The Constitution of the United States of America:
The Constitution consists of two sections: Amendments 1-10, more commonly known as the Bill of Rights, and Amendments 11-27, which were added over the past 200+ years. The National Archives and Record Administration website has features that allow you to go in depth with each Amendment. Through the website, you can read full transcripts and discover the history and the creation behind each Amendment.
Amendments 1-10 (Bill of Rights):
The Constitution might never have been ratified if the framers hadn't promised to add a Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments to the Constitution gave citizens more confidence in the new government and contain many of today's Americans' most valued freedoms.
On September 17th, 1787, the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document that they had created. However, the Constitution wasn't ratified until December 15, 1791 as there were disputes over whether to include the Bill of Rights. Find out more at the resource below:
https://www.archives.gov/amending-america/explore/why-bill-of-rights.html
Amendments 11-27:
The other Amendments to the U.S. Constitution were added after the original founding date ranging from 1795 up until 1992.
A Pocket Guide to the US Constitution : What Every American Needs to Know, Second Edition by
This handy guide helps readers understand, quickly and in nontechnical language, the US Constitution. Want to learn about the separation of powers, the emoluments clause, why slaves in colonial America were considered 3/5 of a person, gerrymandering, or why Congressional pay raises are limited? Historian Andrew Arnold provides a simple, non-partisan, line-by-line commentary with concise explanations of the Constitution's meaning and history, offering little known facts and anecdotes about all twenty-seven amendments, and discusses key Supreme Court cases through the ages. For ease of use Arnold follows the actual numbering system of articles, sections, and clauses in the Constitution. The book includes two tables of contents--one brief and one detailed--as well as a bibliography and a short conclusion by Arnold on the enduring significance of the Constitution.
The Constitution In 2020 by
The Constitution in 2020 is a powerful blueprint for implementing a more progressive vision of constitutional law in the years ahead.
Liberty's Blueprint by
Aside from the Constitution itself, there is no more important document in American politics and law than The Federalist - the series of essays that James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wrote to persuade the American people to ratify the Constitution. Today, in an age of angry, polarizing debate over what the Constitution means and how to determine the relevance of the framers' "original intent," the Federalist Papers are once again essential reading.
The Lives of the Constitution by
In a fascinating blend of biography and history, Joseph Tartakovsky tells the epic and unexpected story of our Constitution through the eyes of ten extraordinary individuals--some renowned, like Alexander Hamilton and Woodrow Wilson, and some forgotten, like James Wilson and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Tartakovsky brings to life their struggles over our supreme law from its origins in revolutionary America to the era of Obama and Trump.
The Constitution by
From war powers to health care, freedom of speech to gun ownership, religious liberty to abortion, practically every aspect of American life is shaped by the Constitution. This vital document, along with its history of political and judicial interpretation, governs our individual lives and the life of our nation.
Women and the U. S. Constitution by
Women and the U.S. Constitution is about much more than the nineteenth amendment. This provocative volume incorporates law, history, political theory, and philosophy to analyze the U.S. Constitution as a whole in relation to the rights and fate.
Jefferson, Madison, and the Making of the Constitution by
Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison, "Father of the Constitution," were two of the most important Founders of the United States as well as the closest of political allies....In this book, Jeff Broadwater explores the evolution of the constitutional thought of these two seminal American figures, from the beginning of the American Revolution through the adoption of the Bill of Rights
The Annotated U. S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence by
A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian serves as a guide to the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, providing historical contexts and offering interpretive commentary.
The Creation of the U. S. Constitution by
This book relays the factual details of the creation of the U.S. Constitution as seen through the eyes of several narrative accounts detailing the events.
A Constitution for All Times by
A prominent lawyer and legal scholar describes her vision of an evolving Constitution, examining current legal issues that range from health care to gun control.
Keeping Faith with the Constitution by
In Keeping Faith with the Constitution, three legal authorities argue that the original understanding of the text is one source of interpretation, but not the only one; to preserve the meaning and authority of the document, to keep it vital, applications of the Constitution must be shaped by precedent, historical experience, practical consequence, and societal change.
The Living Constitution by
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia once remarked that the theory of an evolving, "living" Constitution effectively "rendered the Constitution useless." He wanted a "dead Constitution," he joked, arguing it must be interpreted as the framers originally understood it. In The Living Constitution, leading constitutional scholar David Strauss forcefully argues against the claims of Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Robert Bork, and other "originalists," explaining in clear, jargon-free English how the Constitution can sensibly evolve, without falling into the anythi.
Conventional Wisdom by
In this book, John R. Vile surveys more than two centuries of scholarship on Article V and concludes that the weight of the evidence (including a much-overlooked Federalist essay) indicates that states and Congress have the legal right to limit the scope of such conventions to a single subject and that political considerations would make a runaway convention unlikely.
The Writing and Ratification of the U. S. Constitution by
The writing of the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention that met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 was, along with the subsequent ratification of the document in state conventions, a major watershed in U.S. history. An understanding of the plans that were offered, the conflicts that were represented, and the arguments that were made are critical to an understanding of many features of the document that was ratified in 1789 as well as in understanding the Bill of Rights that was adopted in 1791.
Conscience and the Constitution by
At stage center of the American drama, maintains David A.J. Richards, is the attempt to understand the implications of the Reconstruction Amendments--Amendments Thirteen, Fourteen, and Fifteen to the United States Constitution. Richards evaluates previous efforts to interpret the amendments and then proposes his own view: together the amendments embodied a self-conscious rebirth of America's revolutionary, rights-based constitutionalism.
Unifying the Nation by
While there is a vast amount of scholarship on the US Constitution, very little of it addresses Article IV. Many of the court cases cited in the text have tremendous day-to-day relevance and implications for the practice of government, such as same-sex marriage, child adoption, child support, public welfare, health care, and telecommunications. In Unifying the Nation, Joseph F. Zimmerman provides a unique and comprehensive examination of court cases pertaining to both sections.
Supreme Decisions, Combined Volume by
Compellingly written, accessible, and interpretive, Melvin I. Urofsky's stories of major Supreme Court cases and the impact of each ruling on American constitutional law make a readable book for every student.
In celebration of Constitution Day, celebrated annually on September 17th, ConsitutionFacts.com has established a one-stop website for all your Constitution curiosities!
On their website, you will find opportunities to discover which Founding Father you most resemble, do Constitution related crossword puzzles, find out your own Constitution I.Q. and more!