DBQ: How did the Constitution guard against tyranny?

Americans desperately fight against the poison of tyranny with their best weapon, the Constitution. During the Colonial Period, King George III, demanded many things from the colonists. These demands were caused by the aftermath of the French and Indian War. England had increasing debts, so the king raised the taxes of both America and England. The increase of taxes caused anger to rise from the Americans, which allowed a roll of events to unfold. After many harsh exchanges between the colonists and King George III, America declared its independence on July 4, 1776. Soon after the declaration, things began to heat up as fight over representation in government began to be more debated. …show more content…

The three branches of government check each other’s power and create balance. (Document C) The system of checks and balances helped the judicial, legislative, and executive branches to watch each other and keep each other at the same level. Stated by James Madison in Federalist Paper #51, “…the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that they may be a check on the other…. (The three branches) should not be so far separated as to have no constitutional control over each other.” The meaning behind this insight on government means the three departments of the central government should divide and arrange each other so that they may be able to keep an eye on each other, but should not be so separated that they have no constitutional control over each other. The Great Compromise, also known as the big states vs. small states compromise, aided in the fight against tyranny during the Colonial Period, by creating equal representation in government. The Great Compromise created a balance between the large and small states, by creating two houses in government. (Document D) The two houses, the House of Representatives, and the Senate, guarded against tyranny by making the House of Representatives have their representation based on population. The Senate however, is based on equal representation. This balanced the large and small states. According to the Constitution of the