United States Constitution

The foundation of American government

The Foundation of American Government / Hy. Hintermeister.
Reproduction of painting of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and others sign
ing the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1 photomechanical print: color.
Newark, New Jersey:
Osborn Co., c1925.
Prints & Photographs Division.
Reproduction Number:
LC-USZ62-995
The members of the Constitutional Convention signed the United States Constituti
on on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Constitutional Conve
ntion convened in response to dissatisfaction with the Articles of Confederation
and the need for a strong centralized government. After four months of secret d
ebate and many compromises, the proposed Constitution was submitted to the state
s for approval. Although the vote was close in some states, the Constitution was
eventually ratified and the new Federal government came into existence in 1789.
The Constitution established the U.S. government as it exists today.
Library of Congress Web Site | External Web Sites | Selected Bibliography
Digital Collections
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation
This collection contains congressional publications from 1774 to 1875, including
debates, bills, laws, and journals.
Elliot's Debates is a five-volume collection compiled by Jonathan Elliot in the
mid-nineteenth century. The volumes remain the best source for materials about t
he national government's transitional period between the closing of the Constitu
tional Convention in September 1787 and the opening of the First Federal Congres
s in March 1789.
Farrand's Records gathered the documentary records of the Constitutional Convent
ion into four volumes, three of which are included in this online collection, co
ntaining the materials necessary to study the workings of the Constitutional Con
vention. The notes taken at that time by James Madison, and later revised by him
, form the largest single block of material other than the official proceedings.
The three volumes also include notes and letters by many other participants, as
well as the various constitutional plans proposed during the convention such as
the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.
The Making of the U.S. Constitution is a special presentation that provides a br
ief history of the making of the Constitution followed by the text of the Consti
tution as originally adopted.
An American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of Broadsides and Other Printed Epheme
ra
The Printed Ephemera collection comprises 28,000 primary-source items dating fro
m the seventeenth century to the present and encompasses key events and eras in
American history. Search this collection to locate additional printed ephemera r
elated to the Constitution.
Constitution of the United States of America.. [With] Ratification of the consti
tution of the United States by the convention of the state of Rhode Island and P
rovidence plantations ... In Convention, May 29, 1790
Poughkeepsie, July 2, 1788. Just arrived by express, The ratification of the new
constitution by the Convention of the State of Virginia, on Wednesday the 25th
June, by a majority of 10; 88 agreeing, and 78 dissenting to its adoption

Richmond, State of Virginia. In Convention, Wednesday the 25th of June, 1788. Th

e Convention, according to the order of the day resolved itself into a committee
of the whole convention to take into farther consideration the proposed constit
ution
Supplement to the Independent Journal, New-York, July 2, 1788. In our Independen
t Journal of this morning, we announced the ratification of the new constitution
by the convention of Virginia
To the people of Maryland. The following facts, disclosing the conduct of the la
te convention of Maryland is submitted to the serious consideration of the citiz
ens of the state ... [n. p. 1788]
Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 17741789
This collection contains 277 documents relating to the work of Congress and the
drafting and ratification of the Constitution. Items include extracts of the jou
rnals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and
early printed versions of the United States Constitution.
The Constitutional Convention Broadside Collection (21 titles) dates from 1786 t
o 1789 and includes documents relating to the Constitutional Convention of 1787,
extracts of proceedings of state assemblies and conventions relating to the rat
ification of the Constitution, and several essays on ratification. Most of the i
tems in the collections are composed of a single sheet, meeting the classic defi
nition of a broadside. Some items, however, range in length to twenty-eight page
s. Search on the word "Constitution" to find these broadsides.
This collection also contains an essay titled To Form a More Perfect Union that
examines American history from 1774 to 1789, including the work of the Constitut
ional Convention.
George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress
The complete George Washington Papers collection from the Manuscript Division at
the Library of Congress consists of approximately 65,000 documents.
Constitution, Printed, with Marginal Notes by George Washington, September 12, 1
787
Virginia Delegates to Congress, May 1787, Copy of Plan for New Government in Con
vention by the State of Virginia (in Washington's hand)
New Jersey Delegates to Congress, May 1787, Propositions to the Constitutional C
onvention (in Washington's hand)
Search this collection using the words "Constitution" or "Constitutional Convent
ion" to find additional documents, including a copy of the diary Washington kept
during the Constitutional Convention.
The James Madison Papers
The James Madison Papers consists of approximately 12,000 items that document th
e life of the man who came to be known as the Father of the Constitution. Includes
an essay on Madison's role in the Constitutional Convention.
James Madison. Original Notes on Debates in the Federal Convention (Part 1 - ),
Including Introduction.
James Madison. Original Notes on Debates in the Federal Convention (Part 2 - Jul
y 26, 1787 -.
John C. Payne's Copy of James Madison's Original Notes on Debates in the Federal
Convention of 1787
Search this collection to locate additional documents related to the Constitutio
n.

The Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress

The complete Thomas Jefferson Papers from the Manuscript Division at the Library
of Congress consists of approximately 27,000 documents.
Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, December 20, 1787. Jefferson received a copy
of the Constitution in November, 1787, while living in France. Beginning on the
second page of this letter to James Madison, Jefferson expressed his opinions on
the new Constitution, including his belief that a Bill of Rights was needed.
Alexander Hamilton, June 18, 1787, Proposals for United States Constitutional Co
nvention
Thomas Jefferson, 1788, Notes on the United States Constitution
Search this collection using the words "Constitution" or "Constitutional Convent
ion" to find additional documents on this topic.
Words and Deeds in American History
In honor of the Manuscript Division's centennial, its staff has selected for onl
ine display approximately ninety representative documents spanning from the fift
eenth century to the mid-twentieth century.
Alexander Hamilton's notes for a speech proposing a plan of government at the Fe
deral Convention, [18 June 1787]
America's Library
Jump Back in Time: The New United States of America Adopted the Bill of Rights
December 15, 1791
Meet Amazing Americans: James Madison's Contribution to the Constitution
Congress.gov
Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation
The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation (p
opularly known as the Constitution Annotated) contains legal analysis and interp
retation of the United States Constitution, based primarily on Supreme Court cas
e law. This regularly updated resource is especially useful when researching the
constitutional implications of a specific issue or topic.
Exhibitions
American Treasures of the Library of Congress - Report of the Committee of Detai
l
On July 24, 1787, the Federal Convention appointed a five-man Committee of Detai
l, chaired by John Rutledge of South Carolina, to prepare a draft constitution t
hat encompassed the results of deliberations up to that point.
American Treasures of the Library of Congress - Report of the Committee of Style
During the Constitutional Convention, the Committee of Style was appointed "to r
evise the style of, and arrange, the articles which have been agreed to by the H
ouse." On September 12, 1787, the Convention ordered copies printed and distribu
ted to the delegates. This copy belonged to James Madison.
Creating the United States
This online exhibition offers insights into how the nation s founding documents we
re forged and the role that imagination and vision played in the unprecedented c

