In the United States,
each state has its own written constitution
. Usually, they are much longer than the United States Constitution, which only contains 4,543 words.
Does the original US Constitution still exist?
Located on the upper level of the National Archives museum,
the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom
is the permanent home of the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights.
Which original state constitution is still in effect today?
The oldest state constitution still in effect is that
of Massachusetts
, which took effect in 1780. The newest is the Rhode Island Constitution, which was ratified by voters in 1986 after a constitutional convention was held which proposed deleting superseded language and reorganizing the state's 1843 Constitution.
What is the oldest constitution still in use today?
The Constitution of San Marino
might be the world's oldest active written constitution, since some of its core documents have been in operation since 1600, while the Constitution of the United States is the oldest active codified constitution.
Is the Constitution still in place today?
Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is
the world's longest surviving written charter of government
.
Do we have 2 constitutions?
The United States has
two constitutions
: How to identify and promote the true constitution ; including text of constitution and amendments with explanatory comments Unknown Binding – January 1, 1995.
What state has the longest Constitution?
The average length of a state constitution is about 39,000 words (compared to 7,591 words for the U.S. Constitution including its amendments). The longest state governing document is that of
Alabama
, which has approximately 389,000 words.
Who actually wrote the Constitution?
James Madison
is known as the Father of the Constitution because of his pivotal role in the document's drafting as well as its ratification. Madison also drafted the first 10 amendments — the Bill of Rights.
Can the Constitution be changed?
Article V of the Constitution provides two ways to propose amendments to the document. Amendments may be proposed either
by the Congress
, through a joint resolution passed by a two-thirds vote, or by a convention called by Congress in response to applications from two-thirds of the state legislatures.
Who was the first United States president?
On April 30, 1789,
George Washington
, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States.
Which is the shortest constitution in the world?
The Indonesian Constitution of 1945
is the shortest constitution in the world. It is much shorter than the US Constitution which is usually claimed by some American scholars to be the shortest.
Which is the most successful constitution in the world?
Everyone knows
India
is the world's largest democracy. But did you know it also has the world's largest constitution? At 145,000 words, it is the longest written constitution of any sovereign state in the world. The US constitution, by contrast, has only 4,400 words.
Who had the first constitution?
In Hartford, Connecticut, the first constitution in the American colonies, the “Fundamental Orders,” is adopted by representatives of Wethersfield, Windsor, and Hartford. The
Dutch
discovered the Connecticut River in 1614, but English Puritans from Massachusetts largely accomplished European settlement of the region.
What are the first 3 words of self government?
The first three words of the Constitution are “
We the People
.” The document says that the people of the United States choose to create the government. “We the People” also explains that people elect representatives to make laws.
How old is the US Constitution in 2020?
The Constitution of the United States will turn 233 years old Sept. 17, 2020. Its signing is recognized by presidential proclamation each year, and Sept.
How long did it take to write the US Constitution?
The 55 men who wrote the Constitution worked on it for
four months
. That would be as long as from now until December. Sometimes they agreed about what they wanted to write, at other times they didn't.
