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Sunday 21 August 2011

American Constitution

The leaders of the United States assembled in 1787 to write the constitution. Benjamin Franklin, who was the governor of Pennsylvania, called on the group to offer regular, daily prayer to ask for God’s assistance and blessings in their deliberations.

Page one of the original copy of the Constitution

The delegates that attended the American Constitutional Convention were not afraid to enjoy themselves after a day discussing the future of their country. One bill for a party for 55 people on September 15, 1787, two days before signing the Constitution itemized 60 bottles of claret, 54 bottles of Madeira, 8 bottles of whiskey, 22 bottles of cider, 12 bottles of beer, and 7 bowls of alcoholic punch.

The American Constitution has 4,543 words and takes a half hour to read, making it longer than the Declaration of Independence, which takes ten minutes to read.


The Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, but there were 55 delegates at the Constitution Convention with the goal "to form a more perfect union."

The Constitution does not use the word "democracy."

Signing the Constitution, September 17, 1787

Rhode Island boycotted the Constitutional Convention because it did not trust the idea of a powerful federal government.

In one of Thomas Jefferson's letters to James Madison in 1789 he stated that the Constitution and laws should expire after 19 years. This was to allow the new generations to learn from the past and change accordingly, it was also to prevent older generations from "binding" subsequent ones.

The Constitution may have been signed in 1787, but it was not until 1788 that it was ratified by the required number of states, as nine states were required.

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.

The Bill of Rights,

The United States Constitution is the oldest written constitution in the world still in operation.

Every night, the American Constitution is lowered into a safe that is bomb proof. 

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