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Freedom: How We Got It
in 1787, our Founding Fathers signed the U.S. Constitution, a handbook for modern democracy—but the birth of the Constitution was not an easy one.
Too Many Taxes
Until the 1770s, Great Britain ruled over the 13 American colonies. Britain did not impose its rule on colonists, so they got used to a certain amount of freedom. That changed in 1763. Britain had just defeated France in a war over North American territory, and when it needed money to pay off debts from war expenses, it turned to the colonies.
Over the course of several years, Britain passed several laws that required Americans to pay high taxes on just about everything. The Sugar Act, for example, imposed taxes on sugar, while the Stamp Act forced colonists to pay a tax on every piece of paper they used, from legal documents to newspapers.
The British and the Americans saw these laws very differently. To the British, Americans were paying for the privilege of being part of the British Empire. The British also felt that Americans should pay some of the costs of the war against the French, since British troops had defended the colonies. Many Americans, though, resented having to pay taxes that would more than likely benefit the British government and few others. They did not feel that they should have to pay taxes unless they had a representative in British parliament—and they didn't.
Moving Toward Independence
The two sides tried to make compromises that would give Americans more independence, but none of them satisfied American leaders. In fact, more people joined the independence movement, and resistance to British rule continued to grow.
In 1775, Britain received word that radical patriots were meeting in Massachusetts. These patriots had formed a group and were stockpiling weapons. To stop them, Britain sent troops to Massachusetts, and the resulting skirmish between the two sides started the Revolutionary War.
A New Government
Meanwhile, Americans began to take steps toward creating a new government. In 1776, they formed a Continental Congress—a lawmaking body made up of representatives from each colony. The Congress appointed two committees. It asked one committee to draft a Declaration of Independence, and it asked the other come up with a way to unify the colonies.
The second committee drafted the Articles of Confederation. This document called for friendship among the colonies, but it didn't form much of a nation. Instead, each state ruled itself, and the national government consisted of a single house of lawmakers with one representative from each state. There was no president, since each state had a governor, and there was no federal court.
This new government was full of problems from the start. When states began arguing over shared waterways and rules of transportation between states, there was no leader to intervene. Since the national government couldn't even impose taxes, the nation had no way of paying for the Revolution. Clearly, something had to change.
In 1787, the states called a Constitutional Convention to revise the Articles. Most of the nation's prominent leaders, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, attended. Noting the "celebrities" arriving in Virginia for the convention, Thomas Jefferson, who had written the Declaration of Independence, said, "It really is an assembly of demi-gods."
The framers of the new Constitution had to decide which ideals the government should uphold. Many writers and philosophers of the day believed that the people, and not the rulers, should run a government. From this, the framers developed the idea that the people should elect their own lawmakers. Another belief stated that a government should never be in the hands of one person or group. From this, the framers decided that the nation would have three branches of government. The executive branch would consist of the president, and the judicial would consist of a national court (called the Supreme Court), which would protect the people's rights by interpreting the Constitution. The legislative, or lawmaking, branch would be made up of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and would represent all the states. By dividing the duties of the government, the Constitution ensured that no single person or body could become too powerful.
On September 17, 1787, the framers signed the Constitution, and it was adopted as the central document of American government in 1789.
Dictionary
framer (noun) any one of the delegates who drew up the Constitution of the United Statesimpose (verb) to force something on someone
intervene (verb) to get involved
parliament (noun) body of government that is responsible for making laws
skirmish (noun) a battle
Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)
1. The Constitution keeps people . . .
A. Free
B. Sad
C. Busy
D. Mad
2. The author wrote this article because it will soon be…
A. George Washington's birthday
B. Benjamin Franklin's birthday
C. Constitution Day
D. Independence Day
3. Which details could have been included in the last paragraph?
A. What does the Constitution say about the rights of women?
B. What does the Constitution say about freedom of speech?
C. Why did it take two years for the Constitution to be adopted?
D. Who led the writing of the Constitution?
4. What did Thomas Jefferson mean when he said, "It really is an assembly of demi-gods" at the Constitutional Convention?
A. The more famous leaders did not attend the convention.
B. America needed stronger leaders at the convention.
C. Very prominent leaders attended the convention.
D. The leaders earned a lot of respect at the convention.
5. The closest synonym for the word consist is . . .
A. Comment
B. Comprise
C. Contrast
D. Compare
6. Which happened second chronologically?
A. The signing of the Constitution
B. The forming of a Continental Congress
C. The writing of the Constitution
D. The calling of a Constitutional Convention
7. Which is the closest synonym for the word impose?
A. Encounter
B. Endanger
C. Compel
D. Consent
8. Which of the following is an opinion?
A. The Constitution established that the nation would have three branches of government.
B. Congress asked a committee of lawmakers to come up with a way to unify the colonies.
C. The Declaration of Independence turned out to be one of the finest documents in history.
D. George Washington and Benjamin Franklin attended the Constitutional Convention.
Opinion Question: Now that you have read the article, indicate whether you agree or disagree with this statement. Imagine that you are living in America in the 1700s when people are fighting for independence and creating the Constitution. How would you have felt? (5 points)
Thought Question: Our Constitution outlines the structure of the American government. It also lists the responsibilities of the different branches of the government. Write a constitution for your school. Which people or groups should lead your school? What should they be responsible for doing? (5 points)