Greate the Constitution Worksheet

Name: _____________________________________ Creating the Constitution The British surrender in 1783 brought an official end to the American Revolution, and it marked the birth of a new nation. By 1783, the United States of America had enacted the Articles of Confederation, which established rules, laws, and a framework for a new government. But the Articles of Confederation were far from perfect, and the government it created was very different from the American government we know today. In 1787, delegates from 12 states met in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention. The convention’s aim was to create a more effective government for the still young United States. After months of work, the delegates had agreed on the Constitution of the United States of America. In 1789, the Constitution was ratified, or approved, and it became the supreme law of the land. The government that the Constitution created is a republic, meaning that the people elect the country’s leaders. The Constitution created the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. Congress makes up the legislative branch, the president heads the executive branch, and the Supreme Court is the nation’s judicial branch. Each branch has certain responsibilities and powers, creating a system of checks and balances, so no single branch can have too much authority. Soon after the states ratified the Constitution, Congress added the first ten amendments, or additions, to it. These first ten amendments are collectively known as the Bill of Rights, and they explain the basic rights and freedoms of American citizens. Even though Congress has amended the Constitution several times since the Bill of Rights was added, the principals of our democratic system of government have not changed. The Constitution has been the foundation for this country for over 200 years, and it will surely remain the supreme law of the land for centuries to come. Date: ________________ Use information from the passage to answer these questions about the Constitution. Then find each answer in the word search on the following page. 1. Where did delegates meet during the Constitutional Convention? Philadelphia __________________________________________________ 2. What form of government does the Constitution establish? Republic __________________________________________________ 3. What are the three branches of government? Executive, legislative, and judicial __________________________________________________ 4. Which word from the passage means agreed upon? ratified ___________________________________________________ 5. What system ensures that the branches of government shares power? checks and balances ___________________________________________________ 6. What are additions to the Constitution called? amendments ___________________________________________________ 7. What is the name given to the first ten additions to the Constitution? Bill of Rights ___________________________________________________ Thought Forge Learning Materials 2016 C L C L E G I S L A T V E A P D H P H I L A D E L P H I A M R G E Y R C O N F E R C E L U E E C C S D E M O C R A T I C X N S O K I X R A R T I C L E E P G I B S N J V P M V E J E K R R I D I Words to Find Philadelphia 1. _____________________ Democratic 2. _____________________ People 3. _____________________ A T U R Y F B D W G B E J S E L N E D A L O A L U I P P G B N L D R I T S U H M E S N U Y A T O B P C I E N C U P L O B T M N F A R I F T D O S E A I L L E E R L E A I A I N K X T T I H N M I A T L E T N V D E E C C B D O G Legislative _____________________ Judicial _____________________ 6. _____________________ Constitution 5. checks _____________________ and balances N I N D S G E J C V E U N M J H C W L A S H N M U R S J L E H T E E C O N S T I T U T I O N A S S T H E V W I C I C B O R T I N P E O P L E O S V E T O E S L G R I G H T S N W E M K T S R I F _____________________ Bill 7. _____________________ of Rights _____________________