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The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force, was written in 1787 during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention. The four-page document was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788, establishing the government of the United States. It has been an inspiration, changing the trajectory of world history, by putting governance in the hands of the people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date written | May 25, 1787 - September 17, 1787 |
| Date signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Location written | Philadelphia Convention, State House, Philadelphia |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Number of articles | 7 |
| Number of amendments | 27 |
| First 10 amendments | The Bill of Rights |
| Date ratified | June 21, 1788 |
| Date operational | 1789 |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution was written and signed in 1787
The Constitution is a four- or five-page document that establishes the government of the United States and divides power between the federal government and the states. It is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments, the first ten of which are known as the Bill of Rights. The 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 consists of the bicameral Congress, the executive branch consists of the president and subordinate officers, and the judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The Constitution was not just the work of a single person but the work of many minds, standing as a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise. It is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world, influencing the constitutions of other nations. While other countries have older constitutional provisions, the US Constitution was the first written constitution of an independent polity adopted by representatives elected by the people.
The Constitution did not go into effect immediately after being signed. It needed to be ratified by the people and the states. It became operational in 1789 and has since been amended 27 times to expand individual civil rights protections, address federal authority issues, and modify government processes.
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It was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention
The United States Constitution was drafted in the summer of 1787, in Philadelphia, during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention. The Federal Convention convened on May 14, 1787, in the State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. The delegates to the convention were tasked with revising the Articles of Confederation. However, through discussion and debate, it became clear by mid-June that the convention would not amend the existing Articles but would instead draft a new frame of government.
The convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy. The delegates to the convention were anxious to return home by early September, and compromise came easily. The convention was ready to turn the Constitution over to a Committee of Style and Arrangement, with Gouverneur Morris as the chief architect. The Constitution was presented to the convention on September 12, and the delegates began to consider each section.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and it established the government of the United States. It was a four-page document, handwritten on parchment by Jacob Shallus. The document was signed in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. The signing of the Constitution took place in the same location as the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which occurred in 1776.
The Constitution was the result of discussion and debate among the delegates to the convention. 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 large states wanted proportional strength in the number of delegates, while the state legislatures wanted the right to select delegates, and the House wanted the right to choose the president if no candidate received a majority of electoral votes. The result was the electoral college, a compromise that accommodated these competing interests.
The Constitution is a charter of government that was ratified by the states and became operational in 1789. It has been amended 27 times since it was written. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of the government within the US states. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections, address issues related to federal authority, or modify government processes and procedures.
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The Constitution is the supreme law of the land
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in the world, was signed on September 17, 1787, and became operational in 1789. It is the supreme law of the land in the United States. The Preamble to the Constitution states:
> We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure 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 Constitution also delineates the relationship between the states, requiring them to give "full faith and credit" to the laws, records, contracts, and judicial proceedings of other states. States are barred from discriminating against citizens of other states and cannot enact tariffs against one another. The Constitution further establishes the procedure for the ratification and amendment process, which has been amended 27 times since its ratification. Amendments can be proposed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress or by a convention called at the request of two-thirds of the states.
The Constitution is a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise, ensuring that the government has enough power to act on a national level while also protecting the fundamental rights of its citizens. It serves as the foundation of the United States' legal system and has been the subject of judicial review and interpretation by the Supreme Court.
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It has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force, was signed on September 17, 1787, and became operational in 1789. It has been amended 27 times since then. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791, and offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice, and place restrictions on the powers of the government within the US states. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections, while others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures.
The US Constitution is a four-page document that established the government of the United States. It was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787. The Federal Convention convened in the State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates soon realised that rather than amend the existing Articles, they would need to draft an entirely new frame of government. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788.
The Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The 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). 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 model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise. It has been an inspiration that changed the trajectory of world history, as it put governance in the hands of the people.
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The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights
The United States Constitution was drafted in secret during the summer of 1787 and signed on September 17, 1787. It established the government of the United States and is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world.
The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to address the lack of limits on government power. Federalists advocated for a strong national government, while Anti-Federalists wanted power to remain with state and local governments and favoured a bill of rights to safeguard individual liberty.
James Madison, then a member of the US House of Representatives, wrote the amendments to limit government power and protect individual liberties. The amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791, and offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of government within the US states.
The first three articles of the Constitution 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).
The first ten amendments, or the Bill of Rights, include:
- Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
- The right to free speech, a free press, and the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government.
- The right of the people to keep and bear arms.
- No soldier shall be quartered in any house in times of peace or war without the owner's consent.
- The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.
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Frequently asked questions
The United States Constitution was written in 1787.
The United States Constitution is a four-page document that established the government of the United States. It is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments.
The United States Constitution is significant because it established the government of the United States and is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It has also been an inspiration that changed the trajectory of world history, as it put governance in the hands of the people.
The key features of the United States Constitution include the separation of powers 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 United States Constitution was written in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention.
