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Aren't there more than 10 amendments to the Constitution? - Ms. Wiktor

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Aren't there more than 10 amendments to the Constitution? - Ms. Wiktor

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Yes, there are. Written into the Constitution was the ability to add amendments to the original document. The Founding Fathers had the foresight to realize that the world may not stay the same forever. By including a way to change the Constitution, they were able to protect its longevity while remaining realistic about how things change. There are 27 amendments to the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. Check out some important amendments you may have heard of:

13th Amendment: Abolished slavery and indentured servitude. Ratified December 6, 1865

19th Amendment: Grants women the right to vote. Ratified August 18, 1920

22nd Amendment: Limits the time a President can serve to two terms. Ratified February 27, 1951

26th Amendment: Grants US citizens 18 and older the right to vote

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Hey! Isn't there something called the Bill of Rights? Tell me more about that! - Ms. Wiktor

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Hey! Isn't there something called the Bill of Rights? Tell me more about that! - Ms. Wiktor

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Okay, you asked for it! Check out this INFOGRAPHIC that explains what right each AMENDMENTin the Bill of Rights protects. Some of the states refused to ratify the Constitution unless certain rights of the people were protected. This is what the Founding Fathers came up with.

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This image simply shows the way in which our government is set up, as planned by our Founding Fathers in 1787. Isn't it amazing that the system set up over 200 years ago is still working today?

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Delegates realized that none of the plans brought forth really suited the needs of the new country. Under the Connecticut Compromise, the legislative branch was divided into two house:

House of Representatives - representation of the people

Senate - representation of the states

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The Constitutional Congress - Ms. Wiktor

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The Constitutional Congress - Ms. Wiktor

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55 delegates attended what became known as the Constitutional Congress from all states except Rhode Island. George Washington was elected President of the Congress. There were a number of different views about how the government should be set up. Among them were:

The Virginia Plan - proposed a BICAMERAL legislative branch, as well as an executive branch and a judicial branch. States had less power under this plan.

The New Jersey Plan - placed more power in the hands of the states over the FEDERAL government.

The Hamilton Plan - envisioned a President for life (much more similar to the Royal system in England)

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Did you notice that some words are CAPITALIZED AND BOLD? These are some vocabulary words that you may not know. Head to the Merriam-Webster website to learn more!

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Find definitions for over 300,000 words from the most authoritative English dictionary. Continuously updated with new words and meanings.

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Want to learn more about the United States under the Articles of Confederation?? - Ms. Wiktor

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Want to learn more about the United States under the Articles of Confederation?? - Ms. Wiktor

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The Articles of Confederation and the Northwest Ordinance

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Visit Study.com for thousands more videos like this one. You'll get full access to our interactive quizzes and transcripts and can find out how to use our videos to earn real college credit. YouTube hosts only the first few lessons in each course. The rest are at Study.com.

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It wasn't long before it became evident that the Articles of Confederation were not working for this young country. After Virginia took the lead in electing DELEGATES to a 'Grand Convention' to be held in May of 1787 and 6 other states followed suit, the Confederation Congress approved this meeting with the idea that the delegates would revise the current Articles of Confederation.

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The Second Continental Congress adopted this as the first Constitution of the United States. It wasn't RATIFIED until March 1, 1781. The delegates to the Continental Congress wanted to establish a government where the states held most of the power and there was a weak central government.

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Declaration of Independence - Ms. Wiktor

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Declaration of Independence - Ms. Wiktor

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This document was pivitol in establishing the rights that were later laid out by the United States Constitution - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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Check out three important documents that helped shaped the United States as we know it today.