be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding. The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
1. The United States Constitution is often called a “living document” because it was designed to be adapted by future generations through constitutional amendments. What are some other examples of how the founders built adaptability into the Constitution? 2. Some of the key concepts in the Constitution include limited government, checks and balances, federalism and separation of powers. Analyze the Constitution to find examples of each of these guiding themes and describe how they affect Americans today.
ARTICLE 7
The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same. Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth InWitness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names.
3. Why do you think the framers of the Constitution chose “We the People” as the first three words and deliberately wrote them in large lettering? What does this symbolize?
G. Washington- Presid. and deputy from Virginia New Hampshire: John Langdon Nicholas Gilman Massachusetts: Nathaniel Gorham Rufus King
Wm. Paterson Jona: Dayton
Danl Carroll Virginia: John Blair James Madison Jr. North Carolina: Wm. Blount Richd. Dobbs Spaight Hu Williamson South Carolina: J. Rutledge Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Charles Pinckney Pierce Butler
4. Do you think the separation of powers and system of checks and balances are effectively limiting the federal government today, as the framers originally intended? Why or why not?
Pennsylvania: B Franklin Thomas Mifflin Robt Morris Geo. Clymer Thos. FitzSimons Jared Ingersoll James Wilson Gouv Morris
5. What do you think were the main reasons the framers created the Constitution? What did they hope to accomplish? Were they successful?
Delaware: Geo: Read Gunning Bedford jun
Connecticut: Wm. Saml. Johnson Roger Sherman
FREEDOM FACT The United States Constitution is the shortest governing document of any nation today, and contains only 7 articles and 27 amendments. It is also the oldest; Norway’s comes in second and was codified in 1814.
John Dickinson Richard Basset Jaco: Broom Maryland: James McHenry Dan of St Thos. Jenifer
New York: Alexander Hamilton
Georgia: William Few Abr Baldwin
New Jersey: Wil: Livingston David Brearley
Attest William Jackson Secretary ✦
AMER I CA’ S LEGACY PRESENTED BY STUDENT GOVERNMENTAL AFFA I RS PROGRAM | 33
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