Isabella Carter
The US Constitution of 1787 was drafted in Philadelphia by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, including James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The four-page document, signed on September 17, 1787, established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments, and outlined a system of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To establish the government of the United States, addressing the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation |
| Date | Drafted in the summer of 1787, signed on September 17, 1787 |
| Location | State House (Independence Hall), Philadelphia |
| Attendees | Delegates from 12 states, with Rhode Island refusing to participate |
| Leadership | George Washington, former commanding general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War |
| Format | A four-page document with seven articles defining the basic framework of the federal government |
| Key Provisions | Separation of powers into legislative, executive, and judicial branches; establishment of Congress with a House of Representatives and Senate; definition of the manner of election and qualifications for members of Congress |
| Ratification | Required ratification by nine of the 13 states (a two-thirds majority), ignoring the previous requirement of unanimous approval of all states under the Articles of Confederation |
| Amendment Process | Designed to establish a balance between pliancy and rigidity, enabling both general and state governments to propose amendments |
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What You'll Learn
To revise the Articles of Confederation
The 1787 US Constitution was drafted to address the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation, which was the United States' first constitution. The Articles of Confederation, which came into force in 1781, had created a weak central government that struggled to regulate commerce, pass and enforce laws, and effectively manage foreign policy and state disputes.
The Articles of Confederation had also resulted in considerable paperwork, bogging down important business. This led to the establishment of an executive branch to handle routine matters. However, the executive branch was initially intended to have limited power, with the Senate handling significant issues like treaty ratification.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 aimed to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, it soon became clear that they would need to draft an entirely new form of government. The convention was attended by delegates from 12 states, with Rhode Island refusing to participate.
The new constitution established a federal government with more specific powers, including the authority to conduct foreign relations. The government was divided into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. This model relied on a system of checks and balances, with each branch having distinct responsibilities and powers.
The legislative branch consisted of a bicameral Congress, with a House of Representatives and a Senate. The executive branch consisted of the President and subordinate officers, while the judicial branch comprised the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
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To establish a federal government
The original US Constitution of 1787 established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing federal authority between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
The legislative branch, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I), holds all legislative powers. The Congress is made up of a Senate and House of Representatives, with each house able to originate bills. Qualifications for members of Congress are outlined in Article I, including age, citizenship, and residency requirements. The executive branch (Article II) consists of the President and subordinate officers, while the judicial branch (Article III) consists of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The framers of the Constitution originally envisioned a weak presidency and a strong legislature. They established an executive branch to handle routine paperwork and matters of lesser consequence, while the Senate would handle important issues such as treaty ratification. The executive branch was also given powers related to foreign affairs, although important powers such as treaty ratification remained under the legislative branch.
The Constitution's seven articles define the basic framework of the federal government, with each article focusing on specific aspects of governance. The Constitution introduced a completely new form of government, replacing the Articles of Confederation and addressing the problems of a weak central government. The division of powers between the three branches of government aimed to create a system of checks and balances, ensuring that no one branch held too much power.
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To define the framework of the federal government
The original US Constitution of 1787 was drafted to establish a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The Articles of Confederation, which preceded the Constitution, had created a weak central government that faced challenges in conducting foreign policy and passing or enforcing laws.
The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing federal authority between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. The legislative branch, as described in Article I, is made up of a bicameral Congress, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Article II establishes the executive branch, which consists of the President and subordinate officers. The judicial branch, outlined in Article III, is comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The framers of the Constitution, including James Madison of Virginia and Alexander Hamilton of New York, sought to create a new form of government that addressed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. They proposed a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances between the three branches. The legislative branch was intended to be strong, with the Senate handling important issues like the ratification of treaties, while the executive branch, which included the presidency, was imagined to be relatively weak and focused on routine matters.
The Constitution also defined the manner of election and the qualifications of members of Congress. Representatives were required to be at least 25 years old, citizens of the United States for seven years, and residents of the state they represented. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention debated and redrafted the articles throughout the summer of 1787, and the final version was signed by 39 of 55 delegates on September 17, 1787.
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To outline the legislative, executive, and judicial branches
The original US Constitution of 1787 was drafted to establish a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The Constitution was also intended to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing federal authority between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
The legislative branch, as outlined in Article I, consists of a bicameral Congress, with a House of Representatives and a Senate. Article I establishes the manner of election and the qualifications of members of each body. For instance, representatives must be at least 25 years old, be a citizen of the United States for seven years, and live in the state they represent.
Article II outlines the executive branch, which consists of the President and subordinate officers. The executive branch was established to deal with routine paperwork and matters of lesser consequence, while the Senate handled more important issues.
The judicial branch, as outlined in Article III, consists of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing power among these three branches. This separation of powers was intended to establish a balance between pliancy and rigidity, allowing for necessary changes while preserving the stability of the Constitution.
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To address issues from the Revolutionary War
The US Constitution of 1787 was drafted in secret by 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, which met between May and September 1787. The convention aimed to address issues arising from the Revolutionary War, including the payment of war debts, and to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had established a weak central government.
The Articles of Confederation had created a federal government that faced challenges in conducting foreign policy, due to its inability to pass or enforce laws. The delegates to the convention, led by General George Washington, rejected the Articles of Confederation and created the first written constitution for any nation in the world.
The US Constitution established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. Many of the responsibilities for foreign affairs fell under the authority of an executive branch, although important powers, such as treaty ratification, remained the responsibility of the legislative branch.
The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. The legislative branch consisted of a bicameral Congress, with a House of Representatives and a Senate. The executive branch consisted of the President and subordinate officers, while the judicial branch consisted of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances, aiming to create a government of limited powers that nevertheless had the energy to fulfil its duties as outlined in the Constitution's preamble. They also established a framework for negotiating issues of state and national power.
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Frequently asked questions
The original US Constitution was intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, which were deemed too weak and inadequate to the exigencies of government.
The Articles of Confederation were criticised for creating a weak central government that was ineffective in conducting foreign policy and unable to pass or enforce laws.
The US Constitution established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to foreign affairs. It also introduced a new model of government that divided federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, creating a system of checks and balances.
The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The legislative branch consisted of a bicameral Congress, the executive branch consisted of the President and subordinate officers, and the judicial branch consisted of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and submitted to the Congress of the Confederation. It was then forwarded to the thirteen states for their ratification. Under Article VII, ratification by just nine of the thirteen states was required, and this was achieved.
