1. THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION POWERPOINT BY JOE BARTON We The People

2. How old is our constitution? Although written in 1787 our beloved constitution did not take effect until 1789 This means The Constitution of the United States has been in effect for 221 years and is still going strong. Joe Barton

3. The Framers The men who wrote our constitution, aka The Framers, were delegates from 12 of the 13 states (all except for Rhode Island) 74 delegates including 2 future Presidents, George Washington and James Madison, as well as many future political leaders and statesmen. All white, land owning, educated men Joe Barton

4. The Framers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were acting as minister to France and envoy to England/Holland respectively. Former leaders John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Richard Henry Lee had not been selected as delegates by their states. Benjamin Franklin was a notable founding father, he attended the Philadelphia Convention at age 81. (continued) Joe Barton

5. Why was it written? America’s original government, under the Articles of Confederation, was too weak and not getting the job done. The articles lacked the power to control interstate commerce, levy national taxes, or raise an army. Leaders from the U.S. met to edit the Articles but decided to scrap the whole thing and start over. The Framers wanted a stronger central government to lead the new nation. Joe Barton

6. What events led to it’s creation? Under the Articles of Confederation the states were uncooperative and unorganized. Often each with their own governmental systems and currencies. Furthermore, the weak central government was barely above bankruptcy and collecting taxes from states was a very difficult thing to do. “Economic chaos spread throughout the colonies as prices soared and credit vanished. Debts, public and private, went unpaid. Violence broke out in a number of places as a result of the economic chaos” –McClenaghan (46) Joe Barton

7. Shay’s Rebellion One of the most important factor that led to the change in U.S. government was Shays’ Rebellion. Daniel Shays was an American Officer in the Revolutionary War who was one of many who could not afford to pay their debts. A group of farmers attacked a Federal Arsenal but were thwarted by state militia. Shays’ rebellion showed that the Articles of Confederation did not have sufficient power to raise an army, protect property rights or interstate commerce. Joe Barton

8. Where was it written? The Framers of the constitution met in Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 The Convention lasted about 3 months. In 116 days the Framer’s met 89 times. All of this in the insanely hot Philadelphia summer…with the windows closed for secrecy. Joe Barton

9. The Constitutional Prequels…like Star Wars 1…just not as good. The Magna Carta, The Petition of Rights, and The English Bill of Rights all paved the way for the Constitution to be possible All these documents shifted more and more power from the hands of the aristocracy into the hands of the people. The United States Constitution was the most liberal yet and established America as the land of the free. Joe Barton

11. The 3/5ths compromise: decided that all slaves would be represented in voting and taxes as 3/5ths of a person.

12. Commerce and Trade Compromise: said Congress was forbidden the power to tax the exports of goods and couldn’t interfere with slave trade for 20 years.Joe Barton

13. Limitations Each branch of government operates through the separation of powers and checks and balances in order to keep any one branch from becoming too powerful. The constitution was only ratified after the Federalists agreed to include a Bill of Rights. This bill included 10 government limitations that protected the rights of American citizens such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to a free trial. Joe Barton

14. Pssh…Improvement? The American Constitution is the most amazingly perfect piece of writing in the history of the world…period. The proof for this is that America still stands today as a beacon to all in the world that a nation can operate by the people, for the people. If anyone asked me to change the constitution I would slap them in the face with my personal copy of the Declaration of Independence. I would not change anything about the constitution. Joe Barton

15. Relevance? The constitution is as relevant today as it was 221 years ago. Here’s the proof: Today political debates rage about abortion rights, gay marriage, the right to bear arms, stem cell research, off-shore oil drilling, and personal rights. The solution to these problems is different for every person because the answer depends on each person’s interpretation of our constitution. Without this guide, made with the loving hands of our forefathers, America would be lost in a sea of confusion of gay abortion stem cell drilling. Joe Barton