Piece It Together! Putting Together the Pieces of the United States Constitution

Time to Review! What happened to the Articles of Confederation?

Farmers in Massachusetts were beginning to lose their farms due to economic problems The Farmers blamed high taxes imposed by the

state for the economic downturn Many farmers lost their farms and homes; some

were even put in prison As a result, local farmers, led by Daniel Shays

decided to rebel by shutting down the courts using force – they even raided a federal arsenal to take weapons for their rebellion

Review: Shays’ Rebellion Shays’ rebellion scared the colonists

Who was going to maintain order if the states couldn’t?

Would rebellions like this begin to spread? Could the country survive with things like

this going on? The colonists knew that something

needed to be done about all of the problems the government was having under the Articles.

Philadelphia Convention

At the urging of the states, Congress invited delegates from all of the states to Philadelphia

The purpose of this meeting was “for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation” Delegates (representatives of the

states attending the convention) were only to revise the Articles…

…but did they do more than revise?

Who was there? 55 delegates to the Philadelphia Convention All were white , male, landowners Delegates included:

Philadelphia Convention

James Madison – had a plan for a

stronger national government; the

“Father of the Constitution”

George Washington –

highly respected; believed in a strong national government

Benjamin Franklin – one of the most

respected men in America; primary role at the convention was

to encourage cooperation among the

delegates

Photos from www.archives.gov

The delegates realized :1. The problems with the Articles of Confederation were serious. Many felt the problems needed to be addressed in an entirely new constitution.2. The proceedings of the convention needed to be a secret in order for delegates to freely express their opinions, not be influenced by outside ideas3. All states received one vote at the convention

This was done to please the small states who felt it was unfair to give more votes to the larger states

Philadelphia Convention

Those who attended would be known as the “Framers,” as they would be the ones to create the framework of the United States government in the Constitution.

Time to Review!

How would you define…

constitution

In general, a constitution is a document that organizes a

government.

Think of a constitution as a

rule book for government…

Rule

Book

The United States Constitution does the

following:• Sets up the government• Defines power and limits of

the government• Lays out some of the rights

of the peopleSocial Contract ?

In a constitutional government, there are limits set on those who are responsible for running the government.

In our country, Those limits come from the U.S. Constitution.

What is a constitutional government?

Here are some limits placed on those in our government:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of

religion…

A President of the United States of America…shall hold his office during a

term of four years…

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors…and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have

original Jurisdiction…

How is this a

limit on the

Legislative

branch?

ExecutiveJudicial

The People

The Constitution protects the rights of the

people from the government.

Constitutional Government Chart

Constitution

The People

Government

The constitution is a social contract between We the People and the

government.

The government is structured to offer protection for the people through

public safety measures and the justice system.

The Constitution creates limits and guidelines for the

government in order to protect the people

from an abuse of power.

The people must consent to give the power to make and enforce laws to

the government.

In a constitutional government, it all

starts with the people…

Liberty and Rights

Order and Security

It is essential to create a balance of liberty and rights

with order and security. This is the role of a constitution in a

constitutional government.

Balancing Act ConstitutionalGovernment

The Framers included: Preamble 7 Articles Amendments*

Amendments would be included later on

What does the United States Constitution Look Like?

Signed Copy of the Constitution of the United States; Miscellaneous Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Record Group 360; National Archives.

A preamble is an introduction. It states the purpose of the

Constitution

What is the Preamble?

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.

Article I – Outlines the Legislative Branch, or “Congress”

Article II – Outlines the Executive Branch, which includes the President

Article III – Outlines the Judicial Branch, or the courts in the United States

Article IV – Outlines the relations among the states Article V – Outlines the process for amending

(changing or adding to) the Constitution Article VI – Discusses the Constitution as the

“Supreme Law of the Land”; Supremacy Clause Article VII – Outlines the official ratification, or

establishment, of the Constitution

What are the 7 Articles?

Amendments are additions or changes to the Constitution

Not all of the amendments were a part of the Constitution when it was signed

Today, there are 27 Amendments to the United states Constitution

What are amendments?

Why did the Founders include a way to change/add to the Constitution?

??

27 Amendments  I (1)

 freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition

II (2) right to bear armsIII (3) quartering of troopsIV (4) search and seizureV (5) due process, double

jeopardy, self-incriminationVI (6) jury trial, right to counselVII (7) common law suitsVIII (8)

excess bail or fines, cruel and unusual punishment

IX (9) rights not namedX (10) powers reserved to statesXI (11)

lawsuits against a state

XII (12)

election of president and vice president

XIII (13)

abolition of slavery

XIV (14)

due process, equal protection, privileges of citizens

XV (15) rights not to be denied because of race

XVI (16)

income tax

XVII (17)

election of senators

XVIII (18)

prohibition

XIX (19)

women's right to vote

XX (20) presidential term and succession

XXI (21)

repeal of prohibition

XXII (22)

president limited to 2 terms

XXIII (23)

presidential vote for persons in D.C.

XXIV (24)

no poll tax

XXV (25)

presidential succession

XXVI (26)

right to vote at age 18

XXVII (27)

compensation of members of Congress 

Now it’s your turn to piece it together!

Get in groups of 3-5. You will receive a handout (Student Handout 1) and an

envelope. Remove the strips from the envelope Identify the part of the Constitution using Student Handout 1. Label each strip in the blank box on the left (ex: Article II,

Amendment X). Assemble the Constitution in the correct order using

Student Handout 1 as a guide. Glue/tape the pieces of paper to the blank paper. Be sure to write names of all group members on the

back of the paper!

First group to finish wins!