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Facts about U.S Constitution

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Please provide short responses to the 10 points about the U.S. Constitution (e.g., , no right or wrong answers). Here is an example of the format to use:

EX: The word democracy does not appear in the Constitution.

ANS: I find this information fascinating because today there is so much talk about our democracy and it just seems strange to me that the word was not included in the Constitution. I wonder if that means that they did not think of the Constitution in the same way that we are taught today.

Below are the 10 points to discuss:

? The U.S. Constitution has 4,440 words. It is the oldest and the shortest written constitution of any government in the world.

? Of the typographical errors in the Constitution, the misspelling of the word "Pensylvania" above the signers' names is probably the most glaring.

? Thomas Jefferson did not sign the Constitution. He was in France during the Convention, where he served as the U.S. minister. John Adams was serving as the U.S. minister to Great Britain during the Constitutional Convention and did not attend either.

? The youngest was Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey was 26. The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin which was 81.

? The Constitution does not set forth requirements for the right to vote. As a result, at the outset of the Union, only male property-owners could vote. African Americans were not considered citizens, and women were excluded from the electoral process. Native Americans were not given the right to vote until 1924.

? James Madison, "the father of the Constitution," was the first to arrive in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention. He arrived in February; three months before the convention began, bearing the blueprint for the new Constitution.

? When the Constitution was signed, the United States' population was 4 million. It is now more than 300 million. Philadelphia was the nation's largest city, with 40,000 inhabitants.

? It took one hundred days to actually "frame" the Constitution.

? During an event to celebrate the Constitution's Sesquicentennial in 1937, Harry F. Wilhelm recited the entire document through the newly added 21st Amendment from memory. He then obtained a job in the Sesquicentennial mailroom! Representatives and the Senate compromised on the use of "President of the United States."

? Vermont ratified the Constitution on January 10, 1791, even though it had not yet become a state.

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Solution Summary

This solution explains 10 somewhat controversial points about the U.S. Constitution. Supplemented with a highly informative article.

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Please see response attached, which is also presented below. I hope this helps and take care.

RESPONSE:

Interesting points of discussion! Let's look at some ideas for each point, which you can then draw on, and consider from your own understanding of the point.

Below are the 10 points to discuss...

? The U.S. Constitution has 4,440 words. It is the oldest and the shortest written constitution of any government in the world.

See U.S. Constitution at http://www.garymcleod.org/usconsti.htm.

Even though the U.S. Constitution has only 4,440 words, it is considered a living document, which means that as society grows and changes, the constitution can be amended to meet the growing and different needs of the American people. However, it is a valid contract between We the People and the government only as long as the original intent of the founding father's remains intact. And, "[w]here the meaning of the constitution is clear and unambiguous, there can be no resort to construction to attribute to the founders a purpose of intent not manifest in its letter." Norris v. Baltimore, 172, Md. 667; 192 A 531.0. http://www.garymcleod.org/con-quot.htm

See full article downloaded at the end of the attached response.

? Of the typographical errors in the Constitution, the misspelling of the word "Pensylvania" above the signers' names is probably the most glaring.

It seems that the Constitution might have been written and signed in haste, with typographical errors. However, we also have to consider the year that it was written and how the rules of quality performance and excellence were not as prevalent as they are today. It is, however, a contract between We the People and the government and is valid, with or without typographical errors. It has stood the test of time for relevance and application (most would agree, but not all).

? Thomas Jefferson did not sign the Constitution. He was in France during the Convention, where he served as the U.S. minister. John Adams was serving as the U.S. minister to Great Britain during the Constitutional Convention and did not attend either.

The initial writing and signing of the U.S. Constitution was a first step and written by the founding Father, even though Jefferson and Adams did not sign it, it was still their views, I would think. Over time, the U.S. Constitution has been amended, but the original intent of the funding fathers need to remain intact to remain valid. However, minor changes to meet the new needs of the American people and their civil rights keeps its meaningfulness to the American people, as it is considered a 'living' document by some (but not all), meaning that as it is amended as the needs of the American people change.

However, there are also opponents of the idea of the Constitution being a 'living' document as ...

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