One can note similarities and differences between the English Bill of Rights and the American Declaration of Independence. The document, the English Bill of Rights, was ratified in the year 1689 by the English parliament. The document considers the English monarch and the parliament as partners, and they were granted equal powers. The right of the subjects to send their representatives to the parliament was recognized.
The King of England abandoned his right to suspend and execute the laws. The subjects were allowed to request the King for appropriate legislation. Punishment of petitioners was declared illegal. The document allows Protestants to possess arms for their defence. Freedom of speech and expression in the parliament was safeguarded. The members of the parliament could not be subjected to fines and other punishments for their statements in the parliament. The document suggests that the members of parliament needed to meet regularly to introduce new legislation and modify old ones (Lewis 343).
The American Declaration of Independence, like the English Bill of Rights, safeguarded the right of subjects to participate in the election process. It also protected freedom of speech in the legislature. Unlike England, America does not recognize the role of the King in the lawmaking process. The American Declaration of Independence acknowledged the right of citizens to request specific legislation. In this way, it is similar to the English Bill of Rights. At the same time, one can note the differences between the two documents. The Americans fought against the English, who had established their rule in America.
Consequently, the Americans introduced new principles in their document when compared with the English Bill of Rights. The document vehemently opposes the basic principles of the English colonial rule, which aimed to exploit the colonies. For example, the colonial administration had affected American traders. The document asserts the right of subjects to dismiss an authoritarian rule, which fails to enact appropriate legislation.
The English rule in America had affected the freedom of Americans. Consequently, they opposed the unilateral imposition of new taxes, declaration of wars on the Americans, and the stationing of the English army in the country. American leaders also questioned the decision of the King of England to dissolve legislatures in the country. The English decided not to implement free laws in America, and this affected the political and economic rights of Americans. The American Declaration of Independence has questioned the tyrannical rule of the English in the colonies (U.S National Archives and Record Administration 1).
Works Cited
Lewis, Gavin. WCIV. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
U.S. National Archives & Records Administration. “Declaration of Independence”. The Charters of Freedom. U.S. National Archives & Records Administration. 1776. Web.