To my mother, my best friend,

whos unwavering support and

love has made this possible.

We want to hear from you. Please send your comments about this
book to us in care of zreview@zondervan.com. Thank you.

ZONDERVAN
Our Constitution Rocks
Copyright 2012 by Juliette Turner
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zonderkidz, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN 978-0-310-73421-5
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version,
NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They
are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations
in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Partner/Agent name and any other additional information.
Zonderkidz is a trademark of Zondervan.
Cover design: Kris Nelson
Cover photography: Larry Travis
Makeup artistry:
Illustrations: Brian Oesch
Interior photography and illustrations: iStockphoto.com, ShutterStock.com
Interior design: Ben Fetterley and Sherri L. Hoffman
Printed in the United States of America
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 /XXX/ 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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HOW TO READ
THIS BOOK
Since I am a teenager like you, I accept and understand that our attention span
is about five seconds, so Ive broken down the information into sections:

The Bottom Line

A simplified, understandable, plain English version of what each section
is about.
Why Should I Care?
How the information affects us today in our lives and in the future.
What Were They Thinking?
Why the Framers thought this particular aspect of the Constitution
was important.
Breakin it Down
This explains what the article or clause means in more details, including context (what was going on at the time).
How Can I Make a Difference?
Tells you, the reader, how you can use the knowledge you just learned
and make a difference!
What Has It Done For Me Lately?
This fun fact will tell you a modern day example of how the Constitution
is working
in our lives.
Fun Facts
Lots of fun tidbits, including:

DING
FOUN oru m
er F
Fath
n our

so
ng tidbit
men
Interesti athers, regular
F
g
r
Foundin up shaping ou
ed
who end
nation.

10

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IAL
ast
COLONre and Contr

Conven
tion Chat

C o mpa

uish one
ou disting
y
lp
e
h
to
Charts
another.
idea from

Stuff yo
u p ro b a
bly don
know ab
t
o ut t h e
Constit
tional C
uonventio
n an d h
c am e t o
ow it
be (the
m
e
eting w
ever yon
h e re
e g ot t o
g e the r a
w ro t e t
nd
h e C on s
titution
).

Q
Pop

ui

z! a
nd

By t h e

great

Why ou
r Found
ing
Fathers
wanted
t
o
do thing
s in rega
rd
to Brita
in.

wh

c t s t h a t m i g h t a p p ea r
way (BTW): Random fun fa
an
y

er

e
on

th e
pag

AME

A sneak

NDM

peak at

EN T P

changes

TY
IBER

rev ie
w

to come
.

L ang

e.

Quotes from
our founding
fathers and
other
interesting
folks.

AR

TICL
Acti
E
on

Bringin
g it bac
k to th
Confed
e Ar
eration
and wh ticles of
change
y it wa
d.
s

Real arguments
about each idea,
illustrated documentary
style with commentary
by Juliette.

ua g e

ords you
ular y: W use in
b
a
c
o
V
ont
ution
bably w
Constit
but pro
w
o
n
k
should
n.
nversatio
daily co
GEORGE WASHINGTON

11

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The Signing of the Constitution of the United States by Howard Chandler Christy

Pop Qu
iz! Do
yo

.
u kn
d o ut
ow w
to fin
1
ho a l l
2
2
t h e s e p e o p l e a r e? G o t o p a g e

12

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PROLOGUE

The Articles of Confederation

Decades leading to the Constitutional Convention
in a few short paragraphs

After the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, the thirteen states had won their

freedom, but they were definitely not united. America had adopted a system of
government called The Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were actually our first Constitution, but it had lots of problems. It outlined
rules each state had agreed to follow, but the states didnt always bother with the
rules, and there was no way of enforcing them. Each state thought of itself as its
own little country.
The central government was weak. Congress could ask states to contribute
money for the countrys debts, but if the states didnt pay, congress couldnt make
them. Some states printed their own money,
which was worthless anywhere else. Congress
could declare war, but that wouldnt work if
Con
the states refused to send soldiers. America
venti
on Ch
needed help.
T he
at
Gran
d Con
In 1787, the states sent delegates to
know
venti
na
on la
Twelv s the Cons
Philadelphia with instructions from Cont er b e
tituti
e stat
cam
onal
e
s
p
s
e
h
C
nt de
i a to
gress to revise the Articles of Confederation.
onven e
legat
revise
tion.
e s to
of C o
and i
Phila
nfede
Fifty-five representatives from twelve of the
mpro
delration
ve th
e
. Geo
Alexa
thirteen states debated the pros and cons of
rge W Articles
nder
ashin
Hami
g ton,
Jame
lton,
the current government Rhode Island res Mad
a
nd
i
s
o
n
f ew o
fused to send anyone. These men soon realized
f thos were a
e me n
.
they had a mighty task before them. They were
going to have to draft something completely new,

13

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BTW: The Constitutional Convention was supposed to start on May 14, 1787, but most of the delegates were late. Representatives from at lea

th
st seven states needed to be present, so the convention didnt start until May 25 .

at
n Ch
o
i
t
en
Conv

nd
adison a
James M
g ton
Washin
G e or g e
ramers
e first F
were th
up.
to show

It is impossible to
consider the degree
of concord which
ultimately prevailed
less than a miracle.

