The Constitution of the United States of America

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The Constitution of the United States of America

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What Is Important About September 17?
The U.S. Constitution was signed by 39
delegates in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787

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Who Were the Delegates?
People (55) who represented twelve of the
thirteen states in the U.S.
Guess which state did not send delegates?
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Thirteen Colonies
Rhode Island!
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Some Famous Delegates
Benjamin Franklin
James Madison

• George Washington

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Why were they meeting in Philadelphia?

• Although the U.S. had won the Revolutionary
  War, there was no central government. Each state
  had its own laws.

• U.S. was getting too big to let each state have
  its own laws dealing with other countries and
  trade.

• The U.S. was falling apart. The country needed a
  strong national government.

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Why were they meeting in Philadelphia?

• A big meeting, or convention, was called to
  create a plan for a central government.

• This plan would be called The Constitution

• The meeting became known as The Constitutional
  Convention.

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Interesting Facts

• Lasted 16 long weeks during a hot summer at the
  State House in Philadelphia

• George Washington elected by delegates to be
  President of the Convention

• Delegates became known as
• The Founding Fathers

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The State House in Philadelphia

• Independence Hall

Liberty Bell
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Interesting Facts

• Delegates suffered from a terrible heat
  wavethey were even hotter because they kept all
  the windows closed so everything would be kept
  secret!

It took many days for the delegates to travel
to Philadelphia. Eighty-one year old Franklin
was carried there in a chair!
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Two Plans Big Fight
NEW JERSEY PLAN Smaller states thought govt
would pay more attention to bigger states.

• VIRGINIA PLAN
• Govt would be made up of 3 sections (branches).
• Executive President In charge of the govt
• Legislative Congress 2 house (House of Rep.
  and Senatemake laws)
• Judicial Courts Made sure laws were obeyed

Each state would have an equal vote which meant
that states would have more control than the
President.
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Three Branches of Government
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The Great Compromise

• Delegates voted for Virginia Plan, but
  the two sides compromised.

House of Representatives Number of reps.
would be based on the population of the state

Senate Every state would have 2 senators
(size doesnt matter)
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Quiz

• How many senators are there
  in the Senate?

100
Which state has the most representatives in the
House of Representatives?
California
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Which states have only 1 person in the House of
Representatives?

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(No Transcript)
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Constitution

• Decided how new states could join the U.S.

• Decided how long terms of office should be

• Made it possible to change Constitution by adding
  amendments (changes)

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Bill of Rights

• 10 Amendments added very
  quickly (1791)

• Describes rights that the government cannot take
  away from the people

• Examples right to a trial by a jury, freedom of
  speech, freedom of religion, etc.

• 16 more amendments added (13th ended slavery
  19th gave women right to vote)

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IMPORTANT
The Founding Fathers were careful to create a
government where no one branch had more power
than the other!
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What is the Constitution?
The Constitution is the supreme law of the United
States of America. It tells how the government
is set up and the rules by which all people must
abide.
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What is the Preamble?1 sentenceExplains why
constitution was written
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.
We the People