Constitution Day Mini Study. Sample file

Transcription

1 Constitution Day Mini Study

2 Created and designed by Debbie Martin Constitution Day Mini Study The Whole Word Publishing The Word, the whole Word and nothing but the Word." Copyright September 2010 by Debbie Martin 3627 D St. Bremerton, Wa All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the individual purchaser to reproduce his book in whole or in part for non commercial individual or classroom use only. Permission is not granted for school wide system wide reproduction of materials. Clip art: Public domain.

3 Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal observance that recognizes the ratification (ratification is making something valid by formally ratifying or confirming it) of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787.

4 A Look Back... For thousands of years, North America was populated solely by Indian tribes and was unknown to Europe. That changed when Christopher Columbus found the continent in Inspired by Columbus tales of the New World, waves of Europeans sailed to North America, found a huge land ripe with resources, and began to claim pieces of it. While the French moved into the North and the Spanish settled in the South and West, the British built communities on the East Coast. English settlers came to these communities for a variety of reasons. Many wanted to make money by finding gold or establishing trade with their home country, but others sought religious freedom. Whatever their reason for moving to the New World, they found life hard at first, but eventually their settlements began to grow and prosper.

5 In the early 1600's, the British king began granting charters to establish colonies in America. By the mid 1700s, most of the settlements had been formed into 13 British colonies -- Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Although they lived under British rule, the colonists oftentimes ignored British laws. This independent attitude would eventually lead to a clash between the Americans and the British. Little by little, the British tightened control in the colonies until the American Revolution (the American Revolution is the struggle by which the United States won independence from Great Britain ( )) broke out on April 19, On July 4, 1776, the Americans declared their independence from the British, but it was not until several years later (1783) that the British were finally defeated and America was free

6 to take the first steps toward creating their own government. Before the Revolutionary War, each new state had its own constitution, which gave people certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. After the war, the states joined together to set up a federal government under the Articles of Confederation. (The Articles of Confederation were The first constitution of the 13 American states, adopted in 1781 and later replaced in 1787 by the Constitution of the United States.) The Articles proved to be a weak system of government. The federal government only had the power to declare war and manage foreign affairs. Under the Articles, each state worked independently. Chaos erupted from this system of government. Something had to be done, but the road ahead proved to be a bumpy one. While Americans were glad to be free of British rule, they were used to being sovereign and wanted to stay that way. It was decided that the Articles of Confederation had to be revised, so each state, except Rhode Island, sent delegates (there were 55 total) to Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. The delegates decided

7 that revising the Articles wouldn't work, so instead they agreed to write an entirely new Constitution. The delegates debated for many months over the contents of the Constitution. Some states favored a strong central government, while there were those who opposed a strong central government for fear of a system similar to that of oppressive England. Meanwhile, large states felt they were entitled to more representation in Congress, while small states favored equal representation. But finally, a compromise had been made among the delegates and the Constitution was signed on September 17, Although it has been amended over the years, the Constitution's basic form still exists today.

8

9 The Articles of Confederation

10 Now, back to Constitution Day. The law establishing the Constitution Day was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending Senator Robert Byrd bill of (The An omnibus spending bill is a bill that sets the budget of many departments of the United States government. It is one possible outcome of the budget process in the U.S. Every year, Congress must pass bills that appropriate money (or authorizes the government to spend money) for all government spending. Generally, one bill is passed for each sub-committee of the U.S House Committee on Appropriations. Ordinarily, each bill is passed separately one bill for Defense, one for Homeland Security, and so on. When Congress does not or cannot produce separate bills in a timely fashion (by the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1), it will roll many of the separate appropriations bills into one omnibus

11 spending bill. Some of the reasons that Congress might not complete all the separate bills include partisan disagreement, disagreement amongst members of the same political party, and too much work on other bills.) Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as "Citizenship Day". In addition to renaming the holiday "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education announced the enactment of this law and that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind. This holiday is not observed by granting time off work for federal employees. When Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday. This was the case in 2005, when Constitution Day was generally observed on Friday, September 16 and2006 when the holiday was observed on Monday, September 18.

