Our Constitution

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Our Constitution
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In 1787 a group of men went to a special meeting
called the Constitutional Convention.
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They met in Independence Hall in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania.
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The men were from 12 of the 13 states, and they
wrote a constitution for our new government .
United States
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A constitution is a list of rules and laws that
explain what our government can and cannot do.
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The meetings were held in secret, so all of the
men could talk freely about their ideas.
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George Washington was chosen as the leader of
the Constitutional Convention.
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James Madison wrote down everything that was
said.
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The oldest man to attend the Constitutional
Convention was Benjamin Franklin, who was
81-years-old.
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During the convention, 55 men talked, argued, and
made many important decisions.
Alexander Hamilton
George Mason
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After 4 months, the Constitution was finally
completed.
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Thirty-nine men signed the Constitution on
September 17, 1787.
John Langdon Nicholas Gilman Nathaniel
Gorham Rufus King William Samuel Johnson Roger
Sherman Alexander Hamilton William
Livingston David Brearly William
Paterson Jonathan Dayton Benjamin Franklin Thomas
Mifflin
Robert Morris George Clymer Thomas
Fitzsimons Jared Ingersoll James
Wilson Gouverneur Morris George Read Gunning
Bedford, Jr. John Dickinson Richard Bassett Jacob
Broom James McHenry Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer
Daniel Carroll John Blair James Madison,
Jr. William Blount Richard Dobbs Spaight Hugh
Williamson John Rutledge Charles Cotesworth
Pinckney Charles Pinckney Pierce Butler William
Few Abraham Baldwin George Washington
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• The states were then asked to vote for or against
  the Constitution.
• Several states would not vote for the
  Constitution unless a bill of rights was added.

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A bill of rights lists the rights or freedoms
citizens have such as

• the freedom to say what they want to say
• the freedom to worship as they please
• the right to a fair trial

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Those who were in favor of the Constitution
promised that a bill of rights would be added
after the Constitution was approved.
The Bill of Rights was added, as promised, in
1791.
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The Constitution has 3 parts

• The Preamble is the beginning of the Constitution
  and explains why we have a Constitution.
• The Articles explain how our government is set up
  and how the Constitution can be changed. (There
  are 7 articles.)
• The Amendments are changes made to the
  Constitution. The first 10 amendments are called
  the Bill of Rights. (There are a total of 27
  amendments.)

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Our Constitution is now over 200-years-old.You
can see the Constitution of the United States in
the National Archives in Washington, D.C.