US Constitution

The United States Constitution is the highest law in the United States of America. All other laws made in the country come from the Constitution. The Constitution outlines and shows how the government of the United States should work. It is the oldest and yet shortest Constitution still in use in any major independent country. The United States Constitution is over 200 years old. In 1787, there were only thirteen states in America. It was in the middle of May 1787 when delegates from twelve of these states met in Philadelphia to begin drafting the document that would soon become the United States Constitution. The only state not to attend was Rhode Island, as they believed the talks would encourage them to forfeit the rights of their state.Many of the men who attended this meeting are still known to us today. They included: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison. Collectively, the delegates who attended this meeting are often referred to as the ‘Founding Fathers’. James Madison is generally considered to be the ‘Father of the Constitution’. He was a great political thinker who kept comprehensive notes of all the meetings. These notes allow us an insight into the creation of the United States Constitution.