Simone Lawson
The US Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, is a revered document that has endured and evolved over the last 200+ years. However, it is not without its faults and errors. Some of these errors are typographical, such as the inconsistent spelling of Pennsylvania and the use of “it's” instead of “its”. Others are grammatical, such as the use of during instead of for in Article II, Section 1, which changes the meaning of the sentence. There are also substantive errors, such as the exclusion of women and marginalized groups from the definition of the people. While these mistakes are undeniable, they highlight the human effort that went into crafting this enduring framework for governance. This article will explore the most glaring errors in the US Constitution and discuss their impact and potential remedies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Grammatical errors | Use of "it's" instead of "its" in Article I, Section 10 |
| Incorrect use of "during" instead of "for" in Article II, Section 1 | |
| Incorrect use of "a" instead of "the" in Article II, Section 1 | |
| Spelling errors | Pennsylvania spelled with two n's and then one n |
| Non-standard spelling of "choose" as "chuse" | |
| Substantive errors | 17th Amendment, section 1: "The electors [for U.S. senators] in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures." |
| Preservation and support of slavery | |
| Exclusion of women, non-white people, indigenous people, and non-property owners from the definition of "the people" | |
| Rule preventing governors of California and Michigan from offering themselves as presidential candidates |
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What You'll Learn
- Errors in the Constitution are typographical and congressional
- The Constitution has been criticised for preserving and propping up slavery
- There are grammatical errors in the 17th Amendment, section 1
- Article II, Section 1 implies the U.S. president holds office for an undefined duration during a four-year term
- The Constitution contains spelling errors, including the inconsistent spelling of Pennsylvania
Errors in the Constitution are typographical and congressional
The US Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, is a revered document in American history, but it is not without its faults and errors. While some of these errors have been remedied over time, such as the issues of slavery and Prohibition, others remain, and some new ones have even been introduced. These remaining errors in the Constitution can be categorized as typographical or congressional.
Typographical errors in the Constitution include inconsistencies in spelling and grammar. For example, the word "Pennsylvania" is spelled with two ns in some places and with one n in others, such as in the signature of Benjamin Franklin, where it was spelled as "Pensylvania." This error is ironic given that the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Another grammatical error is the use of "it's" instead of "its" in Article I, Section 10. This mistake may have gone unnoticed at the time, but it is considered incorrect according to modern grammar rules.
The Constitution also contains congressional errors, which are elements that deviate from the intentions of its authors and are substantively or grammatically incorrect. One such error can be found in the 17th Amendment, Section 1, which states that "The electors [for U.S. senators] in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures." The use of the plural "legislatures" instead of the singular "legislature" is contrary to the rules of English grammar and creates a discrepancy with the corresponding text in Article I, Section 2, clause 1.
Other errors in the Constitution have been introduced over time due to the challenges of reproducing a historical document accurately. The earliest errors were made by the scribe, Jacob Shallus, who produced the engrossed copy, and the printers who created the first versions of the document. Shallus's calligraphy, with its prominent capitalization of most nouns, differs from the style of the printers of 1787, leading to inconsistencies in modern printings that follow the engrossed copy. Despite these errors, it is important to recognize that the Constitution was a monumental human effort, and they do not diminish its power or significance.
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The Constitution has been criticised for preserving and propping up slavery
The United States Constitution has faced criticism for preserving and propping up slavery. The Constitution, which was drafted in 1787, did not originally abolish slavery, and it allowed each state to determine who was eligible to vote. In the early history of the US, most states only permitted white male adult property owners to vote.
The Constitution contained several provisions that protected the institution of slavery. Article 1, Section 9, prohibited Congress from banning the importation of slaves until 1808, and Article 5 prevented this from being amended. Article 1, Section 2, also known as the "Three-Fifths Compromise," provided that for purposes of representation in Congress, enslaved Black people in a state would be counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants of that state. This allowed states to increase their representation in Congress by counting their slave populations, despite denying those slaves any political rights. Article 4, Section 2, contained the "fugitive slave clause," which required that escaped slaves be returned to their owners, even if they had escaped to states where slavery had been abolished.
The Thirteenth Amendment, passed in 1865, finally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude (except as punishment for a crime) and authorized Congress to enforce abolition. The Fourteenth Amendment, passed in 1868, granted citizenship to former slaves and ensured equal protection under the law. However, racial inequalities that can be traced back to slavery have persisted in the US, and the Constitution has been criticized for not including a specific prohibition on discrimination in voting on the basis of race or sex. This was addressed by the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, which prohibited the denial of the right to vote on the basis of sex.
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There are grammatical errors in the 17th Amendment, section 1
The US Constitution, drafted in 1787, is a revered document, but it has had its fair share of faults and errors over the years. While some issues, like slavery and Prohibition, have been addressed, some errors remain. One such error is found in the 17th Amendment, Section 1.
