknowledges the Declaration in multiple ways: the Preamble's commitment to "secure the blessings of liberty" reflects the Declaration's liberty principle; prohibitions against titles of nobility and religious tests embody equality; and "We the People" demonstrates the principle of consent of the governed.

05:56 The Articles of Confederation failed because they didn't fulfill the Declaration's promises—government must secure natural rights based on consent of the governed. This failure necessitated the Constitution as a framework that would actually live up to the Declaration's principles.

08:44 State constitutions written after 1776 adopted similar language to the Declaration, asserting inalienable/inherent rights and the purpose of government as protecting those rights. These documents help flesh out Declaration principles like property rights and religious liberty not explicitly detailed in the Declaration itself.

11:47 Abraham Lincoln explicitly argued the Constitution must be read through the Declaration's lens, using his "apple of gold" metaphor—the Declaration's principle of "liberty to all" is the golden apple, while the Constitution and Union are the silver frame protecting it. "The picture was made for the apple, not the apple for the picture."

18:19 Lincoln demonstrated this interpretive approach with practical examples: the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th Amendment brought the Constitution closer to Declaration principles, while he cited the Northwest Ordinance (passed by Constitution's authors) as evidence that Congress had authority to prohibit slavery in territories.

25:37 Calvin Coolidge embraced this view in his 150th anniversary speech, stating that Declaration principles—equality and consent of the governed—are "final" and cannot be improved upon, contrasting sharply with Woodrow Wilson who argued Americans should ignore the Declaration when interpreting the Constitution.

29:11 Modern Supreme Court justices hold different views: Clarence Thomas believes the Constitution must be interpreted through the Declaration's lens, while Antonin Scalia focused on text and tradition, arguing the Declaration lacks the Constitution's legal standing.

31:08 The contemporary relevance: Americans today still grapple with the same fundamental questions from the 1850s about whether the Declaration's principles apply universally and whether rights come from God or government—making it essential to continually re-educate ourselves in these first principles.

Host: Jeff Sikkenga
Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton
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