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Constitutional History of the United States: A Concise Edition

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Published in Liberty And Union: A Constitutional History Of The United States Concise Edition

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Liberty and Union: A Constitutional History of the United States, concise edition

by Edgar J. McManus

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	11192 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	754 pages

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land. It was adopted in 1789 and has been amended 27 times since then. The Constitution establishes the framework for the federal government and defines the rights of citizens.

The constitutional history of the United States is a long and complex one. It is a story of how the Constitution has been interpreted and applied over time. The Constitution has been used to protect the rights of citizens and to expand the powers of the federal government. It has also been used to justify war and to deny rights to certain groups of people.

The Constitution is a living document that has been shaped by the events of history. It is a testament to the resilience of the American people and to their commitment to the principles of democracy and freedom.

The Origins of the Constitution

The Constitution was written in response to the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States. The Articles of Confederation created a loose confederation of states with a weak central government. The states were largely independent and there was no way to enforce laws passed by the central government.

The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates to the convention quickly realized that the Articles of Confederation were beyond repair and that a new constitution was needed.

The Constitution was drafted by a committee of five delegates, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. The committee's draft was then debated by the full convention and eventually adopted on September 17, 1787.

The Constitution was ratified by the states in 1789 and went into effect on March 4, 1789.

The Structure of the Constitution

The Constitution is divided into seven articles. The first three articles establish the three branches of the federal government: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch.

The legislative branch is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate is composed of two senators from each state, while the House of Representatives is composed of members elected from each state based on population.

The executive branch is headed by the President. The President is elected by the Electoral College, which is composed of electors chosen by the voters in each state.

The judicial branch is composed of the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and its decisions are final.

The last four articles of the Constitution deal with various other matters, such as the amendment process, the supremacy of the Constitution, and the relationship between the states and the federal government.

The Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights protects the rights of individuals, such as the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, and the right to due process of law.

The Bill of Rights was adopted in 1791 in response to concerns that the Constitution did not adequately protect the rights of individuals. The Bill of Rights has been interpreted by the Supreme Court over the years to expand the rights of individuals and to protect them from government interference.

The Civil War

The Civil War was the most important event in the constitutional history of the United States. The war was fought between the Union and the Confederacy, which was composed of eleven states that had seceded from the Union.

The Civil War was fought over the issue of slavery. The Union victory in the war led to the abolition of slavery and to the expansion of the rights of African Americans.

The Civil War also had a profound impact on the Constitution. The war led to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which guaranteed citizenship to African Americans and protected their rights.

The Reconstruction Era

The Reconstruction Era was the period following the Civil War. During this time, the federal government attempted to rebuild the South and to protect the rights of African Americans.

The Reconstruction Era was a time of great social and political turmoil. The federal government passed a number of laws to protect the rights of African Americans, but these laws were often met with resistance from white Southerners.

The Reconstruction Era ended in 1877 with the Compromise of 1877. The Compromise of 1877 led to the withdrawal of federal troops from the South and to the end of Reconstruction.

The Jim Crow Era

The Jim Crow Era was a period of racial segregation in the United States. The Jim Crow Era began in the late 1800s and lasted until the mid-1900s.

During the Jim Crow Era, African Americans were subject to a variety of laws and practices that discriminated against them. These laws and practices included segregation in schools, public transportation, and other public places.

The Jim Crow Era was a time of great injustice for African Americans. The Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) outlawed segregation in public schools and marked the beginning of the end of the Jim Crow Era.

The Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement was a period of social and political activism that led to the passage of a number of laws to protect the rights of African Americans. The Civil Rights Movement began in the mid-1950s and lasted until the mid-1960s.

During the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans organized protests and boycotts to challenge segregation and discrimination. The movement was led by a number of prominent leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X.

The Civil Rights Movement was successful in achieving a number of important goals, including the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These laws outlawed discrimination based on race and protected the voting rights of African Americans.

The Modern Era

The modern era of constitutional history began in the late 1960s. During this time, the Supreme Court has issued a number of important decisions that have expanded the rights of individuals and protected them from government interference.

Some of the most important Supreme Court decisions of the modern era include Roe v. Wade (1973),which legalized abortion, and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015),which legalized same-sex marriage.

The modern era of constitutional history has also been marked by a number of challenges to the Constitution. These challenges include the rise of terrorism and the use of drones by the federal government.

Liberty and Union: A Constitutional History of the United States, concise edition

by Edgar J. McManus

4 out of 5