In other words,
it was a miracle
that they all
agreed long
enough to
create the
Constitution.

a Republic, a system of government where the

people ruled.
Our Founding Fathers examined previous
governments to see what had worked, and they
found, No existing government was designed to provide its people with freedom, prosperity, and peace.
Our Founding Fathers wanted absolute freedom,
they wanted the states to be united, and they wanted
the people to have unalienable rights. The Framers
wanted a government with checks and balances that
didnt prohibit the people. They had to find a perfect formula
for freedom a balance between a democracy and a republic.
What these great men were proposing was unheard of! It was
crazy, revolutionary, and dangerous. While they debated, they
swore themselves to secrecy and managed to keep their silence
four long months. At the end of that unforgettable
period of our nations history, our
Founding Fathers established a
DING
FOUN orum
nearly perfect formula for freedom,
er F
who
Fath
istorian
h
t
a
e
r
g
the first ever of its kind, in the whole
a s t he
as a
n d he w n .
dison w
a
a
,
s
M
t
s
n
e
e
tio
Jam
r nm
world. And then they all agreed on it!
Constitu
ast gove
tudied p r of our current wrote down
s
These great thinkers united our nation
t ho
on
main au debates, Madis
e
h
under a system of government that has
During t s said.
wa
endured for 225 years.
all that

14

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DING
FOUN Forum
er
ted
Fath
was elec

n
ashing to
n.
George W f the conventio
o
t
n
e
id
pres

at
Convention Ch
Once they realized the huge task
before them, the delegates agreed to
keep the debates a secret because they
didnt want people listening in and taking sides. Fifty-five men managed to
keep their proceedings private
for four months!

FOUN
Fathe DING
r Foru
Benjamin
m

Franklin
arrived to
tion in a
sedan ch
air carrie the convenprisoners
d by four
from the
P
was eigh
ty-one ye hiladelphia jail. H
ars old a
time walk
nd had a e
ing.
hard

t
ontras

rs
us Frame
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r
e
v
American
s
r
e
Fath
ruggle for
g
t
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in
e
d
th
n
f
u
o
signers of
Fo
War, the
cal leaders

nary
politi
mers of
rs to the
Revolutio
fe
e
re
th
,
rs
in
n. The Fra
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o
rs
d
e
ti
n
d
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a
tu
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ti
F
le
s
r
e
n
o
o all the
e Co
ing th
Fathers,
titution. S
in, includ
s
mers of th
a
n
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F
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exence again
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independ
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ere men w
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re
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rs
w
w
e
rs
e
m
e
the Decla
h
d
r Fra
because
the Foun
titution, o
nstitution
ut not all
o
b
,
C
the Cons
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rs
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th
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f
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o
ere Fou
on was a
e drafting
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So Jeffers
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15

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e
t
a

b
e
D

After an unequivocal
experience of the inefficacy of
the subsisting federal government,
you are called upon to deliberate on a
new Constitution for the United
States of America.

There are material

imperfections in our national
system, and something is necessary
to be done to rescue us from
impending anarchy.

me,
At the ti
e
r
e very
people w
proposed
bout the
excited a
k was
on. Redic
Constituti
e all
eople wer
worried p
the
to ratify
hyped up
t
u
o
on with
Constituti
it
king at
really loo
ir
f st.

In my opinion
the day on which we
adopt the present proposed
plan of government, from
that moment we may Justly
date the loss of American
liberty.

Hes saying
that there ar
e major
problems wit
h the curren
t
system, and
if something
isnt done, th
e Union will
fall apart.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON

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DAVID REDICK

4/30/12 12:35 PM

The subject speaks its own

importance; comprehending in its
consequences nothing less than the
existence of the UNION, the safety and
welfare of the parts of which it is
composed, the fate of an empire in
many respects the most
interesting in the
world.

I hope Congress
will be very deliberate and
digest it thoroughly before they
send it recommended to the states. I
sincerely hope that such Gentlemen as
were members of convention, and who
have seats in Congress may not be
considered as very proper judges of
their own works.

I pray
a spirit of wisdom
and a spirit of integrity
pervade Congress, more
especially at this time.

Hes sa
ying th
at
Congres
s bette
serious
r
ly think
sending
before
the Con
stitiutio
out for
n out
approv
a
l,
and its
fair if
the sam
not
e guys
wrote
who
the Con
stitutio
n get
to vote
on it.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON
DAVID REDICK

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wikimedia.com, public domain

t seems to have been reserved to the people

of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question,
whether societies of men are really capable
or not of establishing good government from
reflection and choice, or whether they are
forever destined to depend for their political
constitutions on accident and force. If there
be any truth in the remark, the crisis at
which we are arrived may with propriety be
regarded as the era in which that decision is
to be made; and a wrong election of the part
we shall act may, in this view, deserve to be
considered as the general misfortune of
mankind.
ALEXANDER HAMILTON

me
utco ens is
o
pp
The
t ha tant,
a
h
w
or
of
imp of the
y
l
e
hug e rest hing
th
atc
and d is w at
l
wor see wh t.
to
nex
ens
p
p
ha

18

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THE PREAMBLE
to the United States Constitution

We the People of the United States, in Order

to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide
for the common defence, 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.

DING
FOUN orum
er F
by
Fath
mp o s e d

s co
who
mble wa
Morris,
The Prea ian Gouveneur among
d
an
Pennsylv ely talkative an delegates.
m
e
e
h
r
t
t
x
ll
e
of a
was
rofound
p
t
s
o
m
t he

19

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