We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The Constitutional Convention of May 1787 was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where delegates from 12 of the 13 states were present. The state of Rhode Island refused to send a delegate because it was afraid of losing its states' rights. The delegates worked for 4 months behind closed doors of the State House to draft a new document known later as the "Constitution."

The writers of our Constitution wanted to make sure that the new nation and its citizens would be free and independent. They wanted to make sure that the government of the United States would protect the people from a government that was too powerful and from the autocratic rule of kings. They didn't want the wishes of the people to be denied by any part of government. The writers of the Constitution planned a very special kind of government and put their plan in writing.

Once the debate ended, Governor Morris of New Jersey put the Constitution in its final form. He competed the task of hand-writing 4,300 words in two days!

The Constitutional Convention met for 4 months. The 55 delegates were seldom all together at once because the weather was bad and travel was difficult. About 35 delegates were present during the process of writing the Constitution.

The Continental Congress received the proposed Constitution on September 20. It then voted to send the document to the state legislatures for ratification.

Very few things last long without change. Nothing is perfect. The writers of the Constitution realized this when they presented the first twelve amendments to the Constitution.

The Constitution is organized into three parts: Preamble: Describes the purpose of the document and government. Articles: Establish how the government is structured and how the Constitution can be changed. There are seven articles. Amendments: Changes to the Constitution; the first ten are called the Bill of Rights.

Independence Hall is where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were created.

Those who signed the Constitution

New Hampshire John Langdon Nicholas Gilman Massachusetts Rufus King Nathaniel Gorham Connecticut Roger Sherman William Samuel Johnson New York Alexander Hamilton New Jersey William Livingston David Brearley William Paterson Jonathan Dayton John Langdon Nicholas Gilman Rufus King Nathaniel Gorham Roger Sherman William Samuel Johnson Alexander Hamilton William Livingston David Brearley William Paterson Jonathan Dayton Pennsylvania Benjamin Franklin Thomas Mifflin Robert Morris George Clymer Thomas FitzSimons Jared Ingersoll Gouverneur Morris James Wilson Benjamin Franklin Thomas Mifflin Robert Morris George Clymer Thomas FitzSimons Jared Ingersoll Gouverneur Morris James Wilson Delaware George Read Gunning Bedford, Jr. John Dickinson Richard Bassett Jacob Broom Maryland James McHenry Daniel Carroll Dan of St. Thomas Jenifer George Read Gunning Bedford, Jr. John Dickinson Richard Bassett Jacob Broom Virginia John Blair James Madison, Jr. George Washington North Carolina William Blount Richard Dobbs Spaight Hugh Williamson South Carolina John Rutledge Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Charles Pinckney Pierce Butler Georgia William Few Abraham Baldwin John Blair James Madison, Jr. George Washington William Blount Richard Dobbs Spaight Hugh Williamson John Rutledge Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Charles Pinckney Pierce Butler William Few Abraham Baldwin The Signers of the U. S. Constitution

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