A New Constitution
"When a building is to be erected which is intended to stand for ages, the foundation should be firmly laid."
~Anonymous Writer of Brutus II
~Anonymous Writer of Brutus II
After abandoning The Articles of Confederation, America found a new form of government in The Constitution. The government that the document created was ingenious with its separation of power, and its series of checks and balances.
Delegates from the states met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to discuss the problems in the nation
They intended on revising the Articles of Confederation
But they came to the decision of creating an entirely new constitution instead
The new constitution set up a new form of government with 3 branches (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial)
They intended on revising the Articles of Confederation
But they came to the decision of creating an entirely new constitution instead
The new constitution set up a new form of government with 3 branches (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial)
The Constitution of the United States of America. This revolutionary document set the foundation of America's modern day government. Though it is not America's first constitution, it is the longest lasting one.
This picture shows how The Constitution set up the 3 branches of government (The Legislative, Executive, and Judicial). Each branch is then split into different sub groups, and all are elected by the people in one way or another.
The Legislative Branch is...
The Executive Branch is...
The Judicial Branch is...
These 3 branches would work together to run the country
To insure that no one branch would become too powerful, a series of checks and balances was established
Under this new form of government, it seemed as though America had overcome its challenge of forming a new nation
However, not everyone reacted in favor of The Constitution
- Responsible for creating laws
- Bicameral (consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate)
- Elected by the people (number in House of Representatives based on population, Senate has 2 people per state)
The Executive Branch is...
- Responsible for enforcing laws
- Made up of the President who is responsible for running the nation and vice president
- Elected by the people (electoral college)
The Judicial Branch is...
- Responsible for interpreting and applying laws
- Made up of the Supreme Court and other courts made by Congress
- Appointed by president with the advice of the Senate
These 3 branches would work together to run the country
To insure that no one branch would become too powerful, a series of checks and balances was established
Under this new form of government, it seemed as though America had overcome its challenge of forming a new nation
However, not everyone reacted in favor of The Constitution
