Final Pennsylvania

Michelle Guzman

Mr. Maggio

A.P Government

February 26,2017

Pennsylvania

        The Country of the United States of America is known to have their constitution that was given everybody their own rights and their right to express anything that was signed on September 17,1787. Putting aside the U.S constitution, people thought that they should have their own states constitutions due to believing that the states may grant more citizen rights beyond what the US constitution grants. In 1776, about 10 states had already their own constitution including Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania had their own constitution in September 28,1776, and were able to set up their form of government and how they were conducting their citizens. In the state's constitution, people believed that they were freer and can have more standards towards currency, education, policemen and even government programs.

        Before entering the Union, Pennsylvania was known as a colony founded by William Penn in 1681. The land was given to his father, Sir William Penn by the King of England to pay off a debt and decided to grant Penn with this fortune. Later on, Penn decided to call it Sylvania, which represents woods, however King changed the name to Pennsylvania in honor of the admiral of Penn. Pennsylvania entered the union on December 12,1787. The Pennsylvania Constitution was ratified September 28,1776 and it was known to be the second state’s constitution following the Declaration of Independence (History). Many factors led up to writing the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, like being a direct response to the Declaration of Independence or when the Second Continental Congress convened in 1775.  The Constitution was known to be the most democratic state constitution in the United States. Benjamin Franklin was one of the men who presented the Constitution of Pennsylvania.

        The United States of America has a Constitution that has a Bill of Rights of 27 Articles that protects the citizens and giving them their rights to do anything and can’t be stopped. In comparison to the constitution of Pennsylvania instead of calling it Bill of rights, it’s called Declaration of Rights. The Declaration of Rights has 28 sections, each protecting the citizen’s rights and beliefs. This is a big important aspect for all the people, that it is the first thing in the Constitution. Some of the Rights that are common in the Constitution of the United States are the freedom of religion, speech, press, bearing arms, searches and seizures, bail and punishments, rights of accused people, and quartering of troops, one main difference that was noticed that the Constitution of Pennsylvania has and the U.S constitution doesn’t is they care for the economy. In section 27 of the Declaration of Rights is it gives them the right to have clean water, and have a very natural environment (PA Const, Section 27). Another difference was they have a specific section that gives people the equality of rights regarding their sex (PA Const, Section 28). In the Constitution of Pennsylvania they are more precisely in a topic, they expand it and give it it’s own section, compared to the U.S Constitution is they tried to fit everything into one amendment. An example of this is the right to petition. In the Constitution of Pennsylvania in Section 20, it’s titled as Right to Petition, which gives them the right to “assemble together for their common good”(PA Const, Section 20). Meanwhile under the first amendment of the United States it lists the citizens rights and then the right to gather together to petition (US Const, Amendment I). Another example is the Freedom of Religion, in Section 3 it’s labeled “Religious Freedom” (PA Const, Section 3) but in the United States they just have enlisted all the rights into one amendment (US Const, Amend l). The Constitution of Pennsylvania has a part where they involve the concept of education (PA Const, Art. lll, Sec 14) whereas in the Constitution of the United States it has no provision regarding education. The States Constitutions have more saying than in the United States Constitution. They elaborate in commonly well-known topics and also topics that are really big issues and they involve it in the Constitution but in the U.S Constitution they just summarize the overall.

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