The 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.”

2
 Terms to know
3
Amendment -
a minor change or addition
designed to improve a text,
piece of legislation, etc.
Delegate -
a person sent or authorized to
represent others, in particular
an elected representative sent
to a conference.
Bill of Rights -
the first ten amendments to the
US Constitution, ratified in 1791
and guaranteeing such rights as
the freedoms of speech,
assembly, and worship.
Constitution -
a body of fundamental
principles or established
precedents according to which
a state or other organization is
acknowledged to be governed.
Branches of Gov.
are the three divisions that make
up the federal government and
the state governments in the
United States.
Federal Gov.
national government of the
United States, a federal
republic in North America,
composed of 50 states, a
federal district, five major
self-governing territories and
several island possessions.
 Our 1st Constitution
The United States has gone through many constitutions
before we settled on the one we know now.

4
 Answer the following review questions
5
◈ What document signing made the colonies think
about having a central government?

◈ Which was the first state to ratify the Articles?

◈ What was the Treaty of Paris in 1783?

◈ Why did the Articles of Confederation fail?

 The Articles isn’t working for the colonies
6
In May of 1787 The Articles of
Confederation clearly was NOT working
for the colonies.

So 55 men from 12 colonies met up to

revise it. However Virginia Governor
Edmund Randolph showed a plan created
by James Madison for the design of an
entirely new central government.

Rhode Island decided not to attend.

7
 The Constitution of the United States
8 ◈ The proposal of what we know now as our constitution led
to a four month debate and compromise before the final
draft was ready.

◈ In September of 1787 with the 42 out of 55 men who stayed

(yes they didn’t leave for four months) was read to them at
the Constitutional Convention.

◈ 39 delegates signed their names on the documented and

submitted it to the Confederation Congress. Congress sent it
to the states to be ratified.
What did they argue about?
 The Connecticut Compromise
10
How much say should a state get? Bigger states wanted state
votes to be done by population size while smaller states wanted
equal votes all across.

So they came up with the Connecticut Compromise which dealt

with both problems. The House of Representatives would have
representatives of each state based on population. Senate would
be equal across all states.
 Slavery
11
Slavery was also a topic that was debated during the convection.
Many Northern states had already outlawed it, but it was
decided to not put it in The Constitution as Southern states
wouldn’t join.

So they came up with the 3/5th Compromise, where slaves were

counted as 3/5th of a person for representation purposes based
on population size.
 Ratification of the Constitution
12
◈ Even after it was submitted to the states, there was still more
argument and debate regarding The Constitution.

◈ Since the colonies were still following The Articles of

Confederation, they needed nine colonies to ratify.

◈ The first colony to ratify the Constitution was Delaware and

in June 1788, New Hampshire was the 9th state to ratify. So
The Constitution went into effect.
 So what does The Constitution outline?
13
The Constitution addressed the problem of having a
more strong central government. The document
instead split up the government into 3 branches:
◈ The Legislative Branch
◈ The Judicial Branch
◈ The Executive Branch
It was decided there should be a system of check
and balances to ensure no one branch was more
powerful than the others.
 The Legislative Branch
14
◈ The Legislative Branch is made up of the House of
Representatives and Senate, also known as Congress.

◈ This branch of government does the following:

- - Passes laws
- Declares war
- Controls taxing and spending
- Regulates interstate and foreign commerce
 The Judicial Branch
15
The Judicial Branch consists of the U.S. Supreme Court and the
Federal Judicial Center. This branch focuses on evaluating laws to
make sure they are inline with The Constitution.
◈ The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) can overturn laws
that are deemed unconstitutional, meaning they infringe on our rights.

◈ The Judicial Branch can establish other federal courts.

◈ They can handle cases that involve federal laws including tax and
bankruptcy, lawsuits involving U.S., etc.
 And finally, the Executive Branch
16
The Executive Branch carries out and enforces the laws passed.
This branch includes the president (think of them being the CEO
of our country), the vice president, cabinet, etc.
◈ Americans vote for the president through elections

◈ The Executive Branch deals with:

- - Security of the nation
- Federal Budget
- and other high priorities
 Bill of Rights
17
James Madison introduced 19 amendments for The
Constitution, however Congress only accepted 12. Ten of those
amendments became known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of
Rights guarantees individuals certain basic protections as citizens
regarding personal freedoms and due process.

Madison became known as the ‘Father of the Constitution’ due to

his contributions.
 Your personal freedoms
18
1st Amendment: 2nd Amendment: 3rd Amendment:
Freedom of Right to keep and No quartering of
religion, speech, bear arms in order soldiers.
press, assembly, to maintain a well
and petition. regulated militia.
 Your Rights - Due Process
19
4th Amendment: 5th Amendment:
Freedom from unreasonable searches Right to due process of law, freedom
and seizures. from self-incrimination, double
jeopardy.

6th Amendment:
Rights of accused persons, e.g., right to 7th Amendment:
a speedy and public trial. Right of trial by jury in civil cases.

8th Amendment:
Freedom from excessive bail, cruel
and unusual punishments.
 And the rest of your rights
20
9th Amendment:
Other rights of the people
(so anything else beyond
what is listed here).
10th Amendment:
Powers reserved to the
states. This includes power
that is specifically for the
states and anything that is
NOT for the federal
government is left for the
states to handle.
 And The Constitution is still in use today
21
With the Bill of Rights ratified back in the 1700’s, only 17
more amendments that have ever been added onto the
Constitution.

It is extremely hard to get an amendment ratified or

removed. First it has to be passed through Congress then
3/4th of states (38 states) have to ratify it. However, it is
still in use today, even after all the changes.
 Activity Time
Please follow the instructions on the next page
 Instructions
23 I will be putting you all into groups of 3. I will assign each member a specific role. You
will either act as judge, jury, prosecutor or defendant.

Your group will be given a sheet of paper containing scenarios about your
constitutional rights. You will determine if the defendant’s constitutional rights were
violated during their trial.

◈ Defendant will argue why their rights were violated

◈ Prosecutor will argue why their rights were NOT violated

◈ Judge will decide whether or not constitutional rights were violated or if the trial
is fair and should continue.