The Constitution of the United States is a living document because it was written to be adapted by future generations. If it had not been written with such intentions, the government would be unable to ratify new amendments since this in itself is a change. The matter of the Constitution being a living document is not so much an opinion as it is a fact. It was written by our Founding Fathers in broad enough terms to be subject to modification.
However, this does not mean it is acceptable for the people who run this country to change the Constitution any time they want. The United States was created on a foundation that should be preserved. For example, the government should not attempt to take away any civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution.
These principles should remain untouched. The decision to alter the Constitution should not be taken lightly. Once a new liberty is given, it is hard to take it away. If changes are hastily made, the government and the people may come to resent those revolutionary ideas. Thanks to the nature of this official document, women and people of different racial groups were given the right to vote. If no amendments had ever been added, it would still be only white men who own property, who have the right to vote, and who hold positions of power.
Article 2, Section 4. Article 3, Section 1. The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.
The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office. Article 3, Section 2. The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority;—to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls;—to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction;—to Controversies to which the United States shall be a Party;—to Controversies between two or more States; —between a State and Citizens of another State; —between Citizens of different States, —between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellateJurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.
The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed. Article 3, Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.
No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. Article 4, Section 1. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.
Article 4, Section 2. A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime. No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.
Article 4, Section 3. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.
The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.
Article 4, Section 4. Article V Article 5 - Mode of Amendment. The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation. This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. Attest William Jackson Secretary. Go: Washington -Presidt. South Carolina J.
Connecticut Wm. Johnson Roger Sherman. New Jersey Wil. Livingston David Brearley. Jona: Dayton. Jenifer Danl Carroll. North Carolina Wm Blount Richd. Dobbs Spaight. Hu Williamson. Georgia William Few Abr Baldwin. Massachusetts Nathaniel Gorham Rufus King. New York Alexander Hamilton. Original US Constitution Images.
Click on one of the following US Constitution Pages to enlarge it:. Letter of Transmittal. By the unanimous Order of the Convention. Jackson Secretary. Letter of Transmittal to the President of Congress. SIR: We have now the honor to submit to the consideration of the United States in Congress assembled, that Constitution which has appeared to us the most advisable. His Excellency the President of Congress. Of the others, only the 13th , 14th , 15th , and 16th articles of amendment had numbers assigned to them at the time of ratification.
Article [I] First Amendment — Freedom of expression and religion Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Article [II] 2nd Amendment — Bearing Arms A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Article [III] 3rd Amendment — Quartering Soldiers No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. Article [IV] 4th Amendment — Search and Seizure The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Article [V] 5th Amendment — Rights of Persons No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Article [VI] 6th Amendment — Rights of Accused in Criminal Prosecutions In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
Article [VII] 7th Amendment — Civil Trials In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. Article [IX] 9th Amendment — Unenumerated Rights The enumeration in the Constitution , of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Article [X] 10th Amendment — Reserved Powers The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Click on the following image to view the Bill of Rights enlarged:. Important US Constitution Events. Some words now have different spellings: behaviour — behavior chuse — choose chusing — choosing control — control defence — defense increased — increased erazure — erasure labour — labor offences — offenses Punctuation, hyphenation and grammar usage have also changed.
Given First Name Abbreviations. Other Constitutional Resources:. Links open a new window — Not responsible for the content of any outside links US Constitution Video And Audio US Government archives — includes images of the documents and biographies of the signers Federalist Papers — these 85 essays may be the best source of what the framers of the constitution had in mind.
Historic spellings, punctuation, hyphenation and grammar are retained. A spelling list is provide and in most browsers simply placing the cursor over the word will bring up the current spelling for a short time. Some words are not in everyday vocabulary. A vocabulary list is provide and in most browsers simply placing the cursor over the word or phrase will bring up an alternative for a short time.
The division into clauses, not in the original, makes it easier to reference specific portions of the document allowing both an internal index and for use by external web pages such as teachers guide, or to emphasize a point of a given political point of view in a web page or email.
Placing the cursor over a article number will display the article number as arabic and to what the article pertains. Placing the cursor over a section number will display the article and section number and to what the section pertains. Placing the cursor over a clause number will display the article, section and clause number and to what the clause pertains. Note: Sections with a single clause have no clause number. If clause numbers are hidden just hover over the first letter of the clause.
If the hover feature is not available the short title of the article, section, or clause is listed in the index. Some documents call the division of amendments sections, others clauses, amendment 20 refers to its divisions as sections. They will be called sections in this document. The proper handling was suggested in with this handling repeated as part of the HTML 4.
If the browser does not support this i. Safari 1. Footnotes are links displayed as superscripted arabic numbers superior figures and the text that they modify are displayed in a gray when using the normal stylesheet. Gray was chosen to leave the text readable as opposed to strikeout The punctuation around articles and section numbers have been removed since this practice has fallen into disuse and adds little to the feel of this version. This one shows that he, more likely, was attesting to the document itself or possibly the list of corrections in the document.
The Bill of Rights had twelve numbered articles but only ten were ratified. Since they were renumbered only the two unratified, which are shown in gray, are shown with the original number as in Article the first to try to avoid confusion. A note for anyone looking at the image of the Bill of Rights above or any document of a similar period is the usage of an elongated s that can often be confused with the letter f.
Are we becoming a nation of vigilantes? A recent opinion article by two legal scholars suggested the answer is yes. In this session, students focus on separation of powers and how the Constitution set up a system of checks and balances among the…. On March 12, , Congress approved Hawaii for admission to the union as the 50th state, marking the last time statehood was….
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