12 So how did Constitution Day start? 1. In 1939,William Randolph Hearst a newspaper publisher encouraged, through his chain of daily newspapers, the creation of a holiday to celebrate citizenship. 2. In 1940, Congress designated the third Sunday in May as "I am an American Day." 3.On February 29, 1952, Congress moved that observation to September 17th and renamed it "Citizenship Day". 4. In 1952, Louisville, Ohio resident Olga T. Weber petitioned municipal officials to establish Constitution Day, in honor of the ratification of the US Constitution in 1789.

13 5. Louisville, Ohio Mayor Gerald A. Romary proclaimed September 17, 1952, as Constitution Day in the city. Frank J. Lausche Dwight D. Eisenhower. 6. April 1953, Olga T. Weber requested that the Ohio General Assembly proclaim September 17 as state-wide Constitution Day. Her request was signed into law by Governor Frank J. Lausche. 7. In August 1953, Olga T. Weber took her case to the United States Senate, which passed a resolution designating September as Constitution Week. The Senate and House approved her request and it was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

14 8. On April 15, 1957, the City Council of Louisville declared the city Constitution Town. The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society later donated four historical markers, located at the four main entrances to the city, explaining Louisville's role as originator of Constitution Day.

15 So what about the Constitution? After the American Revolution the states were functioning under the Articles of Confederation. As time passed it became clear that changes to this system had to be made. A convention of delegates ( a delegate is a person who acts for or represents another or others) from all the states except Rhode Island met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in May of George Washington was chosen president of the convention. By the end of the month it was decided that the best solution to the young George Washington country's problems was to set aside the Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution. This was not an easy chore. Three months later and after a lot of debate and compromise, on September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was finally accepted by the delegates. But their work was not done.

16 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787) now had to get all the states to agree that this was a good document and that they should vote in favor of it. This was the first great political question that faced Americans. Nine states had to vote for the Constitution for it to be accepted. On December 3, 1787, Delaware was the first state to vote in favor of (ratify) it. New Hampshire became the ninth state to accept the Constitution on June 21, 1788, ending government under the Articles of Confederation. It was not until May 29, 1790 that the last state,rhode Island, finally accepted the Constitution.

17 The Constitution of the United States is the cornerstone of our American government. In 4,543 words this document describes the structure or plan of the government and the rights of the American people. The Constitution is known as a "living document" because it can be amended. Since its ratification, it has only been changed or amended (amended means to change the wording or meaning of a motion, bill, constitution, etc. by formal procedure. For example, Congress may amend the Constitution) 27 times. The Constitution is a strong document, more powerful than any branch of government or any state. At the same time, it is flexible enough to allow for freedom and changes in America.

18 The Constitution is organized into three parts: Preamble: Describes the purpose of the document and government. Articles: Establish how the government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed. There are seven articles. Amendments: Changes to the Constitution; the first ten are called the Bill of Rights.

19 The Founding Fathers, the framers of the Constitution, wanted to form a government that did not allow one person to have too much authority or control. While under the rule of the British king they learned that this could be a bad system. Yet government under the Articles of Confederation taught them that there was a need for a strong centralized government. With this in mind the framers wrote the Constitution to provide for a Separation of powers, or three separate branches of government. Each has its own responsibilities and at the same time they work together to make the country run smoothly and to assure that the rights of citizens are not ignored or disallowed. This is done through checks and balances. (Check and balances are limits imposed on all branches of government by giving each the right to amend acts of the other branches.) A branch may use its powers to check the powers of the other two in order to maintain a balance of power among the three branches of government.

20 The three branches of the U.S. Government are the legislative, executive, and judicial. Branches of Government

21 1. The Legislative Branch Congress Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Their job is to make the laws for our country. The Senate has 100 Members, two from each state. Senators are elected for 6-year terms. A senator must live in the state from which he is chosen. A senator must be at least 30 years of age. A senator must have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years. The House of Representatives is made up of 435 members. A state that has a big population will have many representatives. A state that has a small population will have only a few representatives. Every state must have at least one representative. Members are elected by the people for 2-year terms. A representative must live in the state from which he is chosen. A representative must be at least 25 years of age. A representative must have been a citizen for at least seven years.

