The Constitution of the

United States of America

 CONTENTS
• What is the US Constitution?
• History of the US Constitution
– Path to the Constitution
– Constitutional Convention
– Ratification
• Structure of the Constitution
• The Bill of Rights
• Important Amendments
• The Constitution today
 What is the US Constitution?
• The supreme law of the United States.
• It is the foundation and source of the legal
authority underlying the existence of the
United States of America and the Federal
Government of the United States.
• It provides the framework for the organization
of the United States Government.
• Stable government for 220+ years with only
minor changes required
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
 Constitutional
Convention
• Met in Philadelphia, PA on 25
may 1787
• Original intent was to revise the
Articles of Confederation
• James Madison was the
“Father of the Constitution”
• 55 delegates from 12 states
(Rhode Island did not send
delegates)
• 39 men signed it in september
17th 1787
• Anti-federalists insisted on a
Bill of Rights which became the
first 10 amendments to the
original Constitution.
Ratification
• Officially adopted in
1788 after ratified by
New Hampshire.
• Once the new
government
convened, they
added a Bill of
Rights to 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: Federal Power
– VII: Ratification
• Amendments:
– 27 Total
– 1st ten are the Bill of Rights
 Article I: Legislative Branch
• Bicameral: • Important Powers:
– Senate – Make laws
• 2 Senators for each state – Set taxes
– House of – Declare war
Representatives – Override Vetoes
• Based on population
– Borrow money
• Reps serve for 2 year – Regulate international
terms and national trade
• Senators serve for 6 – Print money
year terms
 Article II: Executive Branch
• President and Vice • Important powers:
President are elected to – Commander-in-Chief
4 year terms – Grant pardons
• Qualifications: – Make treaties
– At least 35 years old – Appoint federal officers
– 14 year resident of the – Ensure laws are
US executed
– Natural born citizen
• Elected by the Electoral
College
 Article III: Judicial Branch
• Supreme Court judges • Important Powers:
serve for life unless – Decides cases of
impeached. Constitutional law and
federal law
• Judicial power rests
– Cases involving
with US Supreme Court
ambassadors go straight
and other courts to Supreme Court
created by Congress – Judicial Review comes
later (1803 – Marbury v.
Madison)
 Other Important Articles:
• Article V: Amendments: • Article VI: Federal
– Amendments are proposed Power
when 2/3 of House and
– Supremacy Clause:
Senate deem it necessary
Federal law is supreme
– Amendments are proposed
to state law
when 2/3 of states deem it
necessary – No religious tests for
– Amendments must be public office
ratified by ¾ of state
legislatures or by
conventions in ¾ of states
 Important Amendments:
Bill of Rights
1. Freedom of religion, of 6. Right to a fair and speedy
speech, of the press, to public trial, Notice of
assemble, and to petition accusations, Confronting
2. Right to bear arms one's accuser, Subpoenas,
3. No quartering of soldiers Right to counsel
4. No unreasonable search and 7. Right to trial by jury in civil
seizure cases
5. Indictments; Due process; 8. No excessive bail & fines or
Self-incrimination; Double cruel & unusual punishment
jeopardy, and rules for 9. There are other rights not
Eminent Domain. written in the Constitution
10. All rights not given to Federal
Government belong to states
and people.
 The Constitution today
Each state also has a constitution, they are
the highest laws for that state — but the
United States Constitution is the highest
law of the land.
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.