Even though this is just the text without the images (or formatting), I still want to have a record on the computer of these articles, since they were in print editions only, and paper doesn't last forever. NOTE: This is the article where the copy-editor CHANGED my spelling of "Montesquieu"-- which was correct -- to "Montesquier," which was not correct. I changed it back here. copy-editing rule #1: never give copy back with more mistakes than it started out with!
This was for a special series for Constitution Day in the Newspapers in Education section of the Chicago Sun-Times that is in the print edition only (if that's still the case). The target audience was kids who were in the grades that are required to take a test on the Constitution.
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Celebrating the Constitution of the United States: Keeping us safe and
free
Author(s): Nicole Parker Special to The Chicago Sun-Times Date: September 25, 2007 Page: 42
Section: Features
"The people made the Constitution, and the people can unmake it. It is the creature of their will, and lives only by
their will." -- Chief Justice John Marshall, 1821.
There have been many documents that have come and gone throughout history, so why did the founding fathers place so much importance on getting the United States Constitution just right?
Ten years prior to the creation of our Constitution, the Declaration of Independence was written to free us from English rule. Five years later, the Articles of Confederation were created as the first system of governing principles
made between the thirteen American colonies. The Constitution would replace the Articles of Confederation after just six years, as it became clear that a stronger central government was needed.
The Constitution's influences were vast; they came from England's Magna Carta in 1215, the Mayflower Compact of 1620 and the philosophers John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu who wrote about the separation of
power and system of checks and balances. The Virginia Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason, was a major influence for the Bill of Rights.
The Constitution was drafted at a time when America's democracy was in danger of splintering. It not only saved the nation then, but also has helped us survive the Civil War, Depression, school desegregation and even our
nation's efforts to recover from the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. With only limited changes the Constitution has
presided over the growth of scattered colonies and taken us safely through crises that might have broken other
nations.
The Constitution authors debated how to balance the rights of states with the needs of a strong national
government. When the U.S. Senate debates a Supreme Court justice nomination, we see the Separation of
Powers doctrine in action. One branch, the Executive, is nominating an officer of a second branch, the Judiciary,
and submitting it for a vote by the Senate -- a body in the third branch, Congress.
Most of the framers of the Constitution expected the judicial branch of government to be the weakest of the
three, but the Supreme Court has reached the lives of every citizen and has resolved some of history's most
dramatic confrontations. Overturning a Supreme Court decision often requires revising federal law or even
amending the Constitution.
"Just as it did more than 200 years ago, the Constitution is what makes us a free people today. Keeping the
Constitution alive, and understanding and protecting it, depends on all of us. When people don't understand and
value their rights, it is easy for others to take them away," Michael S. Greco, American Bar Association.
Source: www.abanet.org
DID YOU KNOW?
- Only two of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the
Articles of Confederation in 1781 and the U.S. Constitution in 1787; Roger Sherman and Robert Morris.
- James Madison was the only delegate to attend every meeting of the Constitutional Convention. The journal he
kept during the Convention was purchased by the government in 1837 for $30,000 (about $504,000 today) and
was published in 1840.
- Virginia's Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason, was the basis for the Bill of Rights and was used by
Thomas Jefferson in writing the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.
Source: www.usconstitutionfacts.com
FIRST AMENDMENT QUIZ
1. One provision of the First Amendment is
a. Freedom of speech
b. The right to an impartial jury
c. The right to bear arms
d. Freedom from unusual punishments
2. The new Congress first conducted business under the Constitution on April 6, 1789, the same day George
Washington was elected President.
a. True b. False
3. What is the name of the beginning of the Constitution?
a. Preamble
b. The Bill of Rights
c. Introduction
d. Article I
4. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Virginia.
a. True b. False
5. The Constitutional Convention signed the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787.
a. True b. False
6. Which future U.S. President submitted a plan to change the Articles of Confederation, which led to creating the
U.S. Constitution?
a. George Washington
b. Thomas Jefferson
c. James Madison
d. Abraham Lincoln
7. How many states must ratify an amendment to the Constitution?
a. One-half
b. Two-thirds
c. Three-fourths
d. All of them
8. What is the Bill of Rights?
a. The first paragraph of the Constitution
b. The last 10 amendments
c. The main ideas of the Declaration of
Independence
d. The first 10 amendments
Source: www.whitehouse.gov
FIRST AMENDMENT - CORNERSTONE OF OUR FREEDOM
The First Amendment was written because, right from the beginning, Americans demanded a guarantee of their
basic freedoms. The words haven't changed since they were adopted by the United States as part of the Bill of
Rights more than 200 years ago.
The First Amendment is our blueprint, and the cornerstone of freedom in the United States. Commonly referred to
as the "five freedoms," the First Amendment has aided Americans in exercising their rights to work for a more free
and just society.
Without the First Amendment, religious minorities could be persecuted, the government could establish a national
religion, protesters could be silenced, the press could not criticize government and Americans could not come
together for social change.
Every important struggle for social justice has involved the First Amendment in one way or another. From the
abolitionist movement to the environmental movement, such efforts have all relied on the First Amendment.
Schools should be a place where students learn about democracy, but more importantly they should be a place
where students live in a democracy.
"When the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation found that nearly three-fourths of U.S. high school students
take the First Amendment and its protections for granted or are unsure how they feel about them, the
Anti-Defamation League felt compelled to reduce that number. We felt that we have a responsibility to make sure
that future generations know what it means to live in a democracy; to understand their rights and responsibilities to be active members in supporting that democracy," notes Lindsay Friedman, Director, A WORLD OF
DIFFERENCE Institute, Senior Associate Director, Education Division.
The Anti-Defamation League, in partnership with the Philadelphia Bar Association, created "The First Amendment
in Public Schools: A Curriculum Unit for High School Students" -- to assist educators in engaging students in
exploring what the five freedoms of the First Amendment freedoms are and how they function today. The 70-plus
page curriculum guide includes detailed lesson plans outlining student objectives, activity sheets, topics for
discussion, student surveys, key words and more. In addition, each of the lessons specifically details the national
educational standards they support.
For more information and to receive the free, "The First Amendment in Public Schools:
For more information about our Newspaper in Education program, curriculum materials and classroom
newspapers, please call
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