Creation of the Constitution

Pennsylvania Press

Jasmine Patel, 1821

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Since 1740

March 10, 1809

Creating the Constitution

The first meeting of the Constitutional Convention, which was a gathering of state representatives in Philadelphia, took place on May 25, 1787. The Constitution, which was written during these meetings, was created to govern a more successful national government. Political figures like James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and William Paterson worked with other delegates, or framers, to create solutions surrounding the different issues with the new government, though not without many difficulties.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1809 - With the realization that the Articles of Confederation were ineffective, the future of the United States government was yet to be determined.Congress attempted to unify the states under one national government. However, states were wary of establishing such power, knowing that a strong central government would violate the very rights they worked to protect.

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Opening Statement of the Constitution

Slaves Count as 3/5 a Person

The Three Brnches of Government

Debate for the Ratification of the Constitution

The Preamble

Three-Fifths Compromise

Ratification

The Great Compromise & the Branches of Government

Ratifying the Constitution came with many difficulties. Once publicized, there were many different views surrounding it; federalists, those in favor of the Constitution, believed it was the perfect solution to their lack of government. Antifederalists argued that the Constitution gave too much power to individuals, and should be revised. States ratified the Constitution at different times.

States began to question how slaves should be counted in the population. To settle this argument, the Three-Fifths Compromise was proposed. This plan suggested that each enslaved individual would count as three-fifths of a person when deciding a state's population for representation in the House of Representatives.

The Preamble is the opening statement of the Constitution, created in Philadelphia in 1787. The Preamble introduces the main goals of the Constitution: forming a more perfect Union, establishing Justice, insuring domestic Tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general Welfare, and securing the Blessing of Liberty.

The Great Compromise was an agreement between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan, which tackled different ways to establish the organization of Congress. The compromise resulted in a two-house Congress; representation in the House was based on population, whereas the Senate would represent the state through an election.

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The Preamble

"Promote the General Welfare"

"Establish Justice"

By: Robert Miller

Promoting the general welfare implies that the government could support an effective economy and a prosperous society. The well-being of all people would be taken into consideration before any acts are taken into effect. For example, money could be set aside for programs that will BENEFIT the people, disabled workers and the unemployed would receive financial support, and education fees would be paid.

The Preamble next presents the idea of establishing justice, or fairness, within the new nation. A legal system where the law is applied fairly to all was preferred, and thus created.

The Preamble is the introductory statement of the United States Constitution, which was created in response to the need for a more powerful national government. The Articles of Confederation, though creating a union, gave power solely to each state. Recognizing these issues, public leaders like founding father Alexander Hamilton called a convention to draft the Constitution. The Preamble was created to inform the world of the purpose and objectives of the Constitution, and listed the following promises:

The Preamble is the introductory statement of the United States Constitution, establishing the goals and purpose of the new government, as the Articles of Confederation were not strong enough and needed a revision. Because of this need, the Preamble was created to inform the world of the purpose and objectives of the Constitution. The Preamble listed the following promises:

"Insure Domestic Tranquility"

Shays's Rebellion made it clear that the national government required the power to ensure peace at home. The government was in charge of protecting and enforcing the nation's peace and order.

"Secure the Blessings of Liberty"

The delegates wished for the government to preserve the liberties won during the American Revolution and keep them around for future generations to enjoy. Americans wished for the rights for which they fought so desperately to remain under their new framework of government. The Bill of Rights, for instance, outlines essential liberties and rights that the state is not allowed to restrict.

"Provide for the Common Defence"

There were no armed forces left for the U.S. to protect itself after the revolution. The nation was unable to remove British Forces from the western boundary, and without a navy, it was impossible to prevent Spain from losing a portion of the Mississippi River to American trade. It was decided that the nation would be protected from foreign foes by the national government since they enabled a defense stronger than if each state had its own individual army and navy.

"Form a More Perfect Union"

The Preamble first introduces the concept of the states cooperating as one united nation and establishing a solid trust with the national government. To accomplish this goal, the Constitution gives a broad though a limited range of powers to the national government; for example, only Congress has the power to tax all people.

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The Great Compromise

The Three Branches of Government

By: Gerald Smith

Legislative Branch

Judicial Branch

Smaller states, however, resented the Virginia Plan. Before its vote, William Paterson of New Jersey proposed a different approach--the New Jersey Plan. Similar to the Virginia Plan, Paterson's plan called for a government with three branches. The legislative branch, however, would only consist of one house, and each state would have the same votes in Congress, regardless of population.

When the Convention began, delegates struggled with one question: how would states be represented in the new government?

The Constitution's Article III provides the fundamental foundation for the judicial branch and establishes the Supreme Court as the nation's highest court. The two primary subordinate federal court systems that Congress has established are district and appellate courts. The 94 federal court districts that comprise the United States are grouped into larger regional circuits. People can request a higher court to examine a district court decision by filing an appeal. All federal judges, including justices of the Supreme Court, are said to serve for "good Behavior," which means that, once appointed, justices often serve on the Court for life. The Supreme Court has increased authority thanks to judicial review while upholding the "supreme Law of the Land."

Article I of the Constitution calls for the power to make laws in the legislative branch, otherwise known as Congress. Congress consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Members of the House serve two-year terms, whereas senators serve six. To balance the rights of large and small states, it was decided that every state consisted of two senators, and representation in the House was based on the population. It was within the ability of Congress to determine how money raised through taxes is spent, raise an army and navy, declare war, and grant citizenship.

