EnchantedLearning.com The Constitution of the United States

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The Constitution of the United States is a document that outlines the basis of the Federal (national) government of the USA. It was written in 1787 at the "Constitutional Convention" held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 55 men at the convention are called the "Founding Fathers" of the USA, and are also known as the "framers of the Constitution." Some of the more famous of the framers are George Washington (the first President of the USA), James Madison (the fourth President of the USA), Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton.

The US Constitution was ratified (approved) on June 21, 1788. It replaced the earlier set of rules, the Articles of Confederation (which were written in 1781, but gave Congress very little power).

The Preamble of the Constitution is the short introduction to the Constitution; it explains that the document proposes to establish a more perfect government complete with justice, tranquility, and liberty. It states, "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, 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 sets up the US government as a republic with three branches of government: the Legislative branch (which makes the national laws and consists of Congress), the Executive branch (headed by the President), and the Judicial branch (which interprets the Constitution and laws, and consists of judges in courts). The Constitution sets up the power balance between states and the Federal government, details how to add new states to the USA, tells how the Constitution can be amended, and enumerates requirements for ratifying (approving) the Constitution by the states.

Many amendments (changes to the Constitution) have been made throughout the years. The first 10 amendments, called the Bill of Rights, were added in 1791; the Bill of Rights preserves the rights of the people, including the freedom of speech and religion, among others. So far, there have been 27 amendments to the constitution.

The US Constitution has been the model for many countries' constitutions around the world. It is a great document that has withstood the test of time in creating a government that has functioned well for over 200 years while preserving individual liberty and justice.

Related Pages:

US Constitution Read about the US Constitution, including who wrote it, when it was written, and what it contains.

Classroom Constitution Write a short set of rules on how your classroom should be run, including how to form a group that makes rules, how to form a group to enforce the rules, and how to choose a leader (and what the leader's powers will be). Also include how to ratify your constitution (how to get it accepted).

Three Branches of the US Government - Graphic Organizers In these printable graphic organizer worksheets, the student fills in the three branches of the US government as outlined in the US Constitution. Older students can add facts about the three branches and the duties and responsibilites of each.

George Washington Page Read about George Washington.