The Constitution of
the United States
HENRY DE CORSE
U.S. HISTORY
OCTOBER 2, 2015
The Constitution
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more
perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common defense, 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.
Who wrote the Constitution
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Paine
James Madison
John Adams
The Constitution’s Key
Elements
• The Constitution sets out the basic principles upon which
government in the United States was built.
• The Constitution is a brief document.
• The Constitution is organized into eight sections: The Preamble
and 7 articles. The original document is followed by 27 Amendments.
10 slides identifying key elements and persons of
interest with the development of the Constitution
and its meaning to Americans today.
Person’s of Interest
Alexander Hamilton, both a state representative from New
York, as well a member of the Federalist Party, has been
credited with the initial ideology expressed in the
Constitution:
The practices proposed in his Federalist Papers.
Articles of the Constitution
Article 1. Article of the Constitution that
defines the Legislative Branch, it's
powers, members, and workings.
Article 2. Article of the Constitution that
defines the Executive Branch, it's powers,
duties, and means of removal.
Article 3. Article of the Constitution that
sets up the Judicial Branch and defines
treason.
Articles of the Constitution
Article 4. Article of the Constitution that
regulates the states' powers, and their
interaction with the National government.
Article 5. Article of the Constitution that
sets up the amendment process.
Article 6. Article of the Constitution that
sets the status of the Constitution as the
supreme law of the land, to which leaders
must be loyal.
Articles of the Constitution
Article 7. Article of the Constitution that
addresses ratification and declares that
the constitution should take affect if 9 out
of 13 states ratify.
What the Constitution means
today
• That "all men are created equal" means that they are equally endowed with unalienable
rights. Nature does not single out who is to govern and who is to be governed; there is no
divine right of kings. Nor are rights a matter of legal privilege or the benevolence of some
ruling class. Fundamental rights exist by nature, prior to government and conventional
laws. It is because these individual rights are left unsecured that governments are
instituted among men.
• Consent is the means by which equality is made politically
operable and whereby arbitrary power is thwarted. The natural
standard for judging if a government is legitimate is whether that
government rests on the consent of the governed. Any political
powers not derived from the consent of the governed are, by the
laws of nature, illegitimate and hence unjust
Conclusion
The Constitution of the United States was written for
the people and by the people. The document is the single
most important document aside from the Declaration
of Independence. It has survived for two centuries and has
been used as a guide for American life & is also identified as
Law for politics in that it sets its limits. There are many
Interpretations of the U.S. Constitution, but knowing it has helps
the American People has me believing that it will be used for
Centuries to come.
References
The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription. (n.d.). Retrieved September, 23 2015,
from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html
QuizletQWait('dom',function(){document.getElementById('PrintLogo').setAttribute('src',"https://
quizlet.com/a/i/global/logo_print.du83.png")});. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2015, from
https://quizlet.com/7979990/7-articles-of-the-constitution-flash-cards/