The U.S. Constitution- 101 Cornell Notes

When was the Constitution adopted? It was adopted in 1787

When was the Constitution ratified? (made officially valid) First ratified by Delaware on December 7, 1787 and finally by Rhode Island on May 29, 1790 * Note that it wasn’t ratified all at the same time- it too awhile for all states to ratify. This is the location in Philadelphia where state representatives came to sign the Constitution.

Who was the main author of the Constitution? James Madison was the principle author.

Before the Constitution, what document governed the U.S.? The Articles of Confederation

Organization of the Constitution Preamble (introduction) Seven Articles Twenty-seven Amendments

What are the 7 articles of the Constitution? Article 1 = Legislative Branch Article 2 = Executive Branch Article 3 = Judicial Branch Article 4 = Relations among States Article 5 = Amending the Constitution Article 6 = Supreme Law of the Land Article 7 = Ratifying the Constitution