The Path to Writing of the U.S. Constitution essays

The Path to Writing of the U.S. Constitution essays The path to writing and approval of the United States Constitution was complex and very difficult. A draft document emerged in 1787, but only after intense debate and six years of experience with an earlier federal union. Even today, the Constitution is continually being interpreted and brought to courts including the U.S. Supreme Court for decisions. Since the Constitution calls itself the "supreme law of the land," when laws passed by state legislatures or by the U.S. Congress are determined to conflict with the federal Constitution, these laws have no force. Supreme Court decisions over the country's history have increasingly defined this doctrine of constitutional supremacy. The Constitution is divided into the Preamble, Articles I through IV and the Bill of Rights. The Preamble and Bill of Rights clearly spell out the constitutional convention's national ideals. Although just one sentence, the Preamble introduces the document and establishes its need for the country: To build a better Union with a division of power and the agreement between federal and state's rights; to establish justice and assure that all men are created equal; to ensure domestic tranquility so the country can grow and continually improve itself by protecting the states against invasion; to provide for the common defense by giving the executive and legislative branches the authority to act in impending war; to promote the general welfare by making the country economically and socially sound; to secure the blessings of liberty to all people by protecting the rights of all people now and forever. The Bill of Rights or the first ten amendments, however, is where the Constitution's signers clearly state their ideals. The creation of the Bill of Rights took four years of intense debate to be agreed upon. Americans wanted strong assurances that the new government would not destroy their newly won ...