22 The House of Representatives In the House, representation is based on the number of people living in each state. There are a total of 435 representatives in the House. Each member represents an area of the state, known as a congressional district. The number of representatives is based on the number of districts in a state. Therefore, states with larger populations have more representation than states with smaller populations. Each state has at least one congressional district and therefore one representative in the House.

23 Representatives must: Be at least 25 years old. Be a U.S. citizen for the past seven years. Live in the state they represent Each representative serves a term of 2 years. When the term is over, people from that state may choose to elect a new representative or keep the same one. There is no limit on the number of terms a representative can serve. The House has special jobs that only it can do. It can: Start laws that make people pay taxes. Decide if a government official should be put on trial before the Senate if s/he commits a crime against the country

24 The Senate Each of the 50 states sends 2 people to the Senate, so there are a total of 100 senators. This means that each state has equal representation in the Senate. Each senator serves a term of 6 years. When their 6 year term is over, the people from that state may choose to elect a new senator or keep the same one. There is no limit on the number of terms a senator can serve.

25 Senators must: Be at least 30 years old. Be a U.S. citizen for the past 9 years. Live in the state they represent. The Senate has special jobs that only it can do. It can: Say yes or no to any treaties the president makes. Say yes or no to any people the president recommends for jobs, such as cabinet officers, Supreme Court justices, and ambassadors. Can hold a trial for a government official who does something very wrong.

26 2. The Executive Branch The executive branch of Government makes sure that the laws of the United States are obeyed. The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch of government. This branch is very large so the President gets help from the Vice President, department heads (Cabinet members), and heads of other agencies. The executive branch of Government makes sure that the laws of the United States are obeyed. The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch of government. This branch is very large so the President gets help from the Vice President, department heads (Cabinet members), and heads of independent agencies

27 3.The Judicial Branch The judicial branch of government is established in Article III of the Constitution with the creation of the Supreme Court. The judicial branch of government is made up of the court system. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws, how they are applied, and whether they break the rules of the Constitution. The Supreme Court is made up of nine Justices. One of these is the Chief Justice. They are appointed by the President and must be approved by the Senate. Justices have their jobs for life, unless they resign, retire, or are impeached (removed, as described in the Constitution). There are no official qualifications for Justices, but all have been trained in the law. Many Justices served as members of Congress, governors, or members of the President's Cabinet.

28 One president, William Howard Taft, was later appointed Chief Justice. Here is a list of the current Supreme Court Justices: Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. Justice John Paul Stevens Justice Antonin Scalia Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Justice Clarence Thomas Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Justice Stephen G. Breyer Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. Justice Sonia Sotomayor The number of Supreme Court Justices has changed over the years. Initially, the Court was made up of six Justices who had been appointed by George Washington. The first time they met was February 1, The number of Justices has been as high as 10. President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to raise the number to 15 at one point, but the number has been nine since 1869.

29 Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. Justice John Paul Stevens Justice Antonin Scalia Justice Anthony M. Kennedy Justice Clarence Thomas Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Justice Stephen Breyer Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Justice Sonia Sotomayor

30 Supreme Court Justice's of the United States Cut out the cards of the Justice's of the Supreme Court of the United States and learn them. Store the cards in the pocket above. For the pocket: Directions: Cut out pocket, fold in half. Lightly glue side but not the top to make a pocket for your cards. Store cards inside pocket.

31 Rights of Citizens: The Bill of Rights When the Constitution was ratified in 1787, many people were concerned that it did not protect certain freedoms. They thought that the Constitution should be changed or amended to protect these freedoms. On December 15, 1791, ten amendments were added to the Constitution. The first eight amendments showed one by one individual rights associated with that description. The 9th and 10th amendments are general rules of interpretation of the relationship among the people, the State governments, and the Federal Government. These amendments guarantee certain freedoms and rights, so they are known as the Bill of Rights. On the next few pages are the Bill of Right written on cards. Cut them out and learn the Bill of Rights.

32 Amendment I "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Amendment III "No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law." Amendment II "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Amendment IV "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

33 Amendment V "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." Amendment VII "In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law." Amendment VI "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense." Amendment VIII "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

34 Amendment IX "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." Amendment X "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." On the next page is a pocket to keep your cards in.

