The United States Constitution

The foremost law of the nation, the U.S. Constitution outlines the structure and composition of the federal government.

Written in 1787 and signed on Sept. 17, 1787, by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, the Constitution wasn't approved by all nine states necessary for ratification until 1788.

Facts about the U.S. Constitution

Did you know the following facts about the U.S. Constitution?

• More than 11,000 amendments to the Constitution have been introduced in Congress. Twenty-seven have become amendments to the Constitution.
• The U.S. Constitution is the oldest and shortest written national constitution in the world.
• Two of America's founding fathers didn't sign the Constitution: Thomas Jefferson was in France representing the United States at the time of the signing, and John Adams was representing the United States in Britain.

The Making of the Constitution

In 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation that were established when the United States claimed independence from England. Representatives from each state were invited to discuss how the federal government could be improved.

After much debate, it was decided that a new Constitution should be written to strictly define the structure of the federal government. It was not until September 1787 that the newly drafted Constitution was presented to the convention.

When presenting the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin urged that the state representatives unanimously ratify the new document. After much debate, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution on June 21, 1788, thereby bringing the new government into effect. Eventually, all 13 states ratified the Constitution, albeit after it became federal law.

The Bill of Rights

In 1791, a list of 10 amendments outlining individual rights was added to the Constitution. These amendments came to be known as The Bill of Rights.

The 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights specifically outline the rights of American citizens under federal law and include, among other rights:

• freedom of speech
• freedom of the press
• right to bear arms.

Preamble to the U.S. Constitution

The Preamble to the Constitution is as follows:

"We the People of the United States of America, 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 Preamble is important because it indicates that the document is a product of the people of the United States. This is important because it establishes the fundamental idea that the government and the laws established by the U.S. government represent the entirety of the people of the United States rather than specific states, populations or interests.

Articles of the Constitution

The Articles of the Constitution strictly outline the structure and powers of the federal government:

• Article One establishes the legislative branch of the government, which includes the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. It also outlines how members of each are elected, the rules of debate and the powers of the Legislative branch.
• Article Two defines the executive branch, outlining the presidency. Article Two includes the process of election, the presidential oath and the powers and responsibilities of the president. It additionally outlines the process of impeachment and the succession of the vice president should the president die or become incapacitated.
• Article Three establishes the judicial branch and the Supreme Court, outlines the right to a trial by jury in criminal cases and defines the crime of treason. This article also empowers Congress to establish smaller courts, which are reviewable by the Supreme Court.
• Article Four outlines the contract between the individual states and the federal government. It defines the powers and limits of state laws and establishes equal treatment of citizens and respect of laws between states.
• Article Five outlines the process of amending the Constitution by either an act of Congress or a national convention of the states. Once proposed, amendments must be ratified by three-quarters of the states to pass.
• Article Six defines the Constitution as the supreme law of the land and requires that representatives of the federal government be bound in their decision by the Constitution. Article Six also defines that no religious test may be required for any person to be a representative of the government.
• Article Seven defines the requirements for ratification of the Constitution.

The Constitution of the United States is one of the most simple yet powerful documents outlining government in the world. By establishing a new idea granting power to both the federal government and individual states, the founding fathers guaranteed the citizens of the United States a representative government.