Get to Know Our Constitution
Mini Fact: About 1 million people visit the National Archives each year.
The Constitution is the supreme law of our country. It is a set of basic laws organizing, granting and limiting the powers of our government. It is something that we all share.
Basic facts
It was created in Philadelphia …
during the summer of 1787…
in secret, in 87 days. It has 39 signers …
and comprises a preamble, seven articles and 27 amendments that were added later.
The Constitution is handwritten on four parchment pages. Each page is about 29 inches high and 24 inches wide. The original is on display at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C. An archive is a place where important documents are preserved.
What are the big ideas?
Inside the Constitution are several big ideas:
Separation of powers: The delegates feared that giving too much power to any person or group could be dangerous. So they created three branches, or parts, of government: executive, legislative and judicial.
Checks and balances: This limits the power of each government branch. No single branch can overpower the others. Often, each branch needs the help of the others to do its job.
Enumerated (e-NOOM-er-ate-ed) powers: the listed powers of government.
Implied powers: the powers that are not listed but suggested.
Federalism: the idea that our system divides powers among the national government and the state governments.
The Constitution’s parts
This historic document has:
A preamble (an introduction)
Seven articles (sections), covering:
• Article I: The Congress (legislative branch)
• Article II: The president (executive branch)
• Article III: The judges and national courts (judicial branch)
• Article IV: How states relate to each other and the national government.
• Article V: How the Constitution can be amended, or changed.
• Article VI: The Constitution is the supreme law of the land.
• Article VII: Ratification, or approval. The signatures of 39 delegates.