Section 1 of the 17th Amendment includes a grammatical error, where the use of the plural "legislatures" should be singular, as in "legislature," to match the singular "each state." This error is a departure from the corresponding text in Article I, Section 2, Clause 1, which refers to the House of Representatives and uses the singular "legislature." The 17th Amendment, it is worth noting, pertains to the direct election of US senators, a significant shift from the original method of appointment by state legislatures.
The 17th Amendment's language first appeared in a proposal by Representative Henry St. George Tucker in 1892, and the erroneous "s" appeared in his text. Interestingly, this "s" disappeared when the joint resolution was passed by the House, only to reappear in subsequent iterations. This back-and-forth continued, with the "s" disappearing again, and the resolutions eventually dying due to a lack of majority support. The language evolved over time, with continued typographical variations, until the 17th Amendment was officially added to the Constitution in 1913.
While this grammatical error in the 17th Amendment, Section 1, stands out, it is important to remember that the Constitution is a human endeavour, and such mistakes are to be expected. These errors do not diminish the power or importance of the document but instead highlight the complexities of creating a lasting framework for governance.
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Article II, Section 1 implies the U.S. president holds office for an undefined duration during a four-year term
The US Constitution, drafted in 1787, is a document that has endured and evolved over the last 200-plus years. However, it is not without its faults, and some errors have been identified in the text. One of the most notable is found in Article II, Section 1, which states: "The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years".
The ambiguity in this section implies that the US president holds office for an undefined duration during their four-year term. The use of the word "during" suggests that the president's term is open-ended and not precisely defined as a four-year period. This imprecise wording may have been a simple grammatical oversight, but it has led to some confusion and interpretation over the years.
The section also vests executive power in "a" president, which may imply that multiple individuals could hold the office simultaneously. Clarifying this wording by using the article "the" instead of "a" would have indicated that only one person holds executive power at a time. This small but significant detail could have had important implications for how the presidency functions and the potential for shared or disputed executive power.
While these errors may seem minor, they highlight the challenges of drafting a perfect document that stands the test of time. The Constitution's authors were faced with the daunting task of creating a lasting framework for governance, and it is understandable that some mistakes or ambiguities may have slipped through.
Despite these issues, the Constitution has been praised for its articulation of fundamental equality and the notion that government power derives from the people. It has served as a foundation for American democracy and undergone amendments to address issues such as slavery and Prohibition. The process of interpreting and amending the Constitution is an ongoing one, ensuring that it remains a living document that adapts to the needs of a changing society. Harvard Law School scholars have noted that the Constitution is both brilliant and flawed, underscoring the complex nature of this foundational text.
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The Constitution contains spelling errors, including the inconsistent spelling of Pennsylvania
The US Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, is a historic document that has endured and evolved over the last 200+ years. It is a powerful framework for governance, but like any human effort, it is not without its flaws. One of the most glaring errors in the Constitution is the inconsistent spelling of the state name "Pennsylvania".
The name "Pennsylvania" appears with two different spellings in the Constitution. On one occasion, it is spelled with two Ns ("Pennsylvania"), and on another occasion, it is spelled with only one N ("Pensylvania"). This inconsistency is particularly notable because the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The single N spelling was common at the time and appeared on the Liberty Bell, but it was still an error as the state was named after its founder, William Penn.
The inconsistent spelling of Pennsylvania in the Constitution is not an isolated mistake. Other spelling errors in the document include the use of "chuse" instead of "choose" and the use of "it's" instead of "its," both of which were non-standard variations at the time. These errors likely occurred due to the rushed nature of the final preparation of the text. The scribe who produced the engrossed copy, Jacob Shallus, assistant clerk of the Pennsylvania legislature, had only a weekend to complete his task.
While these spelling errors may seem minor, they highlight the challenges of drafting a perfect document under time constraints. They also remind us that the Constitution is a human creation, subject to the limitations and fallibility of its creators. Despite these errors, the Constitution has endured and can be amended to better reflect the values of equality and justice that it aspires to uphold.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, has several glaring errors. One of the most notable is the inconsistent spelling of the word "Pennsylvania". The word appears with two ns ("Pennsylvania") in some places and with one n ("Pensylvania") in others. This error is particularly ironic given that the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Yes, in Article I, Section 10, the possessive form "its" is incorrectly written as the contraction "it’s" before "inspection Laws". Additionally, the Constitution uses the spelling "c-h-u-s-e" for "choose," which was a non-standard variation of the word at the time.
Yes, in addition to spelling errors, the US Constitution also contains grammatical errors. One example is in the 17th Amendment, Section 1, which states that "The electors [for U.S. senators] in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislatures." The use of the plural "legislatures" is incorrect and should be singular to agree with the singular "each state."
Yes, one substantive error is in Article II, Section 1, which states, "The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years..." The use of "during" implies that the President holds office for an undefined duration within a four-year term. If written as "for a term of four years," the phrase would indicate a precise length of time.
