Isabella Carter
The Constitution of the United States is a foundational document that outlines the country's judicial system, government structure, and the rights and liberties of its citizens. Drafted by Jacob Shallus and ratified in 1781, it acted as a merger, uniting a group of states with diverse interests, laws, and cultures under a single national government. The Constitution consists of four to five pages, depending on the source, and is on permanent display at the National Archives. It has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789, with amendments appended to the original document. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, protect individual liberties and limit government powers. The US Constitution has influenced the constitutions of other nations and is considered a pivotal document in the founding of the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Length | 4-5 pages |
| Format | Handwritten on parchment |
| Author | Jacob Shallus |
| Location | National Archives Museum, displayed in the Rotunda |
| Amendments | 27 |
| Purpose | Unite states with different interests, laws, and cultures under one national government |
| Ratification | Requires ratification by 3/4ths of the states (38/50) |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution is a merger of states
The US Constitution is a document that acts as a merger of states, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Constitution's main provisions include seven articles that define the basic framework of the federal government. The first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III).
Article IV, Article V, and Article VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relation to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. Article VII establishes the procedure used by the 13 states to ratify the Constitution. The Constitution also outlines the US judicial system, with Article III describing the court system and the types of cases the court takes as original jurisdiction.
The Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, protect individual liberty and justice and restrict government powers within the US states. Amendments to the Constitution are appended to the document, becoming an operative part of it once ratified by three-fourths of the states. The Constitution, with its amendments, has united citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people.
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It outlines the US judicial system
The US Constitution is a document that outlines the country's laws, rights, and governing principles. It is a written constitution, the first permanent one of its kind, and has been amended 27 times since it came into operation in 1789.
The Constitution is significant because it united a group of states with diverse interests, laws, and cultures under one national government. It outlines the US judicial system, with Article III describing the court system, or the judicial branch. This article establishes the federal judiciary and vests the judicial power of the United States in federal courts, specifically the Supreme Court and inferior courts ordained and established by Congress.
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and is the court of last resort for those seeking justice. It has original jurisdiction over certain cases, such as suits between states or cases involving ambassadors, and appellate jurisdiction on almost any other case involving constitutional or federal law. The Constitution protects the right to a trial by jury in criminal cases and defines treason.
While the Constitution establishes the Supreme Court, it allows Congress to decide how to organize it. Congress first exercised this power in the Judiciary Act of 1789, creating a Supreme Court with six justices and establishing the lower federal court system. This Act also began to fill in the details of the judicial system outlined in the Constitution.
The Supreme Court plays a crucial role in ensuring each branch of government recognizes its power limits and protects civil rights and liberties by striking down laws that violate the Constitution. It also sets limits on democratic government by preventing popular majorities from passing laws that harm or take advantage of unpopular minorities.
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It has been amended 27 times
The US Constitution is a legal document that outlines the country's fundamental principles, governmental structure, and citizens' rights and liberties. Coming into effect in 1789, it has since been amended 27 times.
Amendments to the US Constitution are appended to the original document, unlike amendments to many constitutions worldwide. The first ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were adopted to specifically protect individual liberty and justice and to restrict the powers of the government within US states.
The 17 later amendments primarily expand on civil rights protections, address federal authority, and modify government processes. For example, Amendment XI, passed by Congress in 1794 and ratified in 1795, modified Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution, clarifying that the judicial power of the US does not extend to certain suits involving a state by citizens of another state or foreign state.
Another example is the Twenty-first Amendment, which is the only amendment ratified using the convention method. This amendment prohibited the importation and transportation of intoxicating liquors into the US for delivery or use, unless ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the individual states within seven years.
The most recent amendment, the Twenty-Seventh Amendment, states that no law varying the compensation for the services of Senators and Representatives shall take effect until after an election of Representatives has taken place.
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The first US constitution was the Articles of Confederation
The United States Constitution is a legal document that outlines the country's laws, rights, and governing structure. It has been amended 27 times since it came into force in 1789, with amendments appended to the original document. The original US Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus.
Before the US Constitution, the Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the United States. It was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789 when the present-day Constitution went into effect. The Articles of Confederation established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. It created a weak central government, with limited powers, and allowed the individual states to retain significant autonomy, including control over their militias. The Articles also established a unicameral legislature, with each state having one vote in Congress, regardless of population size.
The process of drafting and ratifying the Articles of Confederation was challenging. The Continental Congress, facing the urgency of the British capture of Philadelphia, delegated the task of drafting the Articles to a committee. The committee's work was complicated by the need to relocate multiple times to evade British troops. The final draft of the Articles was completed on November 15, 1777, and submitted to the states for ratification. Ratification by all 13 colonies took more than three years, with Virginia being the first state to ratify on December 16, 1777.
Despite the establishment of the Articles of Confederation, the young nation faced significant challenges. The central government lacked the power to regulate commerce, levy taxes, or effectively support a war effort. It struggled with a depleted treasury, inflation, and disputes with states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. These issues led to the convening of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles and ultimately led to the creation of the new Constitution, which granted more power to the central government.
The Articles of Confederation, while serving as the first constitution of the United States, were replaced by the current US Constitution, which has been amended over time to address issues related to individual liberties, federal authority, and government processes.
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The Charters of Freedom secured Americans' rights
The United States Constitution is a document of paramount importance in the history of the world. It is a permanent constitution, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures under one federal government. The Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, protect individual liberty and justice and restrict government powers. The subsequent 17 amendments largely expand on civil rights protections.
The Constitution is one of three documents that are collectively known as the Charters of Freedom. The Charters of Freedom are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States. They have secured the rights of the American people for over two centuries. The other two documents are the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and outlines the reasons for separation from Great Britain. The document asserts that people are born with certain natural rights, including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," that do not come from political leaders or charters.
The Constitution defines the framework of the federal government of the United States. It outlines the US judicial system, including the court system and the kinds of cases the court takes as original jurisdiction. The Constitution also establishes the power of the union in the people, uniting its citizens as members of a whole.
The Charters of Freedom are preserved and displayed in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. The room is designed as a shrine to American democracy, featuring ornate architecture and murals depicting scenes from the country's history.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution is a document that outlines the US judicial system and acts as a merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures.
The US Constitution unites citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people. It also establishes justice, ensures domestic tranquility, provides for the common defence, promotes general welfare, and secures the blessings of liberty to the citizens.
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, protect individual liberty and justice and restrict government powers. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections.
The US Constitution is on permanent display at the National Archives. It is also available online as a transcription of the original document, including the original spelling and punctuation.
