Constitution Unit
— U.S. Lesson 1
Background and Outline
MAIN IDEAS: When the United States was starting out as a new country, they had to
work out how to run the country differently than the system they had under Britain. The
end result was a collection of laws that are still in place today called the Constitution.
VOCABULARY:
Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
Great Compromise
Constitution
Preamble
Articles
Bill of Rights
Amendments
Articles of
Confederation
go into effect
Declaration of
Independence
is written
1776
Constitution
replaces the
Articles of
Confederation
Revolution
ends
1781
1783
Bill of
Rights is
added to the
Constitution
1787
1791
July 4, 1776 is the traditional date celebrated as the birthday of the United States of
America. It was on that date that thirteen British colonies officially published the
Declaration of Independence. It was a document that listed the reasons the colonies
wanted to be free, or independent, from Britain. Simply saying so was not enough for
Britain, so the two groups fought in the American Revolutionary War until 1783.
In anticipation of winning the war and officially gaining their freedom, the United States
needed to figure out how to govern the country. They designed a government that had
one group of representatives called a Congress. The document that described this first
government was called the Articles of Confederation.
Worried about creating a system too much like what they’d
had under Britain, they purposely limited the power of the
national government. Each state elected delegates to
represent them in the Congress, but all major decisions had to
go back to the state governments for approval. The Articles
of Confederation congress also lacked the power to collect
tax money from the states. Without money to spend on
running the country or the power to enforce the laws, this
government was essentially useless.
In the summer of 1787 states sent delegates to a convention
(a meeting) to discuss improving the Articles of
Confederation. Eventually it became clear that they needed
to start over completely. After months of debate the
delegates put together a new document they called the
Constitution. The Constitution describes the current
Chuck Norris knows about the
Constitution. Do you?
government, how it’s organized and who has powers in specific areas. Because their plan
provided for orderly changes to be made more easily than under the Articles of
Confederation, the Constitution continues to be the law of the land today.
One issue that was the subject of much debate was how the states would be represented in
the new government. Large states like Virginia insisted that each state get votes
proportional to the population in each state. More people in a state would earn more
representatives in the government. Smaller states protested saying they would always get
outvoted, so every state should be equal. Finally, with a plan called the Great
Compromise, they agreed to divide the congress in two parts: one, the House of
Representatives would have representatives determined by population (to please the large
states), and the Senate would give every state an equal vote (to please the small states).
The basic format of the Constitution includes a Preamble (introductory paragraph
explaining the goals of the document), seven articles describing each part of the
government and general laws affecting the nation, plus 27 amendments (changes that
have been added on to the original Constitution.) The first 10 amendments were added as
a group; they describe the rights of individual citizens and are collectively called the Bill
of Rights. A more detailed outline of the Constitution is attached. You may also read
the actual wording of the Constitution in your textbook. Also check out the Citizenship
Handbook (America: History of Our Nation, pp. 226-275.)
Check for understanding:
1. What was the purpose of the
Declaration of Independence?
2. What was the purpose of the
Articles of Confederation?
3. Why did the Articles of
Confederation need
replacing?
4. What is the Preamble?
5. What are the three main
divisions of the government
according to the
Constitution? (Described in
Articles 1, 2 and 3.)
6. What is it called when
changes are added to the
Constitution?
7. What is the Bill of Rights?
Artist: Mike Wilkins
On display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum
United States
Constitution — Outline
Preamble: The goals of the Constitution
Article 1: The Legislative Branch
Section 1: The Congress
Section 2: The House of Representatives
Section 3: The Senate
Section 4: Elections and Meetings of Congress
Section 5: Rules of Procedure for Congress
Section 6: Privileges and Restrictions of Members of Congress
Section 7: How Laws are Made
Section 8: Powers Granted to Congress
Section 9: Powers Denied to Congress
Section 10: Powers Denied to the States
Article 2: The Executive Branch
Section 1: Office of the President and Vice President
Section 2: Powers Granted to the President
Section 3: Duties of the President
Section 4: Removal from Office
Article 3: The Judicial Branch
Section 1: Federal Courts
Section 2: Powers of the Federal Courts
Section 3: The Crime of Treason
Article 4: Relations among the States
Section 1: Recognition by Each State of Acts of Other States
Section 2: Rights of Citizens in Other States
Section 3: Treatment of New States and Territories
Section 4: Guarantees of the States
Article 5: Amending the Constitution
Article 6: Debts, Federal Supremacy, Oaths of Office
Section 1: Prior Debts to the United States
Section 2: The Supreme Law of the Land
Section 3: Oaths of Office
Article 7: Ratification of the Constitution
Amendments to the Constitution
1. Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition (1791)
2. Right to Keep Weapons (1791)
3. Protection against Housing Soldiers (1791)
4. Freedom from Unreasonable Search and Seizure (1791)
5. Rights of Persons Accused of a Crime (1791)
6. Right to a Jury Trial in a Criminal Case (1791)
7. Right to a Jury Trial in Civil Cases (1791)
8. Protection from Unfair Fines and Punishment (1791)
9. Other Rights of the People (1791)
10. Powers of the States and the People (1791)
11. Limiting Law Cases against States (1798)
12. Election of the President and Vice President (1804)
13. Slavery Outlawed (1865)
14. Rights of Citizens (1868)
15. Voting Rights (1870)
16. Income Tax (1913)
17. Direct Election of Senators (1913)
18. Prohibition of Alcoholic Drinks (1919)
19. Women’s Right to Vote (1920)
20. Earlier Starting Dates for Terms of Office (1933)
21. Repeal of Prohibition (1933)
22. President Limited to Two Terms (1951)
23. Presidential Elections for the District of Columbia (1961)
24. Poll Tax Ended (1964)
25. Presidential Succession (1967)
26. Vote for Eighteen-Year-Olds (1971)
27. Limits on Salary Changes in Congress (1992)
1st 10 =
The Bill of Rights