Forming the Constitution
Storyboard Text
- The United States Constitution
- We won!
- The Beginning of a Nation
- So, uh...what do we do now?
- The Constitutional Convention
- Alexander Hamilton. My name is Alexander Hamilton.
- The Year is 1783: The colonies have just won their independence from the British Crown and will now operate as a new country
- Constitutional Convention Cont'd
- Let's fix this thing!
- Following the American Revolution, the young nation was abiding by the Articles of Confederation which were drafted in 1781. The Articles of Confederation were ratified before there was a "nation" which left a rather unorganized situation. The stability of the colonies was not great.
- Constitutional Convention Cont'd Cont'd
- We need to be united!
- There was concern for a more centralized government but one had not yet been effectively conceived. With the aid of the Confederation Congress, Alexander Hamilton gathered the colonies to discuss the future of their government in Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
- Constitutional Convention Cont'd Cont'd Cont'd (It was important, ok)
- We probably need a Bill of Rights...
- At the Constitutional Convention, the delegates were meeting to fix the Articles of Confederation to support the fledgling nation. Former General George Washington was named the president of the convention.
- Delegates could not agree on how to "fix" the Articles. People kept proposing radical new ideas of an "even better" system of government. This government would have accountability amongst branches and distinctive functions. Say what??
- Nap time?
- What'd I miss?
- Eventually the delegates agreed on a government with three branches which would check and balance each other. Another decided feature was a bicameral legislature that would represent the individual colonies
- This just might work!
- Meanwhile in Mount Vernon
- But what about MV?
- We have to support the country, George
- Party Like its 1789
- Let's do this thing!
- I still think we need something more...
- Today!
- The new country needed a leader. However, after all of his hard work in the American Revolution and the Constitutional Convention, George Washington just wanted to live a quiet life at Mount Vernon.
- Ultimately, George Washington would accept and become the nation's first president in 1789. Most states would ratify the constitution by this year as well. James Madison still had thoughts on how to improve the newly accepted Constitution. What will he do now?
- The Constitution is an integral part of the American Government. It is a living document which means it can be interpreted through time. The United States still follows the Constitution set forth by the Founding Fathers, open to new amendments still today.
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