The Constitution Packet 3

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The Constitution Packet 3
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The Declaration of Independence
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The Constitution
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The Constitution(has 3 main parts)

• Part 1
• The Preamble
• Describes the purpose of
• the document and government
• The most important part of our government?
• The people

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• Part 2
• The 7 articles
• Establish how the government is structured and
  how the Constitution can be changed.
• There are seven articles

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These 7 articles

• The powers and duties of Congress (the
  Legislative Branch) and how they carry out their
  powers.
• The powers and duties of the president and his
  staff (the Executive Branch) of the United
  States.
• The powers and duties of the countrys court
  system (the Judicial Branch).
• Explains how states should work together for the
  good of the country.
• How the Constitution can be changed (amended).
• The nation as a whole is more important than each
  state.
• Everyone was OK with all this and it was going to
  be approved

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• Part 3
• The Amendments

Changes to the Constitution the first ten are
called the Bill of Rights
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The National Archives (in Washington D.C.)
The National Archives is the U.S. Governments
collection of documents that records important
events in American history. The National Archives
and Records Administration (NARA) is the
Government agency that preserves and maintains
these materials and makes them available for
research.
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Some of the more interesting documentsat the
National Archives

• Declaration of Independence
• Articles of Confederation
• The Constitution
• Bill of Rights
• Louisiana Purchase
• List of Lewis's Purchases
• District of Columbia Emancipation
• Emancipation Proclamation
• Abolition of Slavery

• Check for Alaska
• Edison's Light Bulb Patent
• Zimmermann Telegram
• Women's Right to Vote
• Social Security Act
• FDR's "Day of Infamy" Speech
• Brown v. Board of Education
• A Letter from Jackie Robinson
• Voting Rights Act
• Apollo 11 Flight Plan
• Elviss Letter to President Nixon

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Declaration of Independence

• Q. Is anything written on the back of the
  Declaration of Independence?
• A. Yes, there is writing on the back of the
  original, signed Declaration of Independence. But
  it is not invisible, nor does it include a map,
  as the Disney feature film, National Treasure,
  suggests. The writing on the back reads "Original
  Declaration of Independence, dated 4th July
  1776," and it appears on the bottom of the
  document, upside down.

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Declaration of Independence

• Q. Is the original Declaration of Independence
  written on paper?
• A. No, the original was engrossed on parchment
  which is an animal skin specially treated with
  lime and stretched to create a strong,
  long-lasting writing support. The printed version
  is on paper and was read aloud from town squares
  throughout the colonies, so that those who could
  not read would receive the news about intended
  separation from England.

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Declaration of Independence

• Q. Do other copies of the Declaration of
  Independence exist?
• A. Yes, there are 25 copies known to exist of
  what is commonly referred to as "the Dunlap
  broadside," 20 owned by American institutions, 2
  by British institutions, and 3 by private owners.
• The Dunlap Broadside copies were printed on paper
  on the night of July 4, and thus are
  contemporary with the original Declaration that
  is engrossed on parchment.

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National Treasure