Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution was the first complete written national constitution. However, it was neither the first constitution of a general government nor the first written constitution. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States. The document was drafted in mid-June 1777 and ratified in March 1781. The US Constitution, which was ratified in 1788, has been a notable model for governance worldwide, influencing the constitutions of other nations. The idea of a single written constitution became popular around the world after the American Constitution was ratified, with Poland and France adopting their first written constitutions in 1791.
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What You'll Learn
- The US Constitution was the first complete written national constitution
- The US Constitution has influenced other constitutions worldwide
- The US Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles and 27 amendments
- The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights
- The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first US Constitution
The US Constitution was the first complete written national constitution
The US Constitution was not the first constitution of the United States. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, drafted in mid-June 1777 and adopted by the full Congress in mid-November of the same year, was the first constitution of the US. However, it was weak and ineffective in meeting the young nation's needs, with a weak executive branch, no national power of taxation, and voting by states.
The US Constitution was drafted to replace the Articles of Confederation. The first proposal discussed was introduced by delegates from Virginia, who called for a bicameral (two-house) Congress that would be elected on a proportional basis based on the state. The nationalists, led by James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Wilson, worked towards strengthening the federal government.
The US Constitution has been a notable model for governance worldwide, especially through the 1970s. Its influence can be seen in the similarities in phrasing and borrowed passages in other constitutions, as well as in the principles of the rule of law, separation of powers, and recognition of individual rights. The American experience of fundamental law with amendments and judicial review has inspired constitutionalists worldwide.
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The US Constitution has influenced other constitutions worldwide
The US Constitution has had a profound influence on the constitutions of other nations. Signed on September 17, 1787, it introduced novel concepts such as checks and balances, separation of powers, and defining and limiting the powers of the government. The US Constitution was also the first permanent constitution, interpreted, supplemented, and implemented by a large body of federal constitutional law.
The influence of the US Constitution can be seen in similarities in phrasing and borrowed passages in other constitutions. For example, the Australian Constitution adopted a federal system similar to that of the US, with a senate representing the states. It also incorporated the concepts of a formal separation of powers and judicial review. The framers of the Australian Constitution drew from the US Constitution as well as the Canadian and Swiss constitutions while preserving Westminster parliamentary traditions and the British monarchy.
The US Constitution has also influenced the legal thinking and constitutional development of other nations. Abraham Lincoln, for instance, was informed by the US Constitution during the American Civil War. His contemporary and ally Benito Juárez of Mexico, and the second generation of 19th-century constitutional nationalists, José Rizal of the Philippines, and Sun Yat-sen of China, were also influenced by the US Constitution.
Additionally, the US Constitution's impact can be seen in the spread of ideas and exchanges between Americans and their counterparts. For example, smuggled translations of the US Constitution circulated in Hispanic America. The US Constitution's principles, such as constitutional conventions, written constitutions, ratification, and amendment procedures, have also been adopted by other nations.
However, it is important to note that the influence of the US Constitution has waxed and waned over time. Democratizing countries often chose more centralized British or French models of government, particularly the British Westminster system. Since the 1980s, the influence of the US Constitution has been waning as other countries have created new constitutions or updated older ones.
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The US Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles and 27 amendments
The US Constitution, the world's first permanent constitution, has served as a model for governance worldwide, influencing the constitutions of other nations. It is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments, beginning with the Bill of Rights, which comprises the first 10 amendments.
The US Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus and signed on September 17, 1787, with ratification following on June 21, 1788. The first 52 words of the Constitution introduce the articles and amendments that follow. The preamble begins with the famous words, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
The seven articles make up the structural constitution. The first three articles establish the three branches of the federal government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The fourth article discusses the relationship between the states and the federal government, while the fifth article outlines the process of amending the Constitution. The sixth article establishes the Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and the seventh article sets the procedure for its ratification.
The 27 amendments to the Constitution have expanded individual civil rights protections, addressed issues related to federal authority, and modified government processes and procedures. The first ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791, and offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice while placing restrictions on the powers of the government within the US states.
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The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights
The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights became law on December 15, 1791, when ten amendments were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures. The first Congress of the United States initially proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution on September 25, 1789.
The amendments of the Bill of Rights add to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms, such as freedom of speech, the right to publish, freedom of worship, freedom of assembly, and the right to bear arms. They also ensure protections such as due process and trial by jury.
The Bill of Rights was strongly 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, the English Bill of Rights, and the Massachusetts Body of Liberties. James Madison wrote the amendments as a solution to limit government power and protect individual liberties.
The Ninth Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out. The Tenth Amendment states that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated to it in the Constitution.
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The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first US Constitution
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, also known as the Articles of Confederation, was the first US Constitution. It was an agreement and early body of law in the Thirteen Colonies, serving as the nation's first frame of government during the American Revolution. The Articles were drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in mid-June 1777 and were adopted by the full Congress on November 15, 1777. The Articles gave little power to the central government, with the Confederation Congress lacking enforcement powers. The implementation of most decisions, including amendments to the Articles, required legislative approval by all 13 newly formed states.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union established a weak confederal government, only affording it the powers the former colonies recognised as belonging to the British Crown and Parliament during the colonial era. The document provided clearly written rules for how the states' league of friendship, known as the Perpetual Union, was to be organised. While waiting for all states to ratify the Articles, the Congress observed them as it conducted business during the American Revolution, directing the Revolutionary War effort, conducting diplomacy with foreign states, addressing territorial issues, and dealing with Native American relations.
The ratification process for the Articles took over three years, with all 13 colonies finally ratifying the document by March 1, 1781. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union served as the first permanent constitution, influencing the constitutions of other nations. The US Constitution has been a notable model for governance worldwide, with similarities found in the phrasing and principles of other constitutions, such as the rule of law, separation of powers, and recognition of individual rights.
While the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first US Constitution, earlier written constitutions of independent states exist, such as the Swedish Constitution of 1772 and the Constitution of San Marino of 1600, which is the oldest surviving constitution in the world.
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Frequently asked questions
The second written constitution in the world was the Constitution of the United States, ratified on June 21, 1788. It was the first complete written national constitution.
The first written constitution was the Constitution of San Marino, adopted in 1600.
A constitution is a written document that outlines the rules and principles that govern a nation. It establishes the powers and duties of the government and often includes a bill of rights that protects the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.
The US Constitution consists of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights, which protect individual liberties and limit the powers of the government. The US Constitution has influenced the constitutions of many other nations.
