The United States Constitution

Adapted from
http://www4.esc13.net/uploads/ss/docs/constitution/Constitution_Day_elementary.ppt.

https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks/GSO%20Frameworks/American-Government-Civics-Unit6-Constitutional-
Convention.ppt.

http://st-descartes.esuhsd.org/~phippsb/page4/files/PPT-The%20U.S.%20Constitution.ppt
Path to the Constitution
After declaring
independence from Great
Britain, the colonies knew
Magna Carta
1215
that if they wanted to grow
After they
and prosper, declaring
would
independence
need fromunity.
a plan for Great Britain,
the colonies knew to grow and
Effective
prosper, March a1,plan
they needed 1781,
for
the colonies
unity. Effective were
March governed
1, 1781, the
colonies
by were governed
the Articles of by the
Articles of Confederation.
Confederation.
Mayflower
Compact
1620

Thomas Jefferson
Author of the “Declaration of Independence”

English Bill of Declaration of Articles of

Rights Independence Confederation
1689 1776 1781
Path to the Constitution

The Articles of Confederation

posed many challenges. The
powers of the central
government were weak and the
Articles were impossible to
amend.

John Adams
Founding Father and 2nd President

Articles of The Federalist United States

Confederation Papers Constitution
1781 1787-1788
1788
 Why was the Constitution written?
• Shays’ Rebellion:
– An uprising of farmers
in Massachusetts in
1786 – led by Daniel
Shays.
– Helped convince
leaders that a strong
central government
was needed.

"A scene at Springfield, during Shay's Rebellion, when the

mob attempted to prevent the holding of the Courts of
Justice."—E. Benjamin Andrews, 1895
 Path to the Constitution

In May of 1787, delegates from

each state met to write a new
Constitution. Through discussion
and debate over issues like states’
rights, individual rights, and the
power of the national government, a
compromise was made and the
result became the “law of the land,”
the U.S. Constitution.

James Madison
“Father of the Constitution”

United States Amendments

Constitution The Bill of Rights 11-27
1791
1788 1795-1992
 Constitutional Convention
• Met in Philadelphia, PA
• Original intent was to revise
the Articles of Confederation
• James Madison was the
“Father of the Constitution”
• 39 men signed it in 1787
Constitutional Convention: Members
• 55 delegates from 12 states (Rhode
Island did not send delegates)
• White
• Males
• Statesmen, lawyers, planters. bankers,
businessmen
• Most under age 50
Constitutional Convention: Absent
• John Adams - ambassador to England
• Thomas Jefferson - ambassador to
France
• Patrick Henry - “smelled a rat”
• Samuel Adams - not chosen by state to
be part of the delegation
 Constitutional Convention:
Famous Members
• Alexander Hamilton – Proponent of strong
government
• George Washington – President of the
convention
• James Madison – “Father of the
Constitution”
• Benjamin Franklin – Oldest member at 81
 Federalists v. Anti-Federalists
• Federalists: • Anti-Federalists:
– Supported the – Supported a weaker
Constitution and a central government –
strong central felt too much power
government was taken away from
– Alexander Hamilton, the states
James Madison, John – Opposed the
Jay Constitution
– Federalist Papers – – Wanted a Bill of Rights
series of articles included
written in defense of – Samuel Adams,
the Constitution Patrick Henry
 Celebrate the Constitution

Popular “The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.

Sovereignty -George Washington
September 17, 1787 was a glorious day! The
U.S. Constitution was finally signed by the
delegates of the Constitutional Convention. The
Constitution included a strong central
government based on compromise; it outlined
national powers and provided provisions for
amending the Constitution.

Checks and Limited

Balances Government

George Washington Separation of

Powers
President of the Constitutional
Convention and 1st President
Ratification
• Officially adopted in
1788 after ratified by
New Hampshire.
• Once the new
government
convened, they
added a Bill of
Rights to the
Constitution.
 A Living Document

Because there was so much interest

and debate regarding individual rights, on
December 15, 1791, ten amendments
known as the Bill of Rights were added to Federalism
the U.S. Constitution. Since then,
seventeen more amendments have been
added to the Constitution.

Individual
Rights
Republicanism
Benjamin Franklin
Signer of the Constitution and
Founding Father
Celebrate the Constitution Today
Today, the “law of the land” is
still the U.S. Constitution. It has
sustained controversial issues, a civil
war, and the changes that 200 years of
American society brings. But it is strong
and enduring.

