Forming a More Perfect Union

On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. George Washington was selected as president of the convention by unanimous juˈnænəməs единогласно vote. The delegates were a well-educated group that included merchants, farmers, bankers and lawyers.

Debating the Constitution

Issues:

- state representation in legislature ˈlɛdʒɪslətʃə

->resolved by the Connecticut kəˈnetəkət Compromise, which proposed a bicameral baɪˈkæmərəl двухпалатный legislature with proportional representation of the states in House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.

- slavery

->it was decided that slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person + Congress wouldn’t be allowed to prohibit the slave trade before 1808.

Ratifying the Constitution

By September 1787, the convention’s five-member Committee of Style (Hamilton, Madison, William Samuel Johnson of Connecticut, Gouverneur Morris of New York, Rufus King of Massachusetts) had drafted the final text of the Constitution. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, with assistance from John Jay, wrote a series of essays to persuade people to ratify the Constitution. The 85 essays, known collectively as “ The Federalist ” (or “The Federalist Papers”), detailed how the new government would work.

Beginning on December 7, 1787, five states–Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia and Connecticut–ratified the Constitution. However, other states opposed the document as it lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached with the assurance that amendments əˈmɛn(d)mənt поправки would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus ratified and it was agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. George Washington was inaugurated as America’s first president.

The Bill of Rights

In 1789, Madison introduced amendments.Ten of these amendments, known as the Bill of Rights became part of the Constitution on December 10, 1791. The Bill of Rights guarantees individuals certain basic protections as citizens (see above), including the right to bear and keep arms; the right to peaceably assemble; protection from unreasonable search and seizure siːʒə захват; and the right to a speedy and public trial судебный процесс by an impartial беспристрасный jury.

 

Билет 17: The Bill of Rights

The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments поправки to the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights amendments add to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations on the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the U.S.

Created:      September 25, 1789

Ratified:     December 15, 1791

Author(s):   1st United States Congress, mainly James Madison

The entire Bill of Rights was created to protect rights the original citizens believed were naturally theirs, including:

Freedom of Religion

· Freedom of Speech, Press, Petition pɪˈtɪʃ(ə)n, and Assembly

Even unpopular expression is protected from government suppression səˈprɛʃ(ə)n подавление,  or censorship.

· Privacy

​        Due Process of Law

​        Equality Before the Law

​The right to be treated equally before the law, regardless of social status.  

The First Amendment provides several rights protections: to express ideas through speech and the press, to assemble or gather with a group to protest and to ask the government to fix problems. It also protects the right to religious beliefs and practices.

The Second protects the right to keep and bear arms.

The Third prevents government from forcing homeowners to allow soldiers to use their homes. Before the Revolutionary War, laws gave British soldiers the right to take over private homes.

Fourth: bars запрещать the government from unreasonable search and seizure ˈsiːʒə  захват of an individual or their private property.

Fifth: provides several protections for people accused of crimes. A person cannot be tried twice for the same offense. People have the right against self-incrimination and cannot be imprisoned without due process of law.

Sixth: providesthe right to a speedy and public trial, trial by an impartial ɪmˈpɑːʃ(ə)l jury in criminal cases, and to be informed of criminal charges. Witnesses must face the accused, and the accused is allowed his or her own witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer.

Seventh: extends the right to a jury trial in Federal civil cases.

Eighth: bars excessive bail залог and fines and cruel and unusual punishment.

Ninth: states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out прописаны.

Tenth: says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated делегированы in the Constitution. If it isn’t listed, it belongs to the states or to the people.