Question

Why does Lincoln date the foundation of the nation from 1776 (the date of the Declaration of Independence) rather than 1787, when the Constitution was written?

Answer 1

Let's focus the question on how does a state or nation come to existence. There are four elements that tell us if that place is viable to be a state:

1.Population
2.Territory
3. Government
4. Sovereignty

Obviously, you should have a community and territory. A government is a systematized regulatory body that oversees the community and their use on the territory's resources. The important thing to note is, there is no Constitution without the government. Constitution is the set of absolute rules that dictate political laws where the government is involved. The Constitution is made for the government and its people, not the other way around. However, the Constitution is not part of the basic elements. But sovereignty is. Sovereignty refers to the absolute control of the government of its own people and territory. This could only be achieved when the state is independent. Sovereignty is the crucial factor which characterizes a state.

Answer 2

In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln stated at Gettysburg that the beginning of the new Republic was founded on the 4 of July in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. He said that the Founding Fathers had written the Declaration of Independence creating a new nation where all men are created equal. Lincoln thought that the Declaration of Independence was a higher document than the Constitution written in 1787 or the Articles of Confederation because it was the first document and the one who expressed all of the American ideals.