Writing the Constitution

• 1787 delegates met at Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

• Delegates from 12 of the 13 states were there

• Most of the 55 delegates were opposed to writing the constitution

• James Madison and Alexander Hamilton were convinced that country needed a strong central government.

• Thomas Jefferson was not there

• 8 who signed the Declaration of Independence were there

• The Constitutional Convention met for 4 months.

• The 55 delegates were seldom all together at once because the weather was bad and travel was difficult.

• About 35 delegates were present during the process of writing the Constitution.

• The Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates on September 17, 1787

• The Continental Congress received the proposed Constitution on September 20. It then voted to send the document to the state legislatures for ratification.

• Some delegates, however, would not approve the Constitution when it was sent to the states for ratification until it included a bill of rights listing the individual rights of every citizen.

• Twelve amendments, written by James Madison, were presented to the states for final approval.

• Only ten were approved.

• Those ten make up the Bill of Rights. They are also the first ten amendments to the Constitution.

• The Constitution starts with a Preamble

• Next come the articles sections

• The final part of the Constitution is the Amendments section

• First 3 articles deal with separation of powers.

• Article 1 is Legislative Branch

• Article 2 is Executive Branch

• Article 3 is Judicial Branch

7 Articles

• States the purpose of the Constitution

• Creates the legislative branch• Creates the executive branch• Creates the judicial branch• Relations among the States• Amending the Constitution• National debts, supremacy of

national • law, and oaths of office• Ratifying the Constitution

• Preamble• Article I• Article II• Article III• Article IV• Article V• Article VI• Article VII

The Preamble

• 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.