The Constitution of the United States was made not merely for the generation
that then exist, but for the posterity - unlimited undefined, endless, perpetual
posterity
-Henry Clay (1877-1852)
American statesman - U.S. Congressman and Senator
 Constitution Vocabulary
• Ratify: To agree to, to sign, to approve
• Amend: To add to, to change
• Veto: To refuse to sign, to reject
• Bill: A proposed law
• Suffrage: The right to vote
• Bicameral: 2 house legislature (2 house
Congress)
• Impeach: To accuse of wrongdoing
 A Living Document
LOOSE INTERPRETATION
• A.K.A. “Loose Construction of
Constitution”
– Interpretation of Constitution
must be flexible
– People change, society
changes, technology changes--
Constitution must adapt
– What the Constitution doesn’t
say EXPLICITY, the branches
of government can do
• Who supports a loose
interpretation?
Answer: Federalists, Liberals
STRICT INTERPRETATION
• A.K.A. “Strict Construction of
Constitution”
– Constitution should remain the
constant
– The Constitution must be the
measure of social, ethical, and
moral change
– Government can ONLY do what
the Constitution EXPLICITLY
says
• Who supports a strict interpretation?
Answer: Anti-Federalists,
Conservatives
 A Living Document

The Constitution is both a product of its

time and a document for all time. It can be
changed as society’s needs change.
 A Document for All Time
• Original Constitution a product of its time
– Reflects wisdom and biases of the Framers; relatively few changes in
over 220 years
– Survived the Civil War, presidential assassinations, and economic crises
to become world’s oldest written constitution
• Original document not perfect
– Perpetuated injustices with compromises permitting slavery and the
slave trade
– States given power to set qualifications for voting; women, nonwhites,
and poor people denied right to vote
– Decisions reflected societal attitudes of the times
• Ability to incorporate changing ideas of freedom and liberty keeps
document relevant to each new generation since 1789
A Constitution for All Generations
 The Constitution is the Blueprint
4,500+ words Basic principles
• Constitution blended ideas from the • Structure and language expresses
past with uniquely American six basic principles:
principles of governing Popular sovereignty
• Three main parts: Limited government
1) Preamble – lists purposes of Separation of powers
Constitution (broad goals)
Checks and balances
2) The 7 articles – create structure of
Judicial review
the U.S. government
Federalism
3) The 27 amendments – changes
added during the nation’s history

Framers believed if federal government reflected and remained true to

basic principles, goals of U.S. Constitution could be accomplished.
 &
Majority Rule – a system in which the group that
has the most members makes decisions
Majority Rule
Judicial review is the idea, fundamental to the US system of government,
that the actions of the executive and legislative branches of government
are subject to review and possible invalidation by the judicial branch.
 Federalism
• The powers of government are distributed between the national
government and state governments
• Framers struggled to find acceptable distribution of powers with the
rights of states and sufficient national government strength
 Enumerated powers:
Items found in Article I, Concurrent Reserved Powers:
Section 8 of the U.S. Powers Powers not given to the
Constitution that set (Shared federal government that
forth the powers of Powers): can be used by a state
Congress. Authority shared or local government
by both the
Delegated Powers: federal
Powers given government and
specifically to the the state
federal government by governments
the Constitution
 Structure of the Constitution
• Preamble:
– Statement of purpose
• Articles:
I: Legislative Branch
II: Executive Branch
III: Judicial Branch
IV: Relations Among the States
V: Amendment Process
VI: National Supremacy
VII: Ratification
• Amendments:
– 27 Total
– 1st ten are the Bill of Rights
The Preamble
 How the Constitution is Divided
1. Articles –
the major divisions
2. Sections –
divisions of an article
3. Clauses –
divisions of a section
 Article I: Legislative Branch
• Section 1: What is a Congress?
Legislative (law-making) power in a bicameral
legislature [2 houses: Senate and House of
Representatives]

• Section 2:
House of Representatives
 Article I: Legislative Branch

• Section 3: Senate

• Section 4: Meetings
of Congress

• Section 5: Rules and Procedures

• Section 6: Privileges and Restrictions

 Article I: Legislative Branch
• Section 7: How a Bill Becomes a Law

• Section 8: Powers of Congress

• Section 9: Powers Denied to Congress

• Section 10: Powers Denied to States

 Article 2: Executive Branch
• Section 1: President and Vice President

• Section 2: Powers of the President

• Section 3: Duties of the President

• Section 4: Impeachment
 Article 3: Judicial Branch
• Section 1: Federal Courts

• Section 2: Jurisdiction of Federal Courts

• Section 3: Treason
 Article 4: Relations Among
the States
• Section 1: Official Acts

• Section 2: Privileges of
Citizens

• Section 3: New States

• Section 4: Guarantees
of the States
Article 5: The
Amendment
Process
 Article 6: National Supremacy
• Section 1: National Debt

• Section 2: National Supremacy

• Section 3: Oath for

Government Officials
 Article 7: Ratification
• 9 states needed to ratify the Constitution
• Signed September 17, 1787