Our Constitution

by Ritchie, Donald A.; JusticeLearning.org

• ISBN13: 9780195325690
• ISBN10: 0195325699
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-11
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The United States Constitution is a remarkable document. For more than two hundred years it has proved to be strong and flexible enough both to preserve our rights and prevent despotism. Yet it has never been perfect, and throughout its life has been amended and reinterpreted to adjust to the needs of an ever-growing nation and adapt to evolving ideas of democracy. The five introductory chapters of Our Constitution put the document into historical context and explain its development: Why was the Constitution necessary? What kind of government did it create? What rights does it protect? How has it expanded over time? And how has it been interpreted?

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 7
Why Was the Constitution Necessary?	p. 9
What Kind of Government Did the Constitution Create?	p. 19
What Rights Does the Constitution Protect?	p. 30
How Has the Constitution Expanded over Time?	p. 42
How Is the Constitution Interpreted?	p. 56
The U.S. Constitution
Preamble	p. 68
	p. 70
	p. 108
	p. 118
	p. 126
	p. 134
	p. 136
	p. 138
First Amendment	p. 140
Second Amendment	p. 144
Third & Fourth Amendments	p. 148
Fifth Amendment	p. 152
Sixth Amendment	p. 156
Seventh & Eighth Amendments	p. 160
Ninth & Tenth Amendments	p. 164
Eleventh Amendment	p. 168
Twelfth Amendment	p. 172
Thirteenth Amendment	p. 176
Fourteenth Amendment	p. 180
Fifteenth Amendment	p. 186
Sixteenth Amendment	p. 190
Seventeenth Amendment	p. 194
Eighteenth & Twenty-first Amendments	p. 198
Nineteenth Amendment	p. 202
Twentieth Amendment	p. 206
Twenty-second Amendment	p. 210
Twenty-third Amendment	p. 214
Twenty-fourth Amendment	p. 218
Twenty-fifth Amendment	p. 222
Twenty-sixth Amendment	p. 226
Twenty-seventh Amendment	p. 228
Delegates to the Constitutional Convention	p. 232
Supreme Court Decisions that Shaped the Constitution	p. 238
Constitutional Glossary	p. 241
Further Reading	p. 244
Websites	p. 247
Museums and Historic Sites Related to the Constitution	p. 249
Index	p. 251
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