Eleanor Finch
The US Constitution is the highest form of law in the country and outlines the rules that Americans live by. It is the oldest written constitution still in use today and was written in 1787 by a group of men called the Framers. The Constitution is important for all Americans to understand, even kids, as it explains how the government works and lists some key rights that all people have just because they are alive.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| The Constitution is the highest law in the country | The Constitution is the highest law in the United States |
| The Constitution is a framework for the federal government | The Constitution creates the branches of the government and gives them the power to govern |
| The Constitution protects citizens' rights | The Constitution guarantees citizens' basic rights and lists key rights |
| The Constitution can be changed | The Constitution has been amended 27 times since 1789 |
| The Constitution has three branches of government | Executive, Legislative, and Judicial |
| The Constitution was written by a group of men known as Framers | George Washington and Ben Franklin were Framers |
| The Constitution was written in 1787 | The Constitution is over 200 years old |
| The Constitution was ratified by 13 states | The first 9 states ratified the Constitution, the remaining 4 took time to decide |
| The Constitution has a preamble | The preamble is a short explanation of the purpose of the Constitution |
| The Constitution has a Bill of Rights | The Bill of Rights is a list of rights that belong to the people and cannot be broken by the government |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
What is the Constitution?
The Constitution is a set of rules that everyone in the United States must follow. It is the highest form of law in the country and belongs to all Americans. It is very important for everyone, especially kids, to understand the Constitution.
The Constitution is like a rulebook that explains how the government works. It creates the different parts of the government and gives them the power to govern, and makes sure that they share power fairly. The Constitution also protects the citizens of the United States and guarantees their basic rights. These rights are very important because they keep us safe and free. Some of these rights include the freedom of speech, religion, and the press, as well as the right to gather in public and the right to vote.
A long time ago, the United States became its own country and needed a set of rules to follow. In 1787, a group of men called the Framers met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to write the Constitution. They had a lot of discussions and debates, but eventually, they agreed on the words in the Constitution. The Framers knew that the Constitution might not be perfect, so they added a way to make changes, called amendments. Amendments are very difficult to make because they require a lot of people to agree. Since 1789, there have been 27 amendments to the Constitution, with the first 10 being called the Bill of Rights.
The Constitution is organized into different parts called articles. There are seven articles in total, and they each talk about different aspects of the government and the rights of the people. The first part of the Constitution is called the Preamble, which explains why the Constitution is important and what it hopes to achieve. It says, "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves."
Company Relocation: Can I Legally Break My Lease?
You may want to see also
Why was it written?
The Constitution was written to give the people of the United States the power to make their own rules. Before, when America was part of Great Britain, the people were ruled by a king, and they had no say in the laws they had to follow. So, after the Revolutionary War, the writers of the Constitution wanted to create a new system where the people of the country came together to make the laws. They wanted to make sure that the government was powerful enough to run the country, but that it wouldn't take away the rights of the people or the states.
The Constitution is like a set of rules for how the government works. It separates the government into three parts, called branches: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial. Each branch has some power over the others, so no one person or group has too much power. This is called a system of checks and balances. For example, the President, who is the leader of the Executive branch, can choose members of the Supreme Court, which is part of the Judicial branch. But the Senate, which is part of the Legislative branch, can reject the President's choices.
The Constitution also has a list of rights that every citizen of the United States should have, like the right to speak freely and gather in public. These are called Amendments, and there are 27 of them. Some of the most important ones are the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, religion, and the press, and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which were added after the American Civil War. These ended slavery, gave citizenship and equal rights to African Americans, and gave Black men the right to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote.
The writers of the Constitution wanted to make sure that the government couldn't take away these rights, so they made it the highest form of law in the country. This means that even if a new law is made or a new rule is added, the Constitution is still more important. It can be changed, but it's hard to do. A lot of people have to agree to change it, and so far, there have only been 27 changes, or amendments, made to the Constitution since it was first written.
Unique vs Rare: Understanding the Difference
You may want to see also
Who wrote it?
The Constitution is a very important document for the United States. It is like a set of rules that explains how the government works. It also explains what rights people have, like the right to say what you think and the right to choose your religion. The Constitution is the highest form of law in the country, which means that it is more important than any other rules.
