Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution, written in 1787, is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. Drafted in secret during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, the four-page document was signed on September 17, 1787, establishing the government of the United States. The Constitution has been an inspiration that changed the trajectory of world history, as it put governance in the hands of the people, allowing them to select their form of government.
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What You'll Learn
- The US Constitution was written and signed in 1787
- The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer
- The Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention
- The document was signed on September 17, 1787, and established the government of the United States
- The Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force
The US Constitution was written and signed in 1787
The US Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force, was written and signed in 1787. It was drafted in secret during the summer of 1787 by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention. The Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer, with the chief points of discussion being the amount of power to be allowed to the central government, the number of representatives in Congress for each state, and how these representatives should be elected.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Convention. The original signed, handwritten Constitution is at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The document established the government of the United States and continues to be the supreme law of the land. It is a charter of government that was ratified by the states. The Constitution is made up of seven articles, with the first three embodying 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).
The remaining articles of the Constitution (Articles IV, V, and 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 subsequently used by the 13 states to ratify it. The Constitution is a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise, and it has played an important role in American history and the spread of democratic ideals around the world.
Critical Period: Constitution's Birth
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The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer
The US Constitution was drafted in 1787, a time when the country was in the midst of the Revolutionary War. The Constitution was written by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, which convened in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, with the aim of revising the Articles of Confederation.
The delegates discussed and redrafted the articles of the Constitution, including how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow from each state, and how these representatives should be elected—directly by the people or by state legislators. The question of how to elect members of the two houses of Congress was a particular point of contention, with debate on this issue lasting for half the summer.
Another major issue was slavery. The economy of many Southern states depended almost entirely on agricultural products produced by slaves, and the Southern states wanted to protect their economic interests. The delegates argued about how to "count" slaves, and the final resolution was the Three-Fifths Compromise, a formula by which slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person when apportioning representation and taxation. This resolution was a compromise designed to produce harmony among conflicting interests within the Convention, though many delegates pointed out that it had little basis in logic or morality.
The Constitution was described by one commentator as "a bundle of compromises", and it was designed to meet certain specific needs and to remedy the defects experienced under the Articles of Confederation. The delegates' commitment to principles of equality, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence, was limited, and this was particularly evident in the debates relating to slavery. The delegates' quest for compromise led them to enshrine the institution of slavery within the new Constitution.
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The Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention
The United States Constitution was drafted in 1787 by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, also known as the Federal Convention. The Convention took place from May to September, with delegates from various states gathering to revise the Articles of Confederation.
The delegates took a vow of secrecy, ensuring that all communications regarding the proceedings remained confidential during the convention. They met in closed sessions, with windows sealed and curtains closed, to prevent their discussions from being overheard or prematurely shared with the public. This secrecy was deemed necessary to allow delegates to express their opinions freely, debate different ideas, and make informed decisions without external pressure or influence.
The delegates, dressed in the attire of their respective regions, endured the heat as they debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution. They grappled with crucial questions such as the balance of power between the central government and the states, the representation of each state in Congress, and the method of electing these representatives.
The resulting Constitution, a four-page document, established the government of the United States and delineated the framework of the federal government. It embodied the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and stands as a testament to cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise.
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The document was signed on September 17, 1787, and established the government of the United States
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and established the government of the United States. The document was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787. The Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, so the first public printing of the Constitution, published in a newspaper two days after it was signed, represented the first time that Americans saw the document.
The Constitution was written and signed in Philadelphia in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. This was the same place the Declaration of Independence was signed. The Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer. The chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected.
The Constitution is a charter of government that was ratified by the states and continues to be the supreme law of the land. It is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It is also the world's shortest national constitution. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, in which the federal government is divided 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).
The Constitution has been an inspiration that changed the trajectory of world history, as it put governance in the hands of the people. In 1787, no country in the world had ever allowed its citizens to select their own form of government, much less to select a democratic government.
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The Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force
The United States Constitution, written and signed in 1787, is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution still in force. Drafted in secret during the summer of that year, this four-page document was signed on September 17, 1787, and established the government of the United States. It is a charter of government that 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. The Federal Convention met in the State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitution is a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise. It stands as a powerful vision of freedom and a revolutionary document that put governance in the hands of the people. The document consists of seven articles, with the first three embodying 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). The remaining articles (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 is considered a "limited constitution", preserved in practice through courts that can declare void any legislation contrary to it. The preservation of the people's authority over legislatures is ensured by the judicial system. The Supreme Court was initially composed of jurists intimately connected with the framing of the Constitution and the establishment of its government as law. John Jay (New York), a co-author of The Federalist Papers, served as the first chief justice. The Constitution also established a system of checks and balances, limiting the powers of each branch of government.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was written in 1787.
The US Constitution was written in Philadelphia, in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall.
The US Constitution is a four-page document that established the government of the United States. It is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world.
The US Constitution is based on the idea of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise. It embodies the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.
The US Constitution is significant because it put governance in the hands of the people. It is a model of democratic ideals and has inspired the world with its powerful vision of freedom.
