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History Beyond The Textbook

The United States Constitution

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History Beyond The Textbook

What Is a Constitution?

Pronunciation: kon-sti-too-shuh-n Part of Speech: noun Definitions: a document a document that states the laws and creates a government the way something is established the beliefs and laws of a country that establish the powers and roles of the government and guarantees that the nations people maintain their rights
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History Beyond The Textbook

What Is the United States Constitution?

It is the fundamental law of the United States. It was framed and composed at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1787. The original thirteen states later ratified it. It went into effect on March 4, 1789.
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History Beyond The Textbook

What Do These Definitions Mean?

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History Beyond The Textbook

The United States Constitution is the highest law of the United States. It explains the structure of the United States government. The Constitution names and explains the three branches of the United States government. It also explains their powers.
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History Beyond The Textbook

The Three Branches of the United States Government

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History Beyond The Textbook

The Three Branches of the United States Government

Legislative Branch
House Senate of Representatives 100 members 435 members Congress is the first branch, the legislative branch. Congress is made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
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History Beyond The Textbook

The Three Branches of the United States Government

Executive Branch President

The President of the United States leads the executive branch.
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History Beyond The Textbook

The Three Branches of the United States Government

Executive Branch President

Vice President Cabinet

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History Beyond The Textbook

The Cabinet

The Secretary of State The Secretary of the Treasury The Secretary of Defense The Attorney General (Justice Department) The Secretary of the Interior The Secretary of Agriculture The Secretary of Commerce The Secretary of Labor The Secretary of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Homeland Security The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development The Secretary of Transportation The Secretary of Education The Secretary of Energy The Secretary of Veterans' Affairs

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History Beyond The Textbook

The Three Branches of the United States Government

Judicial Branch Supreme Court

The Supreme Court heads the judicial branch.
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History Beyond The Textbook

Checks and Balance System

oEach of the 3 branches can limit the powers of the other branches. oThis way no branch becomes too powerful. oEach branch checks the power of the other branches to make sure that the power is balanced between them.

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History Beyond The Textbook

What We Know About the United States Constitution

WHO? the Constitutional Convention WHAT? a document that states the laws and beliefs of the United States. WHEN? September 17, 1787 WHERE? Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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History Beyond The Textbook

The Preamble Article One: the Legislative Branch

Contents of the Constitution

Article Two: the Presidency Article Three: the Judiciary Article Four: the States Article Five: the Amendment Process

Article Six: the Legal Status of the Constitution Article Seven: Ratification

Signatures
Twenty-Seven Amendments
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History Beyond The Textbook

Vocabulary Booster
The United States Constitution What is an article? What is a section? What is an amendment?

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History Beyond The Textbook

Vocabulary Booster
The United States Constitution
An article is a separate part of a document that deals with a single subject. Articles are divided into sections. A section is one of several parts. An amendment is the act or process of changing something for the better.
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History Beyond The Textbook

Does the United States Constitution Fit the Definition of a Constitution?

a document
a document that states the laws and establishes the government the way something is established the beliefs and laws of a country that create the powers and role of the government and guarantee the nations people maintain their rights.
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History Beyond The Textbook

Did You Know That

The United States Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times.

The first ten amendments are the Bill of Rights.

You can see the original United States Constitution in Washington, D.C., on display at the National Archives and Records Administration.
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History Beyond The Textbook

What About the Preamble?

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History Beyond The Textbook

What Is the Preamble?

It is an introduction to the United States Constitution. It informs people that the federal government has authority over what is amended in the Constitution.
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History Beyond The Textbook

The Preamble States 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.
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History Beyond The Textbook

Does the Preamble Fit the Definition of a Preamble?

It is an introduction. It gives the reasons for what follows in the document. Laws and other parts of the Constitution follow it.
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History Beyond The Textbook

The Preamble

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.
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