First Ten Amendments Of The Constitution Essay

On September 17, 1787 framers in Philadelphia signed “The Constitution of the United States in which it was approved on June 21, 1788 by the ninth state. Once confirmed, along with the addition to the Bill of Rights it developed a mutual standard by which Americans determined the responsibilities and limits of their government. Looking to the Constitution to decide political discrepancies has helped to substitute and preserve a general agreement among people that are otherwise diverse. The Constitution, although two centuries of complications and trials of the American experiment in self-government, is a testament to the cleverness and anticipation of its framers.

The Articles of Confederation was first written in 1777. It was passed by the Confederation of Congress. Congress decided that they needed a firm government to organize the states as a whole. At least that was their primary goal. Since each state had separates rules. The Articles of Confederation was later ratified by each state in 1781. It was “America’s first federal constitution” (Keene 138). The confederation had a few strengths but many weaknesses. The nation faced many economic and political issues that lead people to controversy.

The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, where it was held in Philadelphia. It was written by a group of people known as “Farmers,” or the “Founding Fathers,” and few of the most famous Founding Fathers were George Washington (The first president of the USA), Thomas Jefferson (The first vice president and the third president of the USA) James Madison (The fourth president of the USA), Samuel Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. The old government, the Articles of Confederation was not working as it supposed to be, it was vulnerable and cannot secure and defend the new born nation and for that reason the constitution of the united states saw the light.

A constitution is a written document that sets forth the fundamental rules by which a society is governed. Throughout the course of history the United States has lived under two Constitutions since the British-American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776. First in line was the Articles of Confederation (1789-1789) followed by the Constitution of United States of America (1789-present). The Articles of Confederation was the first formal written Constitution of America that specified how the national government was to operate. Unfortunately, the Articles did not last long. Under the words of the Article’s power was limited; Congress could make decisions, but had no power to enforce them. Also the articles stated

The Articles of Confederation, Adopted by Congress on November 15, 1777, for all practical purposes was the United States’ first Constitution. Created to establish a bond between the newly formed states, “...the Articles purposely established a "constitution" that vested the largest share of power to the individual states” (Early America). This ensured that the government did not have the majority of power. “...the Articles denied Congress the power to collect taxes, regulate interstate commerce and enforce laws...allowing the states retained their "sovereignty, freedom and independence” (Early

The first amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of speech and expression. One particular form of expression that has grown in popularity is body art; also known as tattoos. This creative form of expression can be displayed anywhere on the body. It is because of this same freedom that I believe there should be restrictions on what and where a tattoo is placed. Some feel as if the Marine Corps shouldn’t have any tattoo restrictions. But I strongly disagree. This Organization has been built on so many great principles, like our Corps Values: “Honor, Courage, and Commitment.” Then we have our official United States Marine Corps (USMC) slogan: “The Few, The Proud, The Marines”. We have a reputation for being a professional, disciplined fighting force. Granted, society will always change. From the modern day fads, the fashion statements, to the personal beliefs plus the need to be an individual; we as a people can change in the blink of an eye. But should we allow that to dictate the USMC? Should we change our foundation because of our society? Although tattoos have become a part of the societal norm, in order to maintain good order, discipline, and a professional military appearance; restrictions must remain in place.

The creation of the US constitution was prompted my many different things going on. What established America’s national government and fundamental laws is the U.S constitution. It also guarantees basic rights for its citizens. The U.S constitution was signed on September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pa. The first document before the U.S constitution was the Articles of Confederation, with that the government wasn’t very strong and the states didn’t act like they do today. In 1787, at the 1787 convention, delegates made a decision to make a stronger federal government that consisted of the executive, legislative, and the judicial branches. That wasn’t it either, it also had a system of checks and balances because they did not want one branch to be able to overpower another branch. The ten amendments of the Bill of Rights guarantees protections for people like religion and freedom of speech. In total, there are twenty-seven constitutional amendments.

“In November 1777 the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the United States first written constitution.”(Ginsberg, et. al. 2014: 35). The Articles of Confederation played a big role in the drafting of the United States’ new constitution. The articles were our United States’ first written governing document. The Articles of Confederation solved some problems by creating at least a minimal amount of government at the time, but it also created some problem for our country because we did not have enough government. As time went on, the Founding Fathers found the issues with the Articles of Confederation, sought ways to solve those issues, and created the Constitution as a lasting governing document.

The framers of our Constitution knew that time has a way of changing countries and their citizens. Our country was in a whirlwind of change in 1789 as people were experiencing freedom from the tyranny of England for the first time in their lives. Our country was being molded and formed into a great nation by the founding fathers. Expectations and rules had to be set to protect the rights of the minorities and majorities. Amendments to the Constitution were written to ensure equality for all in changing times.

On the cold night of March 5th, 1770, a mob of American colonists were protesting outside the Customs House in Boston. One colonist threw a snowball hitting Private Hugh Montgomery. Montgomery replied with a shot into the crowd. This led the rest of the British Army soldiers to shoot into the crowd killing five people in an event that would later be known as the Boston Massacre (Foner and Garraty). After this protest, more and more taxes were levied against the colonies, particularly regarding tea. To add, trade with nations besides Great Britain was prohibited. These affronts were met with the tarring and feathering of British tax collectors and the infamous Boston Tea Party. As a result of this, Massachussetts was essentially ruled by martial law. This finally culminated with a declaration of independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776. The United States of America was formed.

The Constitution of the United States is one of the first written constitutions and one of the ‘oldest’ to have been made on the national level and applicable today. It was developed and adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May and September, 1787. The Constitution of 1787 followed the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

The Bill of Rights and the 14th amendment are very important aspects of our government and the way it functions. The Bill of Rights, or the first ten amendments, was ratified in 1791. The 14th amendment was ratified 77 years later, in 1868. Thesel 11 amendments were created to protect the rights of the people. Before the Constitution was ratified, the anti-federalists demanded a Bill of Rights be attached. Afraid of the government gaining too much power like Britain had before, the anti-federalists would not support the Constitution until a Bill of Rights was guaranteed. Eventually, the Founding Fathers ensured the people that a Bill of Rights would be added directly after the Constitution was ratified. James Madison wrote the list of ten amendments

Initially, the Articles of Confederation was the first form of written constitution the United States had established. However, the Articles of Confederation had many flaws, one of the major flaws was it was establishing a weak government. Therefore, many important delegates through a committee decided to construct a new form of law that will inculcate a strong government. The result was the ratification of the Constitution (1788); the supreme law of the land. The constitution is broken down in three branches the legislative, executive, and the judicial branch all for the purpose for tyranny doesn’t surpass. Likewise, the constitution is constructs first with the preamble starting with the famous words” We the People of the United States,”

To amend the constitution, various steps and procedures must be taken. When either Congress (which takes a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives), or a constitutional convention (which takes two-thirds of the State legislatures) want to propose an amendment, they give it to the National Archives and Records Administration. The Congress proposes the amendment as a joint resolution to the National Archives and Records Administrations Office of the Federal Register for the publication process. The Office of the Federal Register adds legislative notes to the joint resolution and publishes it in slip law format. The Office of the Federal Register also puts together an information package for the States

In the constitution there are 27 amendments/changes. The purpose of the 27 amendments is to change the law to solve new issues that were not around when the Constitution was written. Of the 27 amendments, the first ten, are known as the Bill of Rights which went into effect December 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights guarantees the individual rights of citizens. The constitution; written in 1787 exists to serve the states, protect people, and restrain the government. The constitution replaced the articles of confederation.