The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison and proposed by Edmund Randolph, involved three branches of government: a legislative branch to create laws, an executive branch to carry out the laws, and a judicial branch to interpret the laws. The number of representatives and senators each state could send to the two houses of Congress—the House of Representatives and the Senate—was based on its population. Larger states favored this plan because they would have more representatives and power in Congress than states with smaller populations.

With delegates from both sides arguing their approach to representation in Congress, a compromise was soon to be reached. Roger Sherman of Connecticut suggested the idea of a two-house Congress, where the House of Representatives would represent the people and be based on the state's population, and the Senate would consist of two senators elected by their state legislatures representing each state.

Executive Branch

The executive branch is a way to carry out and execute the laws passed by the legislature. The president, or chief executive, is the head of the branch and serves a four-year term to "defend the Constitution." The president is the commander in chief of the nation's military forces, and can make treaties with others under the consent of the Senate, as well as nominate ambassadors and judges, and excuse the convicted.

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The Three-Fifths Compromise

By: Jeff Chester

Having agreed to base representation in one house of Congress on state population, the framers found it difficult to conclude how slaves would be counted in the population. Many slaves during the convention were owned in the South, and so Southerners argued that those enslaved should be counted the same as any other in determining representation. Northerners, on the other hand, believed that since slaves could not vote and were considered property, they shouldn't be counted in the population either.

To settle both sides, a compromise was proposed by James Madison. According to this compromise, referred to as the Three-Fifths Compromise, enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person when deciding on a state's population for representation in the House.

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The First Amendment

In order to win the debate in ratifying the Constitution, the first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added to promise basic rights to the people as soon as the new government was established. Many of the civil rights essential to living as an American are safeguarded by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, including freedom of speech, religion, and the press. The liberty to petition the government and protest peacefully was also covered under this amendment. The Founding Fathers found it crucial for citizens to be able to express themselves and their beliefs without restraint after being held under British oppression for so long. With the First Amendment being included in the Constitution, Americans could challenge the government in court if seen as unjust, practice religion freely, and communicate ideas openly through a democratic society.

Ratification

By: Gerald Way

Dates of Ratification, in Order

Because of the need for a stronger central government to unify the states, the Constitution was created. Approving the Constitution, however, was a long process. The framers decided that of the 13 states, nine had to accept the Constitution before it could go into effect, and the people would ratify it, as they were "the foundation of all power." The Constitution was declared finished as of September 17, 1787. However, not all agreed with its conditions--many believed that Congress and the president would only burden the nation, and the power of each branch of government would be too consuming. On the other hand, federalists, those who supported the Constitution, encouraged the document, arguing that the power of the government was limited, though strong enough to unite the states.

Delaware - December 7, 1787 Pennsylvania - December 12, 1787 New Jersey - December 18, 1787 Georgia: January 2, 1788 Connecticut: January 9, 1788 Massachusetts: February 6, 1788 Maryland: April 28, 1788 South Carolina: May 23, 1788 New Hampshire: June 21, 1788 Virginia: June 25, 1788 New York: July 26, 1788 North Carolina: November 21, 1789 Rhode Island: May 29, 1790

An Inside on Alexander Hamilton

Early Life

Hamilton stayed heavily engaged in public and political matters throughout his law career and was one of the presidents of the United States' most sought-after advisors.

to join forces with Patriots in protesting British-imposed taxes.

Alexander Hamilton, born in 1757 in Nevis, was merely a young boy struggling through his humble beginning early in his life. His mother's prior husband, John Lavien, was abusive, spending thousands of hard-earned money for his own use. His mother later went on to marry James Hamilton, with whom she birthed James, Alexander's older brother, just before he abandoned her and their children. Hamilton took on his first job as an accounting clerk at age 11 in an attempt to aid his family's impoverished state. It wasn't long before his employer saw the bright potential in Hamilton, and he was introduced to the world of business and trade. Hamilton's hard work led him to an education in America, at New York's King's College. Just before his graduation, however, Hamilton left

Career

Early in his career, Hamilton went on to become part of the Provincial Artillery Company during the Revolutionary War, fighting in Long Island, Trenton, and White Plains. During his service in battling for America's freedom, General George Washington appointed Hamilton as his assistant and trusted advisor, seeing the passion and skill he possessed. Hamilton took his place writing letters and reports for Washington during this time.Soon, Hamilton resigned from his position to Washington in favor of studying law. He created a firm in New York, where the majority of his clients were British Loyalists vowing their faith in the King. When the war ended, rebels sued Loyalists for overtaking their homes; it was Hamilton's job to defend the Loyalists.

Legacy

"No man in his senses can hesitate in choosing to be free, rather than a slave."

Hamilton was both a Founding Father and a delegate in the Constitutional Convention. It was with his word that he convinced New York to ratify the Constitution. He was a significant author of the Federalist papers, a collection of articles in favor of ratifying the Constitution, as well as the warrior who led a victory against the British in the Battle of Yorktown. He was appointed the first secretary of the treasury by George Washington in 1789 and aided the nation in a time of great debt. Hamilton was challenged to a duel on July 11, 1804, in New Jersey by Aaron Burr, where he was badly injured. He died the next day back in New York City and was buried in the cemetery of Trinity Church, where his legacy lives on.

Hamilton understood that when given the chance to choose between freedom and unjust ruling, one would always choose to be free. He aids in the creation of the Constitution in hopes of enabling lives without fear or the subjugation to oppression.

Constitution Word Search

Constitution United Nation Preamble Legislative Executive Judicial Compromise Union Justice Tranquility Ratify Delegate Legislative Congress Freedom