US Constitution Facts & Worksheets

• Many opponents of the Constitution argued that it would establish a huge, intrusive and far-too-powerful federal government that would inevitably reproduce the tyranny that the Patriots fought against during the American Revolution.
• The Federalists won the first US Congress, assembled in New York City's Federal Hall. The 11-state Senate had 20 Federalists and only 2 anti-Federalists, both from Virginia. The House was divided into 48 Federalists and 11 anti-Federalists, with the latter hailing from just 4 states: Massachusetts, New York, Virginia and South Carolina. James Madison was among the Virginia delegation to the House.
• Madison proposed several constitutional amendments to the House of Representatives for debate, including the addition of introductory wording emphasising natural rights in the Preamble and extending the Bill of Rights provisions to both states and the federal government. He also sought ideas agreed upon by numerous states to decrease future ratification opposition.
• The Virginia Declaration of Rights was drafted to declare men’s inherent rights, including the right to modify or abolish an inadequate government. Federalist delegates quickly criticised Madison's suggestion, arguing that any attempt to change the new Constitution so soon after its adoption would create the appearance of instability in the government.
• The first ten amendments were submitted by Congress in its first session in 1789. After being ratified by three-quarters of the legislatures in the various states, they became a part of the Constitution on 15 December 1791 and are known as the Bill of Rights.

Ratification Debates: Federalists and Anti-Federalists

• The constitutional review process was the result of a unanimous resolution to revise the Articles of Confederation. Supporters of the Constitution were called 'Federalists' since federalism was understood as being the opposite of centralised power. Benjamin Franklin and George Washington were proponents of federalism.
• Written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay under the pseudonym 'Publius', the Federalist Papers argued for the ratification of the Constitution. In 1787, the Constitution was debated and drafted during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and then later presented to the states for ratification.
• The Federalist Papers were intended as a series of papers or essays to be published in New York newspapers, but they expanded into a collection of 85 essays, published as volumes in March and May 1788. The primary objective of the collection of essays was to promote the sufficiency of the Constitution to address the concerns of a strong central government vis-à-vis state powers.
• On Factions and Interests: Federalist No. 10 was considered the most important essay from a philosophical viewpoint. It highlighted the inevitability of factions, since they are part of human nature. It discussed means to prevent rule by majority factions.
• On the Extended Republic: Madison argued in Federalist No. 14 that an extended republic was suitable in the context of the United States, despite its huge size. He explained the composition of the Union, which has both federal and state governments.
• On Being a 'Federal' Nation: In Federalist No. 39, Madison argued for the case of the United States being a 'federal' nation. He also explained what constitutes a republic, emphasising that citizens elect representatives to make decisions for them.
• On Checks and Balances: Checks and balances in the federal government were the main focus of Federalist No. 51, where Madison advocated to prevent usurpations. Also, the document advances the idea of the separation of powers within government.
• On Branches of Government: Alexander Hamilton brought the case for a one-man chief executive and the executive power in Federalist No. 70. Also, he laid the foundation for the doctrine of judicial review of the federal courts in Federalist No. 78.
• On Bill of Rights: Opposition towards amending the Constitution for the inclusion of the Bill of Rights was expressed by Hamilton in Federalist No. 84. He argued that the provisions in the Constitution were enough to safeguard people's rights.
• The essays in The Federalist Papers were purposefully written in support of the ratification of the proposed Constitution. Much effort was poured into New York since only 19 federalists were elected to the state's constitutional convention against 47 anti-Federalists.
• Virginia became the tenth state to ratify the Constitution, putting New York under pressure to do the same. There was a lack of support for the Federalists, which put the state's ratification of the Constitution into question. Only a slim majority of New York delegates at the convention ratified the Constitution, with the condition that the Bill of Rights must be included. The Federalist Papers 'failed' in the sense that they did not sway New York voters to elect delegates who would fully support the Constitution's ratification.
• Cynicism was at the root of the opposition of anti-Federalists to the Constitution, according to the Federalists. The most prominent anti-Federalists were Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry, whose main concern was that the Constitution would favour elites over common folk, weaken state governments, and bring about an increase in taxes.
• Most anti-Federalists were farmers, debtors and lower-class people, with their most pressing objective being the absence of a Bill of Rights to counter the powerful central government. They were not convinced that republicanism was possible in countries like America, since the only examples at the time were Switzerland and the Netherlands.
• Anti-Federalists preferred power to remain in the local and state governments, since they were 'free agents'. In terms of fiscal and monetary policies, they felt that states should decide and manage their revenue. Until a Bill of Rights was excluded from the proposed Constitution, they would not support its ratification.
• To counter the claims of Federalists in their Federalist Papers, the anti-Federalist founding fathers published a series of essays known as the Anti-Federalist Papers. They expressed strong concerns about the potential threats to individual liberties and state sovereignty that they believed the Constitution posed.
• The anti-Federalists argued for the inclusion of a Bill of Rights as a necessary protection against an overly powerful central government. Their writings focused on the fear of an elitist influence, increased taxation and the potential weakening of state governments. In December 1787, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey were the first states to ratify the Constitution. However, the framers understood the importance of the Constitution being accepted by all 13 states. They continued in their advocacy, and finally, in the summer of 1788, Virginia and New York ratified.
• Between January and May of 1788, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland and South Carolina accepted it. New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify, meaning the threshold of 9 out of the 13 colonies was achieved. 
• The Constitution came into effect, and the Continental Congress gave way to the new Congress with New York as its headquarters. The date set for the first Congress to convene was 4 March 1789.
• North Carolina and Rhode Island waited until the new Congress fulfilled its promise to draft a Bill of Rights. North Carolina was ratified on 21 November 1789, and Rhode Island on 29 May 1790.

Provisions: Preamble and Seven Articles

• The US Constitution consists of the Preamble and seven Articles. The Preamble sets the stage for the Constitution by stating its purpose and objectives. It declares that the Constitution is established to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.
• Following the Preamble, the seven Articles of the Constitution outline the structure of the federal government and its powers.
  • Article 1
    • Establishes the legislative branch, outlining the powers and responsibilities of the Congress, which is divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives.
  • Article 2
    • Establishes the executive branch, outlining the powers and responsibilities of the President, including their role as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and their authority to execute the laws of the land.
  • Article 3
    • Establishes the judicial branch, outlining the powers and responsibilities of the federal courts, including the Supreme Court. It also defines the scope of federal jurisdiction.
  • Article 4
    • Outlines the relationship between the states and the federal government, guaranteeing each state a republican form of government and providing for the admission of new states into the Union.
  • Article 4
    • Outlines the relationship between the states and the federal government, guaranteeing each state a republican form of government and providing for the admission of new states into the Union.
  • Article 5
    • Outlines the process for amending the Constitution, ensuring that it can be adapted to meet the changing needs of society while also requiring a high threshold for change.
  • Article 6
    • Establishes the supremacy of the Constitution and the laws of the United States, stating that the Constitution shall be the supreme law of the land.
  • Article 7
    • Outlines the procedure for ratifying the Constitution, requiring the approval of at least nine states for it to go into effect.
• The provisions of the US Constitution, including the Preamble and the seven Articles, form the foundation of the nation's government and continue to shape the principles and practices of democracy in the United States.