Our Glorious Constitution, 1775-1789 Few Documents that have been Drawn Up in the History of the World have had such Mighty Effect on Mankind W HAT is revolution? Something that changes, that overturns, that brings those that were at the bottom up to the top. The result of the Revolution was much more than the defeat of the British troops and capture of British armies. It was an overturning of the people who had the right to decide what should be done henceforth by the American nation. The colonists, with all their free local governments, had to take the will of the British government in such great things as trade and taxation, and war and peace. Now they could decide such things for themselves. Furthermore the ruling or guiding class in many of the colonies, the "friends of the governor.” and members of royal councils who took the Tory side, ceased to be at the Union came up and was settled once for all. We are so accustomed to being in the Union, loving the Union, fighting for the Union if need be, that we do not realize what a long hard job it was to bring the thirteen colonies under one government and make a national federal constitution that would would hold. One Government WE are so tomed to being in top of things in their colonies and neighborhoods. People learned in the Revolution to make up their own minds rather than to accept the opinions of a governing class. Union in the Continental Congress The American army and navy not only won the war; they won the right to be a nation. Long before independence was actually gained and the British forces withdrew, the question of to Luckily the Second Continental Congress of 1775 had the courage to act as a government for all the states gether. Congress even went to the point of advising the colonies to form constitutions as states. Hence before the war was over every one of the thirteen states set up a government under a written constitution, set off by a "Bill of Rights" which ensured personal freedom to all the people. The Confederation and Its Decline Above all, just at the time when Congress was discussing the Declaration of Independence, it was also getting ready the first federal constitution for the United States of America. Benjamin Franklin hunted up the documents of earlier unions and in 1775 he offered to Congress a draft of a Constitution which is still to be seen at Washington. Congress worked it over, and at last it took the form of the Articles of Con federation which went into effect in 1781 as a constitution for the whole nation. Under the Articles of Confederation the people secured a very favorable peace with Great Britain, made in 1782. A new English government, in spite of the protests of King George, admitted the full independence of the United States, and agreed that its western boundary should be the Mississippi River, and its northern, the Great Lakes. The Articles of Confederation set up the best government of its kind that the world had ever known, but it was not strong enough for the troubled times. Hence some of the strongest and best men in the country set themselves to the task of improving the Articles. Washington begged the states to pay attention to the votes of Congress, without which he said the Confederation is "a rope of sand," today one nation-tomorrow thirteen." 66 The Federal Convention What should be done? Congress was so weak that some of the states were tired of it and would send no more delegates. There was no money to pay interest on debts, nor the money bonuses voted to the officers. The common soldiers were rewarded with land grants. Hence the best statesmen urged a constitutional convention, such as had been held in several of the states, to draw up a new written guide for the national government. Congress, therefore at last called a convention which met in Philadelphia and sat from May till September, 1787. Every state The New Constitution Long and hot were the debates of the Convention. Some wanted to fix up the Articles of Confederation by adding a few amendments. The majority saw that they must build something new. The small states wanted just the same number of members as the big states in the two houses that were proposed for Congress; and that matter was settled making representation in the Senate equal for all the states; but in the House of Representatives in proportion to the population in the several states. Some of the members of the Convention left because they could not have their own way; the others stayed and worked, and made midway agreementsthe so-called "compromises of the constitution." On the last day of the Convention the aged Franklin pointed to a sun that was painted behind the President's chair. "I have," said he, "often and often, in the course of the session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that sun behind the President, without being able to The Articles of Confederation set up the best government of its kind that the world had ever known, but it was not strong enough to hold the States together during the troubled days after the War of the Revolution. Something had to be done. At last, a CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION was called in 1787 to draw up a new written guide for the National Government. George Washington was made President. tell whether it was rising or setting; but now, at length, I have the happiness to know that it is a rising, and not a setting sun." It was the rising sun of the country, the sun of America, the sun of the nation. Essential Parts of the What is this famous document which is so important in our everyday affairs and which has had such a mighty effect upon the rest of mankind? To know what the Constitution is, what it contains and what is most significant for us, is part of the education of the American school child, and is a needed preparation for voters. Hence the text of the whole Constitution is printed in the Appendix to this book, with brief explanations; and throughout this volume there will be many references to the Constitution and to the discussions as to its meaning. Many of the nineteen Amendments of the Constitution are deeply connected with the history of the times in which they were added to the document. Here and always we must remember that the Constitution is not the only document of the kind, for every state has its own Constitution and every city, county, town and village has a charter, or a state law, which is really its Constitution. The most significant thing is the American practice of looking on the Constitution as a higher kind of law, which must be obeyed by the makers of ordinary laws, and to which all ordinary laws are inferior. In studying the Constitution always take into account a pre |