The Constitution was written by lots of different people, all working together. In 1787, 55 people called delegates met in a place called Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They came from 12 of the 13 states that were in the United States at the time. These delegates were chosen by the states to change some rules that already existed, called the Articles of Confederation. But the delegates decided that these rules were so bad, they needed to write completely new ones! This meeting where they wrote the new rules is called the Constitutional Convention.
Three men played a very important role in writing the Constitution: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. James Madison is often called the "Father of the Constitution" because he helped a lot with writing it. He wrote something called the Virginia Plan, which was the starting point for the Constitution. Alexander Hamilton was also very important. He wanted the government to be strong and played a big part in creating the executive branch, which is like the boss of the country. John Jay was a lawyer and diplomat, which means he helped with solving disagreements between countries. He was very important in creating the judicial branch, which is like the police and courts of the country.
There were also lots of other people who helped write the Constitution. Some other important people were George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and William Paterson.
New York Delegates: Constitution Voting Outcome
You may want to see also
Explore related products
How can it be changed?
The US Constitution is a very important document that explains how the government works and how people are in charge of making the rules. It is the highest form of law in the country and is there to protect all citizens and guarantee their basic rights.
Sometimes, people might want to change the Constitution. This is allowed, but it is not easy to do. Changes to the Constitution are called amendments. There have only been 27 amendments since 1789! An amendment might be proposed if there is a big idea that will impact all Americans or help to protect the rights of citizens. For example, some amendments have given women the right to vote, and abolished slavery and poll taxes.
There are two ways to propose an amendment. The first way is for two-thirds of Congress to agree on the change. The second way is for two-thirds of the State legislatures to call for a constitutional convention, but this has never happened before. Once an amendment has been proposed, it must be approved by three-fourths of the states (38 out of 50 states) to become part of the Constitution.
So, even though it is hard, the Constitution can be changed. This is important because it means that the rules can be updated if people think of better ways to do things or if there are new things that need to be included to make sure that citizens are being treated fairly.
Trump's Constitution: A Dangerous Disregard for Democracy
You may want to see also
What rights does it give citizens?
The US Constitution is like a rule book that explains how the government works and the rights that citizens have. It is the highest form of law in the country and is there to protect citizens and guarantee their basic rights. It is important because it creates a government that is powerful enough to run the country, but it also makes sure that the government does not interfere with people's rights.
The Constitution gives citizens the right to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. This means that people are allowed to say what they think, choose their religion, and write about what they want in newspapers without the government stopping them. The Constitution also gives citizens the right to gather in public and the right to speak to each other in private without anyone else listening in. These rights are called the First Amendment.
The Constitution also has rules about what happens if someone is accused of a crime. For example, it says that a person cannot be tried twice for the same crime (this is called "double jeopardy"), and that people cannot be forced to say things that might get them into trouble (this is called "self-incrimination"). These rules are called the Fifth Amendment. The Sixth Amendment gives people the right to a quick and fair trial, and the right to have that trial decided by a group of people from the local community (this group is called a "jury").
Another right that citizens have is the right to choose their own leaders. This is a very important part of the Constitution because it means that citizens can decide who represents them and makes decisions on their behalf. This is called "democracy". The Constitution also says that citizens have the right to ask their leaders to change things that they don't like, and to get rid of leaders who aren't doing a good job. These rights are very important because they make sure that citizens have a say in how their country is run.
It's worth noting that the Constitution also says that citizens have other rights that are not specifically listed in the document. This means that people have lots of freedoms and protections, even if they aren't all written down in the Constitution.
NZ Constitution: A Unique Unwritten Identity
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Constitution is the highest form of law in the United States. It is a set of rules that outlines how the government works. It is over 200 years old!
The Constitution is important because it creates a framework for the federal government of the United States. It gives power to the government but also protects the citizens of the United States and guarantees their basic rights.
A group of men called the Framers wrote the Constitution. They met in 1787 in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, to discuss their ideas for the new government. Some famous Framers include George Washington and Ben Franklin.
The Bill of Rights is a very important part of the Constitution. It is a list of rights that belong to the people. It protects your right to say what you want, think for yourself, and believe in God if you want. It also gives you the right to gather with friends to talk and protects your home.
Yes, the Constitution can be changed. Changes to the Constitution are called amendments. The Framers knew that the Constitution was not perfect and might need to be improved, so they added an amendment process. It is hard to make changes to the Constitution—two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the states must approve every amendment.
