Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution is the oldest written national framework of government in the world, having governed the country for over two centuries. The Constitution was drafted in 1787 by 55 delegates, including George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton, who feared that the young country was on the brink of collapse due to the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution. The delegates were influenced by European Enlightenment thinkers, such as Montesquieu and John Locke, as well as the political concepts of the Iroquois Confederacy. The resulting document established a powerful central government with a system of checks and balances and three independent branches, while also addressing issues such as slavery and state disputes over territory, taxation, and trade. The Constitution has been amended over time, but its basic framework remains unchanged, serving as a model for freedom-loving people worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of creation | 17th of September 1787 |
| Location of creation | Philadelphia |
| Number of creators | 55 |
| Purpose | To revise the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution |
| Type of government | Federal |
| Type of document | Written |
| Influences | Magna Carta, federations, common law, European Enlightenment thinkers |
| Compromises | Avoided the word "slave", included the three-fifths clause |
| Amendments | First proposed by Edmund Randolph before the final vote |
| Ratification | North Carolina waited for the Bill of Rights, Rhode Island threatened with a trade embargo |
| Oldest written national framework of government | In continuous effect in the world |
| Branches of government | Executive, Legislative, Judicial |
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What You'll Learn
- The US Constitution is the oldest, written constitution in effect worldwide
- The Constitution was influenced by the Magna Carta and European Enlightenment thinkers
- The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, were inadequate
- The Constitutional Convention of 1787 created a powerful central government
- The Constitution's three-fifths clause gave the South extra representation
The US Constitution is the oldest, written constitution in effect worldwide
The US Constitution is the oldest, written constitution that has continuously remained in effect worldwide. It was constructed on September 17, 1787, by 55 delegates representing 12 of the 13 original states, after months of conflicting views, heated debates, and clashing ideas. The Constitution established the first federal form of government and the first system of checks and balances to prevent any one branch from acquiring too much power.
The official purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to propose amendments to the Articles of Confederation, which had served as the nation's first constitution since 1777. However, the delegates realized they shared two general goals: to create a republican form of government and a new constitutional form of government. The delegates held varied interests and ideas on how the government should be organized, with divisions between large and small states, northern and southern states, and slave and free states.
The Constitution was influenced by the study of the Magna Carta and other federations, both ancient and extant. The Due Process Clause of the Constitution, for example, was partly based on common law and the Magna Carta, which had become a foundation of English liberty against arbitrary power. The idea of the separation of powers in the Constitution was inspired by 18th-century Enlightenment philosophers such as Montesquieu and John Locke.
The new Constitution provided for a strong, independent executive branch, including a president and vice president. The president was to serve as the commander-in-chief of the military and had wide powers of appointment, including the power to appoint Supreme Court judges. The president also had the power to veto legislative bills. The Constitution created a powerful central government, which was a point of contention with Anti-Federalists, who feared it resembled the government they had just overthrown.
The US Constitution has served as a model for freedom-loving people worldwide, and its principles of American constitutionalism, including the separation of powers, the bill of rights, a bicameral legislature, and a presidential form of government, have been emulated by many nations.
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The Constitution was influenced by the Magna Carta and European Enlightenment thinkers
The US Constitution was influenced by a variety of sources, including the Magna Carta and European Enlightenment thinkers. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified, along with the Bill of Rights, in 1791.
The 13th-century Magna Carta, or "Great Charter", was a set of concessions forced upon King John of England by rebellious barons in 1215. The document became a symbol of liberty and the natural rights of man against oppressive rulers. The Founding Fathers of the United States took great inspiration from this medieval pact when drafting the nation's founding documents, including the Constitution. The Due Process Clause of the Constitution, for example, was partly based on the Magna Carta. The influence of the Magna Carta can also be seen in the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. Amendments five through seven set ground rules for a fair and speedy jury trial, and the Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail and fines, which can be traced back to the 20th clause of the Magna Carta.
The ideas of popular sovereignty, unalienable rights, and the separation of powers in the Constitution were influenced by European Enlightenment thinkers. These included Montesquieu, whose ideas on the separation of powers and checks and balances in government influenced the structure of the US Constitution. John Locke, another Enlightenment thinker, influenced Thomas Jefferson's political ideals, particularly on religious tolerance and the social contract. Locke's ideas on governance were based on social contract theory, a subject that permeated Enlightenment political thought. Other Enlightenment thinkers who influenced the Constitution include Hume, Edward Coke, William Blackstone, Bacon, Newton, and Adam Smith.
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The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, were inadequate
The US Constitution was greatly influenced by the study of the Magna Carta and other ancient and extant federations. The Due Process Clause of the Constitution was based on common law and on the Magna Carta, which became a foundation of English liberty against arbitrary power. The idea of the separation of powers in the Constitution was inspired by 18th-century Enlightenment philosophers such as Montesquieu and John Locke.
