The Constitution: The Purposes Of The Constitution

The Constitution, completed and signed on September 17, 1787, is the backbone of the United States government. Composed of three parts, the Preamble, the Articles, and the Amendments, the Constitution outlines a government that “puts the power in the hands of the people” (Constitution Center, 1). It was written from May through September of 1787, but not ratified until June of 1788, when New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify the document. The Constitution was written by a plethora of authors who are referred to as the Constitutional Convention. However, some notable authors include James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, and John Adams because of their drafting of the concepts in the Constitution. Many believe George Washington wrote the document, but he is only credited for overseeing the Convention. All the men who contributed to the composition of the Constitution were well qualified for the task-- several had contributed key concepts to documents like the National Bank reports and the Declaration of Independence. This document was imperative to immerse into the United States government quickly because the Articles of Confederation, which served as a primary draft to the Constitution, limited the government from imposing taxes and raising a national army. While the country continued to grow and shape, it needed a universal law to abide by. …show more content…
Articles One, Two, and Three outline the structures and duties of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, respectively. For the legislative branch, some examples of these specifications are how many senators represent each state, as well as establishing the Vice President as the head of senate. Article One also gives Congress the