Describes how the Constitution was drafted and ratified.

"We the people at Who HQ bring readers the full story--arguments and all--of how the US Constitution came into being. Signed on September 17, 1787--four years after the American War for Independence--the Constitution laid out the supreme law of the United States of America. Today it's easy for us to take this blueprint of our government for granted. But the Framers--fifty-five men from almost all of the original 13 states--argued fiercely for many...

"The Constitution is the most significant document in America. But do you fully understand what this valuable document means to you? In How to Read the Constitution--and Why, legal expert and educator Kimberly Wehle spells out in clear, simple, and common sense terms what is in the Constitution, and most importantly, what it means. In compelling terms and including text from the United States Constitution, she describes how the Constitution's protections...

"The prizewinning author of Founding Brothers and American Sphinx now gives us the unexpected story--brilliantly told--of why the thirteen colonies, having just fought off the imposition of a distant centralized governing power, would decide to subordinate themselves anew. The triumph of the American Revolution was neither an ideological nor political guarantee that the colonies would relinquish their independence and accept the creation of a federal...

Explores the little-understood relationship between the written Constitution and the many external factors that shape the interpretations of this foundational document.

"The U.S. Constitution is among the oldest constitutions in the world but also one of the most difficult to amend. Jill Lepore, Harvard professor of history and law, explains why in We the People, the most original history of the Constitution in decades--and an essential companion to her landmark history of the United States, These Truths. Published on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding--the anniversary, too, of the first...

Contains writings, debates, and speeches from 1787-88 expressing views on the United States Constitution, both for and against ratification.

Analyzes the Constitution, line by line, covering everything from the Preamble to the Bill of Rights with insight, legal expertise, trivia, divergent interpretations, and anecdotes that show how the Constitution affects modern life.

How do Americans state what they believe in, how their representative government works, and more? By writing it down! Investigate great documents that have shaped United States history, including the Federalist Papers. Find out who wrote the papers, what they say, and why they remain important today. Read all about these remarkable documents that helped form a nation. Includes a support page of teaching tips for caregivers and teachers. Downloadable...

Examines the Federalist papers and compares them to the political values of the United States in the twenty-first century, arguing that a return to a small federal government is necessary for the future of the country.