Eleanor Finch
The US Constitution, also known as the fundamental law of the US federal system of government, is the oldest written national constitution still in use. It defines the basic rights of citizens and the principal government organs and their jurisdictions. The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788, after being authored by the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention.
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What You'll Learn
- The US Constitution is also known as the 'fundamental law'
- The drafting of the Constitution is referred to as its 'framing'
- The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights
- The US Constitution is the oldest written national constitution in use
- The authors of the Constitution were known as Federalists
The US Constitution is also known as the 'fundamental law'
The US Constitution is also known as the fundamental law of the US federal system of government. It is the oldest written national constitution still in use. The Constitution defines the principal organs of government and their jurisdictions, as well as the basic rights of citizens.
The US Constitution was drafted at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall 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 delegates were chosen by their respective state legislatures. The Constitution was signed by 39 delegates and ratified on June 21, 1788, after nine states voted in favor of ratification.
The Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. The preamble sets the stage for the Constitution and communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document. It is not the law itself, but it introduces the highest law of the land. The preamble includes the famous phrase "We the People," indicating that the power of the union is vested in the people.
The Constitution acts as a merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures. It provides a framework for the US government and establishes a central government with enforceable powers, replacing the weaker Congress established by the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution also addresses the structure of the federal government, including the creation of a bicameral legislature with a Senate and a House of Representatives.
The Constitution has been amended several times to reflect changing societal needs and values. For example, the Fourth Amendment (1791) protects people against unreasonable searches and seizures of self or property by government officials. The Necessary and Proper Clause, also known as the Elastic Clause, confers incidental powers upon Congress without requiring express delegation for each power. These amendments demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of the Constitution to ensure it remains relevant and effective.
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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 attended by 55 delegates, chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states—Rhode Island refused to send delegates. The convention's initial mandate was to amend the Articles of Confederation, which had proven ineffective in meeting the needs of the young nation. However, the delegates soon began considering measures to replace the Articles.
Two plans for structuring the federal government emerged at the convention: the Virginia Plan, also known as the Large State Plan or the Randolph Plan, and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan proposed a bicameral (two-house) Congress elected on a proportional basis, an elected chief executive, and an appointed judicial branch. The New Jersey Plan retained the legislative structure created by the Articles of Confederation but also called for an elected executive.
The drafting process was not without controversy. The most serious dispute erupted over the regulation of commerce, with the southern states fearing economic harm from export taxes imposed by a New England-dominated Congress. Another contentious issue was representation in the lower house, which was eventually resolved by approving Senate equality and agreeing that direct taxation would be according to representation, based on the white inhabitants and three-fifths of the "other people."
The first draft of the Constitution was accepted on August 6, 1787, and the final document was completed five weeks later. The Constitution included a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments, the first 10 of which are known as the Bill of Rights. The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789, becoming the supreme law of the United States of America. It united the states under a federal government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, embodying the doctrine of separation of powers.
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The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights
The US Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first 10 amendments, ratified on December 15, 1791, are known as the Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to address the objections raised by Anti-Federalists and to limit the powers of the government. James Madison wrote the amendments to protect individual liberties through the Constitution. The amendments were also influenced by the Virginia Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason, as well as English documents such as the Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the English Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights includes specific guarantees of personal freedoms, such as freedom of speech, the right to publish, freedom of religion, the right to possess firearms, and the right to assemble. It also includes explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people.
The Fourth Amendment, for example, protects people against unreasonable searches and seizures of either self or property by government officials. It also imposes limitations on the police when investigating a crime and prevents the use of illegally obtained evidence at trial. The Ninth Amendment states that the enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people.
The Bill of Rights had little judicial impact for the first 150 years of its existence. However, in the 20th century, most of its provisions were applied to the states via the Fourteenth Amendment.
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The US Constitution is the oldest written national constitution in use
The US Constitution, also referred to as the Constitution of the United States of America, is the oldest written national constitution that is still in use. It was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788, after contentious debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments, the first 10 of which are known as the Bill of Rights.
The US Constitution is a fundamental document that outlines the framework for the US federal system of government and defines the basic rights of citizens. It establishes the principal organs of government, their jurisdictions, and the relationships between them. The Constitution also addresses the preservation of the Union and the role of the federal government, granting it a range of enforceable powers.
The drafting of the Constitution took place at the Constitutional Convention in Independence Hall, Philadelphia. Delegates from 12 of the 13 original states attended, with Rhode Island refusing to send representatives. The convention's initial purpose was to amend the Articles of Confederation, which had been ineffective in addressing the young nation's needs. However, the delegates quickly shifted towards considering more comprehensive changes.
Two notable plans for structuring the federal government emerged during the convention: the Virginia Plan (also known as the Large State Plan or Randolph Plan) and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan proposed a bicameral (two-house) Congress with proportional representation based on state population, an elected chief executive, and an appointed judicial branch. The New Jersey Plan retained the unicameral legislative structure while also calling for an elected executive.
The final document incorporated elements from both plans, including a bicameral legislature with a Senate and a House of Representatives. It also included several compromises on the issue of slavery, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise and a provision prohibiting Congress from banning the importation of enslaved people until 1808.
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The authors of the Constitution were known as Federalists
The US Constitution, composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments, is also known as "A More Perfect Union". The authors and supporters of the US Constitution were known as Federalists. The Federalists were those who supported the Constitution during the Constitutional ratification debates. The group included some of the most talented leaders of the era, including Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington.
The Federalists believed that the greatest threat to the future of the United States was not the abuse of central power, but rather the excesses of democracy. They saw their most important role as defending the social gains of the Revolution. They believed that the Constitution was required to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created. The Federalist Papers, a collection of writings by Hamilton, Jay, and Madison during 1787-88, laid out the ideology of the Federalists during the creation of the US Constitution. The papers, signed "Publius", were published in New York state newspapers The New York Packet and The Independent Journal, and were used to help interpret the intentions of those drafting the Constitution.
The Federalists were well-organized and well-funded, and they made careful use of the printed word. Most newspapers supported the Federalists' political plan and published articles and pamphlets to explain why the people should approve the Constitution. The Federalists were aware that the problems of the country in the 1780s stemmed from the weaknesses of the central government created by the Articles of Confederation. They saw the Constitution as a necessary step towards a stronger central government.
The drafting of the Constitution, 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 55 delegates appointed 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, but delegates quickly began considering measures to replace them, including the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. The Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, and the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution is the fundamental law of the US federal system of government and a landmark document of the Western world. It is the oldest written national constitution still in use.
The US Constitution is also known as the "highest law of the land".
The US Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.
The US Constitution was written by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Federalists.
