VC NEWS
The Constitution Has News For You
by, Nancy Hunt, Editor
How well do you know the Constituion of the United States? I remember
when I was in the sixth grade of school I memorized the Preamble of the
Constituion. As I read the words once again all those memories came back
to me. Here they are for you:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, 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.
These are such powerfull words. But so are the words by James Madison who wrote The Federalist, No. 51:
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions."
Constitution Facts:
· The U. S Constitution was written in the same Pennsylvania State House where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where George Washington received his commission as Commander of the Continental Army. Now called Independence Hall, the building still stands today on Independence Mall in Philadelphia, directly across from the National Constitution Center.
· Written in 1787, the Constitution was signed on September 17th.
But it wasn't until 1788 that it was ratified by the necessary nine states.
· The U.S. Constitution was prepared in secret, behind locked doors
that were guarded by sentries.
· Some of the original framers and many delegates in the state
ratifying conventions were very troubled that the original Constitution
lacked a description of individual rights. In 1791, Americans added a
list of rights to the Constitution. The first ten amendments became known
as The Bill of Rights
· Of the 55 delegates attending the Constitutional Convention,
39 signed and 3 delegates dissented. Two of America's "founding fathers"
didn't sign the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson was representing his country
in France and John Adams was doing the same in Great Britain.
· Established on November 26, 1789, the first national "Thanksgiving
Day" was originally created by George Washington as a way of "giving
thanks" for the Constitution.
· Of the written national constitutions, the U.S. Constitution
is the oldest and shortest.
There were many people involved in writting the Constitution. A wonderfull
place to learn about the Constitution is the National Constitution Center
located at 525 Arch Street, Independence Mall, Philadelphia, PA 19106,
(215) 409-6600. Or visit their website at www.constitutioncenter.org.
I'm sure you'll find the site interesting and informational.
Source: http://www.constitutioncenter.org