COMMENTS

  1. U.S. Constitution: Articles, Ratifying & Summary

    The Constitution of the United States established America's national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens. It was signed on September 17, 1787 ...

  2. Constitution of the United States of America

    The Constitution was written during the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by 55 delegates to a Constitutional Convention that was called ostensibly to amend the Articles of Confederation (1781-89), the country's first written constitution. The Constitution was the product of political compromise after long and often rancorous debates over issues such as states' rights ...

  3. Constitution of the United 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 defence, 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.

  4. Overview of the Preamble

    The Preamble itself imparts three central concepts to the reader: (1) the source of power to enact the Constitution (i.e., the People of the United States); (2) the broad ends to which the Constitution is ordain [ed] and establish [ed]; and (3) the authors' intent for the Constitution to be a legal instrument of lasting Posterity. 3.

  5. Constitution of the United States

    The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States. [3] It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, ... John Jay (New York), a co-author of The Federalist Papers, served as chief justice for the first six years. The second chief justice, John Rutledge (South Carolina), ...

  6. The 2022 Edition

    Intro.1 The 2022 Edition. As the keystone of the United States, the Constitution informs federal and state law; delineates the distinct roles of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches of the U.S. Government; and demarcates the powers of the United States from those of the states. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black memorably remarked ...

  7. Constitution of the United States summary

    Federalist papers, series of 85 essays on the proposed new Constitution of the United States and on the nature of republican government, published between 1787 and 1788 by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in an effort to persuade New York state voters to support ratification.

  8. Constitution Annotated: A Research Guide

    The foundational legal document of the United States of America. ... This section encompasses essays on Article I of the Constitution dealing specifically with the Legislative branch, its powers, and functions. A recommended first stop is the annotated essay on the Historical Origin Limits on Federal Power. Legislative Vesting Clause:

  9. The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription

    We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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. Article. I. Section.

  10. The Constitution: What Does it Say?

    The Constitution of the United States contains a preamble and seven articles that describe the way the government is structured and how it operates. The first three articles establish the three branches of government and their powers: Legislative (Congress), Executive (office of the President,) and Judicial (Federal court system). A system of checks and balances prevents any one of these ...

  11. United States Constitution

    The Federalist (also known as The Federalist Papers) was issued as a series of highly influential essays in support of the proposed United States Constitution, most of which appeared initially in New York newspapers under the pen name "Publius" during 1787 and 1788. The actual authors were Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison.

  12. The Making of the U.S. Constitution

    We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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. ARTICLE 1 ...

  13. The Declaration, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights

    The Declaration was designed to justify breaking away from a government; the Constitution and Bill of Rights were designed to establish a government. The Declaration stands on its own—it has never been amended—while the Constitution has been amended 27 times. (The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights.)

  14. The Constitution of the United States: [Essay Example], 613 words

    The 1st amendment of the constitution is, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances"., this states that our ...

  15. The Constitution: How Did it Happen?

    On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution. George Reed signed for John Dickinson of Delaware, who was absent, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. It was an extraordinary achievement. Tasked with revising the existing government, the delegates came up with a completely new one. Wary about centralized power and loyal ...

  16. Federalist Papers: Primary Documents in American History

    The Federalist Papers were a series of eighty-five essays urging the citizens of New York to ratify the new United States Constitution. Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, the essays originally appeared anonymously in New York newspapers in 1787 and 1788 under the pen name "Publius."

  17. The 2022 Edition

    Mirroring the online Constitution Annotated, the 2022 edition of the Constitution Annotated features shorter, more specific essays to allow readers to locate relevant information more quickly. Detailed information on the placement of each essay within the Constitution's framework is included in the headers. Each essay includes its online ...

  18. Constitution Annotated

    U.S. Constitution at the Library of Congress. Constitution of the United States: Primary Documents in American History; Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774 to 1789; Creating the United States Constitution; Creating the Bill of Rights; U.S. Reports Collection; The Federalist Papers; Legal Research ...

  19. The Federalist Papers

    The Federalist Papers is a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the collective pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the Constitution of the United States.

  20. Full Text of the U.S. Constitution

    Article V. The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of ...

  21. Constitution of the United States (1787)

    EnlargeDownload Link Citation: Signed Copy of the Constitution of the United States; Miscellaneous Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Record Group 360; National Archives. View in National Archives Catalog Drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional

  22. About the Constitution Annotated

    The Constitution Annotated. The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation ("Constitution Annotated" or "CONAN") provides a legal analysis and interpretation of the United States Constitution based on a comprehensive review of Supreme Court case law and, where relevant, historical practices that have defined the text of the Constitution.

  23. The Constitution

    Enlarge PDF Link Constitution of the United States Signed Copy of the Constitution of the United States; Miscellaneous Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Record Group 360; National Archives. Drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the

  24. Overview of Basic Principles Underlying the Constitution

    As compared to the constitutions of the fifty states or of other countries, the United States Constitution is a short document that, with its current amendments, contains only a little more than 7,500 words 1 Footnote See Stephen Gardbaum, The Myth and the Reality of American Constitutional Exceptionalism, 107 Mich. L. Rev. 391, 399 (2008) (Overall, the U.S. Constitution is exceptional among ...

  25. Milestone Documents

    A note about the documents included on this page: These documents were originally selected for the project Our Documents: 100 Milestone Documents from the National Archives, a national initiative on American history, civics, and service.They were identified to "help us think, talk and teach about the rights and responsibilities of citizens in our democracy...These documents reflect our ...

  26. The United States Constitution

    1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed. 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited. 3.

  27. Presidential Succession Laws

    Footnotes Jump to essay-1 U.S. Const. art. II, § 1, cl. 6. Jump to essay-2 Act of Mar. 1, 1792, ch. 8, § 9, 1 Stat. 239, 240 (repealed 1886). Jump to essay-3 Id. Presumably, any successor would have to meet the Constitution's qualifications for the presidency—that is, the President must be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years of age, and a resident of the United States for at least ...