Facts About The Constitution

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Dive into the U.S. Constitution with insightful facts about its creation, amendments, and enduring influence on law and society. Explore the document that shapes American democracy and safeguards its freedoms, all while increasing your facts about the Constitution.

The Constitution is like a big rule book for the United States, telling everyone how the country should be run. It was written a long time ago in 1787, and it has some really important rules called amendments.

The first ten amendments are super special and are called the Bill of Rights, which are promises to keep everyone’s freedoms safe, like the freedom to speak your mind and the freedom to choose your own religion. Even though it’s old, the Constitution is still super important today, helping everyone understand the rules of being fair and free!

I love learning about the United States of America. Be sure to check out our Remarkable Facts about James Madison, and Virginia Facts.

Facts about the Constitution

  • The first person to sign the Constitution was George Washington.
  • The U.S. Constitution has 4,400 words.
  • The U.S. Constitution was written and signed at the Philadelphia Convention.
  • The Constitution became law on June 21, 1788, after two-thirds of the states ratified it.
  • It is the oldest and shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world.
  • The Three-Fifths Compromise was a controversial agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention.
  • The Constitution has been amended 27 times.
  • Three Latin phrases appear in the Constitution: pro tempore, ex post facto, and habeas corpus.
  • George Washington and James Madison were the only two men to sign it who later went on to become president.
  • Rhode Island was the only state that refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention and was the last state to ratify the Constitution (May 29, 1790).
  • Patrick Henry was chosen to attend the Constitutional Convention but did not because, as he famously said, he “smelt a rat.”
  •  Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution.
  • The structure of the Constitution has not changed since it was written.
  • Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution.
  • Thirty-nine men signed the Constitution.
  • The first 10 amendments to the Constitution were ratified together in 1791, and are called collectively the Bill of Rights.
  • Most of the signers of the Constitution fought in the Revolutionary War.
  • The words “democracy” and “slavery” do not appear in the Constitution.
  • The Constitution did not originally include the Bill of Rights
  • James Madison is often referred to as the Father of the Constitution.
  • As the US Constitution manuscript was finalized on September 15th, 1787, two days before its signing, George Washington and his soldiers threw a party for the ages.
  • George Washington was President of the Constitutional Convention.
  • Constitution Day is celebrated on September 17, the anniversary of the day the founders signed the document.
  • At 81, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention and at 26, Jonathon Dayton of New Jersey was the youngest.
  • The Constitutional Convention met at the State House in Philadelphia, PA, also known as Independence Hall.
  • The Constitution does not set forth requirements for the right to vote. 
  • More than 11,000 amendments have been introduced in Congress. 
  • There were 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, although only 39 signed the document.
  • The Constitution was “penned” by Jacob Shallus, A Pennsylvania General Assembly clerk, for $30 ($1,027 today).
  • Six men signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
  • The U.S. Constitution was prepared in secret, behind locked doors that were guarded by sentries.
  • Not all the states had ratified the Constitution by April 30, 1789, when George Washington became the first President of the United States.
  • Of the spelling errors in the Constitution, “Pennsylvania” above the signers’ names is probably the most glaring.
  • The Constitution does not require that the Speaker of the House of Representatives be a member of the House, although a nonmember has never been chosen Speaker.
  • Some of the original framers and many delegates in the state ratifying conventions were very troubled that the original Constitution lacked a description of individual rights.
  • Thomas Jefferson did not sign the Constitution.
  • Amendments to the Constitution are repealed by adding another amendment
  • The original Constitution is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, it was moved to Fort Knox for safekeeping.
  • James Madison, “the father of the Constitution,” was one of the first to arrive in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention. He arrived in early May, bearing the blueprint for the new Constitution.
  • Of the forty-two delegates who attended most of the meetings, thirty-nine signed the Constitution.

Are you looking for more fun and engaging facts to share with your family? Check out these other posts for more facts!

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