35 Directions: Cut out Bill of Rights Cards. Next cut out below pocket. Fold in half. Lightly glue sides to make a pocket for your cards. Store cards in pocket. Bill of Rights Cards

36 Delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Delegates who signed the Constitution. Abraham Baldwin Richard Bassett Gunning Bedford, Jr. John Blair, Jr. William Blount David Brearley Jacob Broom Pierce Butler Daniel Carroll George Clymer Jonathan Dayton John Dickinson

37 William Few Thomas Fitzsimons Benjamin Franklin Nicholas Gilman Nathaniel Gorham Alexander Hamilton Jared Ingersoll William Jackson (secretary) Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer William Samuel Johnson Rufus King John Langdon William Livingston James Madison James McHenry Thomas Mifflin

38 Gouverneur Morris Robert Morris William Paterson Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Charles Pinckney George Read John Rutledge Roger Sherman Richard Dobbs Spaight George Washington Hugh Williamson James Wilson

39 Delegates who left the Convention without signing. (Please note: The "L" next to the name of these men means they left without signing the Constitution) William (L) Richardson Davie Oliver Ellsworth (L) William Houston (L) John Lansing, Jr.(L) Alexander Martin (L) Luther Martin (L) James McClurg (L) John Francis (L) Mercer William Pierce (L) Caleb Strong (L) George Wythe (L) Robert Yates (L)

40 Delegates who refused to sign the Constitution. (Please note: The "R" next to the name of these men means they refused to sign the Constitution) Elbridge Gerry (R) George Mason (R) Edmund Randolph (R) Delegates to the Constitutional Convention Directions: To make a pocket to hold your delegate cards in. Cut out cards, next cut out pocket. Fold pocket in half. Lightly glue sides of pocket. Store cards inside pocket.

41 Constitution Day Optional Questions 1. What is Constitution Day? 2. When is Constitution Day observed? and why? 3. Before the Revolutionary War each state had it's own constitution. What was their constitution called? 4. What are the Articles of Confederation?

42 5. The law establishing the Constitution Day was created in with the passage of an amendment by to the spending bill of Before it was know as Constitution Day, what was the holiday known as? 7. In addition to renaming the holiday, the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the

43 Make a timeline (optional) (fill in date on time line in boxes below the timeline write a description of the event. Tape timelines together when complete if desired.) Constitution Day Time line

44

45 Constitution Day More optional questions 1. What is a delegate? 2. Who was the president of the convention? 3. On December 3, 1787 what state was the first to vote in favor on the constitution? 4. Who was the ninth state to accept the constitution and on what date? 5. Who was the last state to accept the constitution and on what date?

46 6. How many words are in the constitution? 7. Why is the constitution know as a "living document?" 8. How many times has the constitution been amended? 9. What are the three parts of the constitution? Describe each one.

47 10. What are checks and balances? 11. What are the three branches of government? 12. What is congress made up of? What is their job? 13. Who is the head of the Executive branch? 14. What is the Judicial branch?

48 15. Who are the current Supreme Court Justices? 16. When was the Bill of Rights ratified? 17. How many amendments are there? 18. On what date were the ten amendments added to the constitution? 19. What do the amendments guarantee?

49 Preamble to the United States Constitution Copywork (The Preamble to the United States Constitution is a brief introductory statement of the Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It states in general terms, and courts have referred to it as reliable evidence of, the Founding Fathers' intentions regarding the Constitution's meaning and what they hoped it would achieve.)

50 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 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.

51 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 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.

52 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 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.

53

54 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 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.

55 Preamble to the United States Constitution We the People of the United

56 States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure

57 domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and

58 secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution

59 for the United States of America.

60 Preamble to the United States Constitution We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,

61 establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our

62 Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

63 Preamble to the United States Constitution We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish

64 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

65 and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

66 Delegates at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 prepare to sign the U.S. Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Howard Chandler Christy's Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States. Only 40 of the 55 delegates are pictured in the painting; not included are the delegates who did not sign the Constitution or the delegates who left the convention.

67

68

69