Eleanor Finch
The Constitution is a country's supreme law, outlining the rights of citizens and the country's government system. The US Constitution, written in 1787, was formed after the Revolutionary War, when the country was on the brink of collapse due to disputes between states. The Constitution was important as it established a powerful central government, preventing further disintegration. It also played a significant role in spreading democratic ideals globally. The US Constitution is the oldest active codified constitution, and its impact is evident in the democratic world today.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| A charter of government | Ratified by the states |
| Written in 1787 | Continues to be the supreme law of the land |
| Result of months of passionate, thoughtful deliberation among the delegates | Played an important role in American history and the spread of democratic ideals around the world |
| Powerful central government | One of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world |
| Protection of the slave trade for 20 years | Allowed states to count three-fifths of their slaves as part of their populations, for representation in the federal government |
| Required the return of escaped slaves to their owners | The Connecticut Compromise proposed a Congress with proportional representation in the lower house |
| Allowed equal representation in the upper house (the Senate), giving each state two senators | |
| The first amendment prohibited the importation of slaves | |
| Authorized Congress to levy an income tax | |
| Provides for equal representation of the states in the Senate | |
| Established that the Constitution and federal laws have supremacy over state laws | |
| Included a Bill of Rights | |
| Has unenumerated rights, including the right to travel, the right to vote, the right to privacy, and the right to make important decisions about one's health |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitution was written and signed in 1787
The Constitution of the United States was written and signed in 1787. It is the oldest active codified constitution in the world. The Constitution was penned during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention, which took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia, with delegates from the 13 states gathering to recommend changes to the existing charter of government, the Articles of Confederation. Many Americans believed the Articles of Confederation had resulted in a weak and ineffective central government.
The delegates included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, who feared that the young nation was on the brink of collapse due to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. The Constitutional Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, and the final document was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total to 39 signatures.
The Constitution was an entirely new form of government, creating a powerful central government. It included several compromises to hold the Union together, such as the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a Congress with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation in the Senate, giving each state two senators. The Constitution also included provisions protecting the slave trade, such as allowing the importation of slaves for 20 years and requiring the return of escaped slaves to their owners.
The document was then ratified by the states, with Article VII stating that ratification by nine states was required for the Constitution to come into effect. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788, and the new government commenced on March 4, 1789. The Constitution remains the supreme law of the land in the United States and has played a significant role in spreading democratic ideals worldwide.
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It was a charter of government that came to be ratified by the states
The US Constitution was written and signed in 1787. It was a charter of government that replaced the Articles of Confederation, which many Americans believed had created a weak and ineffective central government. The Constitution was formed during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, which took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The document was signed on the final day of the convention.
The Constitutional Convention was convened to revise the existing government, but the delegates ended up creating a new form of government. The Constitution was the result of months of passionate and thoughtful deliberation among the delegates, who represented a wide range of interests and views. Notable delegates included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington, who served as president of the convention.
The Constitution was an important document because it created a powerful central government that addressed the challenges facing the young nation. It replaced the Articles of Confederation, which had given the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. The Constitution also included several compromises on slavery, which held the Union together and aided its ratification. These included protecting the slave trade for 20 years, allowing states to count three-fifths of their slaves as part of their populations for representation in the federal government, and requiring the return of escaped slaves to their owners.
The ratification process for the Constitution was established in Article VII, which stated that the ratification of nine states was sufficient for the establishment of the Constitution. The document was ratified by the required number of states on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to do so. The Constitution continues to be the supreme law of the land in the United States.
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The delegates formed an entirely new form of government
The Constitution of the United States was written and signed in 1787. It was a charter of government that came to be ratified by the states and continues to be the supreme law of the land. The Constitution was written during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. It was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
The Constitution was the result of months of passionate and thoughtful deliberation among the delegates. Many important contributions were made by those who served on the Committee of Detail and the Committee of Style. Notable delegates included Benjamin Franklin, George Washington (who served as president of the convention), James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Oliver Ellsworth, Nathaniel Gorham, Edmund Randolph, John Rutledge, and James Wilson.
The Constitution did not go into effect immediately after it was signed. It needed to be approved by the people through the ratification process, which was a close contest. Article VII of the Constitution established that ratification by nine states would be sufficient for the establishment of the Constitution between those states. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, and the Confederation Congress established March 4, 1789, as the date to begin operating the new government.
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The Anti-Federalists argued that a Bill of Rights should be added
The US Constitution is the oldest active codified constitution in the world. It was written and signed in 1787, and it continues to be the supreme law of the land. The Constitution was drafted during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, and it wasn't until two days after it was signed that the document was published in a newspaper, "The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser".
During the Constitutional ratification debates, Anti-Federalists argued that a Bill of Rights should be added. They believed that the new Constitution consolidated too much power in the hands of Congress and the executive branch, at the expense of the states. They saw the "unitary president" role as potentially "king-like", and thought that this could forcibly convert the government into a pseudo-monarchy. They also believed that the liberties of the people were best protected when power resided in state governments, rather than a federal one.
The Anti-Federalists argued that a Bill of Rights was necessary to explicitly state and protect the fundamental rights of the people, and to clearly define the limits of government power. They believed that without a Bill of Rights, the federal government would become tyrannous and endanger certain rights. They saw the supremacy clause, in combination with the necessary and proper and general welfare clauses, as allowing implied powers that could threaten rights.
Federalists rejected the need for a Bill of Rights, asserting that the state governments had broad authority to regulate matters, and that in the US Constitution, the people and states retained all rights and powers not granted to the federal government. They also believed that any listing of rights could be interpreted as exhaustive, and rights omitted could be considered as not retained. They saw bills of rights as historically ineffective, and believed that people's rights were better secured by auxiliary precautions, such as the division and separation of powers, bicameralism, and a representative form of government.
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The Constitution is the oldest active codified constitution
The US Constitution is the oldest active codified constitution in the world. It was written and signed in 1787, and it continues to be the supreme law of the land. The Constitution was penned during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. It was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates representing 13 states. The Constitution did not go into effect immediately after being signed; it needed to be ratified by the people.
The Constitution was the result of months of passionate and thoughtful deliberation among the delegates. Many others besides James Madison made important contributions, particularly those who served on the Committee of Detail and the Committee of Style. The delegates were tasked with revising the existing government but ultimately created a new form of government. Wary of centralised power and loyal to their states, they crafted a powerful central government that included checks and balances.
The Constitution was a response to the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, which 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 young country apart. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to address these issues and ended up drafting a new constitution.
The ratification process for the Constitution was not easy, with Anti-Federalists arguing that it lacked a Bill of Rights and created a powerful central government. However, the Federalists, who supported the Constitution, eventually secured enough states to ratify it. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, establishing the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. The Constitution has since been amended several times to address issues such as slavery and taxation.
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Frequently asked questions
A constitution is a document that outlines the rules and laws of a government.
The US Constitution was written and signed in 1787, and it is the oldest active codified constitution in the world. It was important because it created a powerful central government to replace the weak and ineffective government of the Articles of Confederation, which had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, and couldn't print money.
The US Constitution was the result of passionate and thoughtful deliberation among the delegates, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. It was written during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, and it continues to be the supreme law of the land. The Constitution also addressed slavery, protecting the slave trade and allowing states to count three-fifths of their slaves towards their population for representation in the federal government.
