Malcolm Rivera
The US Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world, with nearly 250 years of history. It was drafted at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The document is dated September 17, 1787, and marks the beginning of a framework for the US government. The US Constitution is so important that it has been celebrated with stamps and silver dollars, and its impact is studied in various subjects, including history, political science, and criminal justice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of signing | 17th of September 1787 |
| Age | Over 237 years old |
| Status | Oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution is over 237 years old
The delegates to the convention were chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states, with Rhode Island refusing to send delegates. Notable figures among the delegates included James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, Alexander Hamilton, George Mason, John Dickinson, and Robert Morris, who opened the proceedings with a nomination for Gen. Washington. The document is dated September 17, 1787, with a two-fold epoch dating that links it to the religious traditions of Western civilization and the regime principles proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence.
The US Constitution has been amended several times over the years to address various issues, including the removal of discriminatory laws left over from slavery and the protection of voting rights. The Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964) prohibited the use of poll taxes for voting, while the Twenty-sixth Amendment (1971) established the right of US citizens aged 18 and older to vote. The Constitution continues to be a living document, interpreted and adapted to meet the changing needs of the nation.
The significance of the US Constitution is recognized through various celebrations and educational resources. Commemorative stamps and coins have been issued to mark significant anniversaries of the Constitution, such as the 150th and 200th anniversaries. Additionally, organizations like the Bill of Rights Institute and the Constitution Center offer interactive tools and lesson plans to help students understand the freedoms and rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The US Census Bureau also provides valuable insights into the role of population data in sharing political power, as envisioned by the writers of the Constitution.
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It was signed on September 17, 1787
The US Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It was signed on September 17, 1787, over 237 years ago.
The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The convention was presided over by General George Washington, who was unanimously elected to the position.
The delegates to the convention were chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states, with Rhode Island refusing to send delegates. The convention's initial mandate was limited to amending the Articles of Confederation, which had proven ineffective in meeting the needs of the young nation.
Among the notable figures in attendance were Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, James Wilson of Pennsylvania, Alexander Hamilton of New York, George Mason of Virginia, and John Dickinson of Delaware. The document is dated "the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord" 1787, with a two-fold epoch dating that links it to the religious traditions of Western civilization and the principles proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence.
The US Constitution has been commemorated over the years, including with a 1987 silver dollar minted by the US Government in celebration of its 200th anniversary.
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It is the oldest active constitution in the world
The US Constitution is the oldest constitution in the world that is still in use. Its drafting, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The convention was attended by delegates from 12 of the 13 original states, with Rhode Island refusing to send delegates.
The US Constitution is not only the oldest but also the longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force. It has been the framework for the US government and has inspired many other countries' constitutions. The Corsican Constitution of 1755, which was short-lived, was the first written constitution of an independent polity adopted by representatives elected by the people and inspired many American patriots.
The Constitutional Convention that authored the US Constitution was presided over by General George Washington, who was unanimously elected for the role. Other notable attendees included Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, Alexander Hamilton, George Mason, and John Dickinson. The convention's initial mandate was limited to amending the Articles of Confederation, which had been ineffective in meeting the needs of the young nation.
The US Constitution has been amended several times over the years to address various issues, including slavery and voting rights. The document's longevity and adaptability have made it a cornerstone of American democracy and a model for constitutional governments worldwide. Its influence extends beyond the political realm, with educational resources and interactive tools helping students understand the freedoms and rights it guarantees.
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The drafting of the Constitution is referred to as its framing
The drafting of the US Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The convention was initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had been proven ineffective in meeting the needs of the young nation. However, by mid-June, the delegates decided to completely redesign the government.
The delegates to the convention were chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states, with Rhode Island refusing to send delegates. The delegates shuttered the windows of the State House and swore secrecy so they could speak freely. They represented wildly different interests and views, and the convention witnessed fierce debates and arguments. One of the most contentious issues was congressional representation, with delegates debating whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. A compromise was reached, with each state getting one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.
Another thorny issue was slavery, which threatened to derail the Union. The delegates agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and temporarily resolved the issue by deciding that the slave trade could continue until 1808. The convention also witnessed debates on taxation, with the southern states concerned about export taxes damaging their economy. Despite these challenges, the delegates worked towards crafting a powerful central government that would protect the interests of the states.
On August 6, 1787, the convention accepted the first draft of the Constitution, which served as the foundation for the final document. On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The signing of the Constitution marked an extraordinary achievement, as the delegates created a new form of government that has endured and been emulated worldwide.
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Amendments have helped remove discriminatory laws
The US Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in the world, was drafted between May 25 and September 17, 1787. Since its signing, amendments have been made to remove discriminatory laws.
The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which were passed after the Civil War, helped remove many of the discriminatory laws left over from slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery. However, it did not eliminate all forms of discrimination, as many ex-Confederate states then adopted Black Codes, which severely restricted the rights of Black people to hold property and enter into contracts, and established harsher criminal consequences for Black people than for whites.
The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, marked a significant shift in American constitutionalism by imposing substantially more constitutional restrictions on the states. The Equal Protection Clause, which is part of the Fourteenth Amendment, was intended to validate the equality provisions contained in the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which guaranteed that all citizens would have the right to equal protection under the law. The Fourteenth Amendment has been interpreted to mean that states cannot impose distinctions based on race. For example, in Milliken v. Bradley, the Court set aside a desegregation order that required the formulation of a plan for a metropolitan area, finding that such a remedy could only be implemented to cure an inter-district constitutional violation.
The Fourteenth Amendment has also been interpreted to apply to the federal government, not just the states. For example, in Shelley v. Kraemer (1948), the Court held that although a discriminatory private contract could not itself violate the Equal Protection Clause, the courts' enforcement of such a contract could because courts are part of the state. In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court unanimously held that separate schools for Black and white students violated the Equal Protection Clause, overruling the previous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which had established the "separate but equal" doctrine.
The Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964) also helped to remove discriminatory laws by prohibiting poll taxes for voting. Poll taxes, along with literacy tests and durational residency requirements, were used to prevent low-income (primarily African American) citizens from participating in elections. The Twenty-sixth Amendment (1971) further expanded voting rights by prohibiting the government from denying the right to vote to citizens eighteen years of age or older on account of age.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution is over 237 years old.
The US Constitution is the framework for the United States government and the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world.
The US Constitution was written in 1787 between May 25 and September 17.
The US Constitution was authored by the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, which included George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton.
While the US Constitution has not been rewritten, judges and justices reinterpret it every few years.
