New laws for a new country

The United States won the Revolutionary war in 1783. After that, the new United States needed new laws. George Washington and other leaders did not want to copy the laws of Great Britain.

In 1787, representatives from the 13 new United States came together for a special meeting. They came together to write a new constitution for the new country.

How can you remember this year? For example, can you remember something that happened in 1987?

They called this meeting the constitutional convention. In 1787, the constitution was written.

When was the Constitution written? –> 1787

George Washington was the leader of the Constitutional Convention in Pennsylvania. Representatives from the 13 states worked for almost 4 months to write the constitution.

They talked, wrote, argued, and voted. Small states wanted a Senate with 2 senators from every state. Large states wanted a House of Representatives based on the population.

Some leaders wanted to continue slavery. Some wanted to make it illegal. Unfortunately, the constitution made slavery a legal part of the United States.

In September 1787, the representatives made the final changes. In the end, the Constitution was written at the Constitutional Convention.

What happened at the Constitutional Convention? –>The founding fathers wrote the constitution / The Constitution was written.

After the constitution was written, every state voted to agree or disagree with it. Every state’s congress had a vote. But, many people didn’t want a new constitution.

Some leaders from the Constitutional Convention wrote to support the new constitution. This writing was called The Federalist Papers. They explained why the US needed this constitution.

John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers. They also used the name Publius. Alexander Hamilton wrote most of the papers: 51 out of 85.

There is only one question about the Federalist Papers. When you hear “Federalist Papers,” you can think about this song:

The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers. –> Alexander Hamilton / John Jay / James Madison

Why did the United States need a new constitution? Before the Constitution, the US didn’t have a clear system. States did not agree about important things like money, the military, or elections.

Also, many people wanted to protect Americans’ basic rights. For example, people wanted the right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

The Constitution was a plan to set up the government. It explains the system of government. It also protects the basic rights of Americans.

What does the Constitution do? –> It sets up the government / It protects the basic rights of Americans.

The Constitution has the idea of self-government in the first three words: We the people. Self-government means a government by the people, of the people, and for the people.

It means we have a democracy, and we elect representatives. After the Constitutional Convention, the 13 states all agreed to use the new Constitution. It became the supreme law of the land.

In the laws of 1789, only men with property could vote. Washington became the first president in 1789, and the United States has continued to use the constitution since then.

The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words? –> We the people

1. When was the Constitution written?
2. What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
3. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.
4. What does the Constitution do?
5. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?