The Constitution (and… Declaration of Independence) Some Facts and Why It’s Special.

The Constitution(and… Declaration of Independence)

Some Facts and Why It’s Special

The Declaration of IndependenceIs similar to a note you’d give your parents after a big argument,

telling them your complaints and what you’re planning on doing (leaving).

The Constitution: is our nation’s second government (the first was: The Articles of Confederation)

Is similar to your new lease after you’re independent and have your own place, and your new rules to live there (you’ll still have rules to live by)

The Constitution has 3 main parts

Part 1 The Preamble:

Describes the purpose of the document and government.

The most important part of our government?

THE PEOPLE

Part 2: The 7 Articles

Establish how the government is structured and how the

Constitution can be changed (later today).

There are seven articles.

1. The powers and duties of Congress (the Legislative Branch) and how they carry out their powers.

2. The powers and duties of the president and his staff (the Executive Branch) of the United States.

3. The powers and duties of the country’s court system (the Judicial Branch).

4. Explains how states should work together for the good of the country.

5. How the Constitution can be changed (amended).

6. The nation as a whole is more important than each state.

7. Everyone was OK with all this and it was going to be approved

Part 3

The Amendments

• Changes to the Constitution

(only been done 27 times)

• The first ten are called • the Bill of Rights.

• (We’ll look at those later)

The National Archives (in Washington D.C.)

The National Archives is the U.S. Government’s collection of documents that records important events in American history. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the Government agency that preserves and maintains

these materials and makes them available for research.

Some of the more interesting documentsat the National Archives

• Declaration of Independence• Articles of Confederation• The Constitution• Bill of Rights• Louisiana Purchase• List of Lewis's Purchases• Emancipation Proclamation• Abolition of Slavery• Check for Alaska• Edison's Light Bulb Patent• Zimmermann Telegram• Women's Right to Vote• Social Security Act• FDR's "Day of Infamy" Speech• Brown v. Board of Education• A Letter from Jackie Robinson• Voting Rights Act• Apollo 11 Flight Plan• Elvis’s Letter to President Nixon

Declaration of Independence

• Q. Is anything written on the back of the Declaration of Independence?

• A. Yes, there is writing on the back of the original, signed Declaration of Independence. But it is not invisible, nor does it include a map, as the Disney feature film, National Treasure, suggests. The writing on the back reads "Original Declaration of Independence, dated 4th July 1776," and it appears on the bottom

of the document, upside down.

Declaration of Independence

• Q. Is the original Declaration of Independence written on paper?

• A. No, the original was engrossed on parchment which is an animal skin specially treated with lime and stretched to create a strong, long-lasting writing support. The printed version is on paper and was read aloud from town squares throughout the colonies, so that those who could not read would receive the news about intended separation from England.

Declaration of Independence• Q. Do other copies of the

Declaration of Independence exist?

• A. Yes, there are 25 copies known to exist of what is commonly referred to as "the Dunlap broadside," 20 owned by American institutions, 2 by British institutions, and 3 by private owners.

• The Dunlap Broadside copies were printed on paper on the night of July 4,— and thus are contemporary with the original Declaration that is engrossed on parchment.

• It is a “National Treasure”

Why is the Constitution sometimes called a “living document?

Because it can

be changed

(that’s important)

Differences in 230+ years 1776• 13 states• 3 million Americans• Most people lived in small

villages and were self sufficient farmers / laborers

• No electricity, air conditioning, natural gas, petroleum, artificial light, insulated homes, medicines, powered transportation, etc…

20XX• 50 states and some territories• 300+ million Americans• A wide variety of cultures• Mass media, computer and

internet technologies, large armies capable of weapons of mass destruction, space travel, communication devices, advanced health care, etc…

So… it’s pretty amazing that these men came up with a plan that allowed for changes that they couldn’t possibly foresee.

Amendments: (changes or additions to the constitution)

1st a new amendment must be proposed (only suggested)

2nd the amendment must be ratified (completely approved)

Could happen by:•2/3 of both houses of Congress approve a proposal. or…•A special convention requested by 2/3 of the states

Could happen by:•Approved by legislatures of 3/4 of the states or…•Approved by special conventions in 3/4 of the states

It’s not easy to change the Constitution

• Getting 2/3 or 3/4 of a group of people to agree on anything is tough – it takes 38 out of 50 states to ratify an amendment.

• And… the people make the real final decision.

• Most amendments are done through state legislatures.

• The one thing that can never be changed: each state gets 2 Senators

Some recently proposed amendments

1. To repeal the 16th Amendment and specifically prohibit an income tax.2. To permit the States to set term limits for their Representatives and Senators.3. To remove automatic citizenship of children born in the U.S. to non-resident

parents. 4. To prohibit abortion.5. To force a three-fifths vote for any bill that raises taxes. 6. To specifically permit prayer at school meetings and ceremonies. 7. To provide for continuity of government in case of a catastrophic event.8. To disallow the desecration of the U.S. Flag.9. To force a balanced budget.10.To repeal the 26th Amendment (granting the vote to 18-year olds) and granting

the right to vote to 16-year olds. 11.To provide for access to medical care for all citizens.12.To repeal the 2nd Amendment (right to bear arms).13.To repeal the 22nd Amendment (removing Presidential term limits).14.To make English the official language of the United States.15.To prohibit the death penalty.

When the Constitution was first written, some states didn’t totally like it…

• …and they asked for a list of rights to be added.

• The 10 they first came up with are called: “The Bill of Rights”

• (These 10 will be in the next section)

• ??? Remember, its all about what’s wanted by the….

a. Top government leadersb. rich c. peopled. President