Secondly, the Articles could not be easily amended as they required unanimous consent from all 13 states, which was challenging due to rivalries and competition between the states. The central government could not collect taxes to fund its operations and had to rely on voluntary efforts from the states. This resulted in a lack of funds to maintain an effective military or back its currency.
Thirdly, the Articles were ineffective at governing the growing American states. The central government was extremely limited and had little power to settle disputes between states. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the country apart.
Finally, the Articles could not help settle Revolutionary War-era debts, and the government could not put down an internal rebellion, such as Shays' rebellion, without relying on state militias. These issues, along with the inability to adapt to the changing needs of the nation, led to the Articles being replaced by the US Constitution in 1787.
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The Constitutional Convention of 1787 created a powerful central government
The United States Constitution, constructed on September 17, 1787, is the oldest written constitution that has continuously remained in effect in the world. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 created a powerful central government, with a strong, independent executive branch, consisting of a President and Vice President. The President was to serve as the commander-in-chief of the military, with wide powers of appointment, including Supreme Court judges, and the power to veto legislative bills. The President was granted "executive power", including the power to make treaties and appoint ambassadors, with the consent of the Senate. The delegates at the convention, representing different interests and views, crafted compromises to form a completely new government, wary of centralised power and loyal to their states.
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787, with 55 delegates appointed by state legislatures to represent each state's welfare. The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution constructed in 1777 after the Revolutionary War with Great Britain. The Articles of Confederation were considered inadequate by many, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, as they gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, print money, or effectively support a war effort. The states retained considerable power, and the central government was deemed too weak to regulate commerce and settle quarrels between states.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 also addressed the issue of slavery, with some members voicing objections to it. However, the framers of the Constitution sidestepped the issue, as they believed that if the Constitution restricted the slave trade, some states would refuse to join the Union. The three-fifths clause in the Constitution gave the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College, protecting slavery and laying the foundation for future conflict.
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The Constitution's three-fifths clause gave the South extra representation
The United States Constitution, dated September 17, 1787, was influenced by the study of the Magna Carta and other federations, as well as the ideas of European Enlightenment thinkers like Montesquieu and John Locke. It was created to replace the Articles of Confederation, which had been in force since 1781 and was considered inadequate due to its lack of enforcement powers and inability to regulate commerce or print money. The Constitution aimed to address these issues and create a powerful central government.
One of the most challenging issues faced during the drafting of the Constitution was how to apportion representation of the states in Congress, particularly regarding the slave population. The Three-Fifths Compromise, also known as the Three-Fifths Clause, was a solution proposed by delegate James Wilson and seconded by Charles Pinckney. It stated that three-fifths of each state's slave population would be counted toward the state's total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives. This gave the Southern states more representation in the House relative to the Northern states, as they had a larger slave population.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was included in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution, which reads: "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other Persons." This clause was later superseded by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, which explicitly repealed the compromise.
While the Three-Fifths Compromise has been traditionally cited as evidence of the Constitution's pro-slavery stance, historians have more recently argued that it reflects an ambivalence toward slavery among the drafters. The decision to count enslaved people differently from others without full citizenship rights disadvantaged states with large slave populations. Additionally, the actual impact of the Three-Fifths Compromise on Southern representation in the House of Representatives was not as significant as often assumed. According to the 1850 United States Census, the South controlled 38% of the seats in the House, while approximately 39% of the population lived in Southern states.
In summary, the Constitutions' Three-Fifths Clause gave the South extra representation by counting three-fifths of each state's slave population toward the total population for apportioning the House of Representatives. This compromise addressed the challenge of apportioning representation among the states and reflected the complex attitudes toward slavery among the drafters of the Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was created in 1787, a few years after the Revolutionary War. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington believed that the young country was on the brink of collapse. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the country apart.
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787. After three months of heated debate, the delegates appointed a Committee of Detail to put its decisions in writing. On September 12, the Constitution was presented to the convention, and the delegates began to consider each section. On September 15, the final vote on the Constitution was held, and on September 17, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
The US Constitution established a federal form of government, with a strong, independent executive branch, including a President and Vice President. The President was to serve as commander-in-chief of the military and had wide powers of appointment, including the power to appoint Supreme Court judges. The President also had the power to veto legislative bills. The Constitution also established a system of checks and balances to prevent any one branch of government from acquiring too much power.
The US Constitution was influenced by the study of the Magna Carta and other federations, both ancient and extant. The Due Process Clause of the Constitution was partly based on common law and the Magna Carta, which had become a foundation of English liberty against arbitrary power. The idea of the separation of powers in the Constitution was influenced by eighteenth-century Enlightenment philosophers, such as Montesquieu and John Locke.