reative act of forming a self governing country. The exhibition contains a section
on creating the United States Constitution.
Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor
This exhibition commemorates the 800th anniversary of the creation of Magna Cart
a, the charter of liberties that England s King John granted to his barons in 1215
in order to halt their rebellion and restore their allegiance to his throne. Th
e exhibition contains a section on the Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution.
The Teachers Page
American Memory Timeline: The United States Constitution
Discusses the Constitutional Convention and links to related documents.
Constitution Day Teacher Resources
In celebration of Constitution Day, the Library of Congress has compiled a varie
ty of materials from across its collections related to the U.S. Constitution.
Primary Source Set: The Constitution
This Primary Source Set includes images, documents, maps, sound files and analys
is tools to help teach about the United States Constitution.
Today in History
September 17, 1787
Members of the Constitutional Convention signed the final draft of the Constitut
ion on September 17, 1787.
October 27, 1787
Known as the Federalist Papers, the first in a series of eighty-five essays by "
Publius," the pen name of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, appea
red in the New York Independent Journal on October 27, 1787.
December 12, 1787
On December 12, 1787, delegates to the Pennsylvania ratifying convention meeting
at the Pennsylvania State House voted to ratify the Constitution.
December 18, 1787
The New Jersey ratifying caucus approved the Constitution on December 18, 1787.
January 9, 1788
On January 9, 1788, Connecticut ratified the Constitution, becoming the fifth st
ate in the Union.
July 26, 1788
On July 26, 1788, the Convention of the State of New York, meeting in Poughkeeps
ie, voted to ratify the Constitution.
December 15, 1791

The new United States of America adopted the Bill of Rights, the first ten amend
ments to the U.S. Constitution, confirming the fundamental rights of its citizen
s on December 15, 1791.
Webcasts
Award-winning author and journalist Linda R. Monk discussed her book, The Words
We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution (Hyperion, 2003), at the Li
brary of Congress on April 14, 2003.
Link disclaimerExternal Web Sites
The American Constitution - A Documentary Record, The Avalon Project at Yale Law
School
America's Founding Documents: Constitution of the United States, National Archiv
es and Records Administration
Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, Gover
nment Printing Office
The Founders' Constitution, University of Chicago Press and the Liberty Fund
Interactive Constitution, National Constitution Center
Our Documents, Constitution of the United States, National Archives and Records
Administration
Selected Bibliography
Amar, Akhil Reed. America s Constitution: A Biography. New York: Random House, 200
5. [Catalog Record]
Bowen, Catherine Drinker. Miracle at Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitution
al Convention, May to September, 1787. Boston: Little, Brown, 1986. [Catalog Rec
ord]
Collier, Christopher, and James Lincoln Collier. Decision in Philadelphia: The C
onstitutional Convention of 1787. New York: Random House, 1986. [Catalog Record]
Maddex, Robert L., The U.S. Constitution A to Z. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 200
8. [Catalog Record]
Maier, Pauline. Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788. New
York: Simon & Schuster, 2010. [Catalog Record]
Monk, Linda R. The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution. N
ew York: Hyperion, 2003. [Catalog Record]
Rakove, Jack N. Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Const
itution. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1996. [Catalog Record]
Stewart, David O. The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution. New
York: Simon & Schuster, 2007. [Catalog Record]
Vile, John R. The Constitutional Convention of 1787: A Comprehensive Encyclopedi
a of America's Founding. 2 vols. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2005. [Catalog
Record]
-----. The Men Who Made the Constitution: Lives of the Delegates to the Constitu

tional Convention. Lanham: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2013. [Catalog Record]
Younger Readers
Banks, Joan. The U.S. Constitution. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001
. [Catalog Record]
Bjornlund, Lydia D. The Constitution and the Founding of America. San Diego, Cal
if.: Lucent Books, 2000. [Catalog Record]
Collier, Christopher, and James Lincoln Collier. Creating the Constitution, 1787
. New York: Benchmark Books, 1999. [Catalog Record]
Faber, Doris, and Harold Faber. We the People: The Story of the United States Co
nstitution Since 1787. New York: Scribner's, 1987. [Catalog Record]
Fritz, Jean. Shh! We're Writing the Constitution. New York: Putnam, 1987. [Catal
og Record]
Orr, Tamra. The Story of the Constitution. Hockessin, Del.: Mitchell Lane Publis
hers, 2012. [Catalog Record]
Shea, Therese. The United States Constitution. New York: Gareth Stevens Publishi
ng, 2014. [Catalog Record]
Sonneborn, Liz. The United States Constitution. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2013
. [Catalog Record]