Feature Cast Article

Old Times Newsletter

October, 11, 2007

We the people of the Unites States of America, in order to form a prefect 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.” That is a quote and the very beginning of our very own Constitution.
The Constitution was ratified in 1781, which created a loose foundation for government and laws for the thirteen independent states. With no source of government the Congress adopted a solution (Constitution) on February, 21, 1787. September, 17, 1789 thirty-nine delegate men had signed the constitution, some of those men were: Roger Sherman, B Franklin, Robt Morris, Gouv Morris, James Madison Jr, James Wilson and Nicholas Gilman. Then the 9th vote of ratification was New Hampshire’s vote which put the constitution to effect. Congress under the Constitution, met in New York and agreed to make George Washington should become the 1st president of the United States of America, and he did become president on April, 30, 1789. On June, 8, 1789 James Madison introduced the first ten amendments; and those 1st ten amendments (The Bill of Rights) were ratified in 1791. The Bill of Rights intended to protect individual liberty from the power of the government; it guarantees freedom of speech, the press, religion, petition and assembly and specifies the rights of accused criminal and civil cases. It basically protects the rights for American citizens.
The United States Constitution is the shortest (7,000 words) and oldest written constitution in the world to still be in effect. It divides the governmental powers between the national and state government in a system know as federalism. It also divides national government into three independent branches: the executive, the legislative and the judicial. It was prepared/written in private, behind closed doors that were heavily guarded by sentries.
I interviewed Susy Creamer, 56, to see if she knew anything about the constitution. Here is what she had to say,“Well the article was written to form a union, it was passed in 1781 and no woman signed it only our founding fathers. It was written in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.” She also thinks that, “It was a good start, It has been added to and it is also a matter of interpretation.” So she knew some facts, but had some of the dates mixed up. So as you see The constitution is still in affect to this very day, because we still have freedom of speech, and other rights which are stated in the constitution. You may not realize it but the constitution is one of the things we all live by today.