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Recommended: Describe the U.S. Constitution and the process of ratification essay

The United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787 by the constitutional convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the supreme law of the United States. After declaring its freedom from Great Britain after the Revolutionary War, America was in need of creating a government separate from the rule of the king. This task was not an easy one to accomplish. The first attempt at constitution, the Articles of Confederation, failed miserably. The constitution that was established in 1787 faced its fair share of debate, opposition and compromise before being ratified and becoming the new and improved United States government.
The road to ratifying the constitution all began with the Revolutionary War. Americans were not unhappy being under British rule, they just believed they were entitled to the same rights and benefits of all the subjects of the king. At first the war was not about obtaining freedom from Great Britain but protecting the liberties of the colonial people. Such rights as free trade and freedom from unfair taxation were being violated by a distant government in order to protect its subjects and enterprise at home. The first continental congress met in 1774 only to prepare a list of grievances for the British Parliament. By the time the second continental congress met in 1775, conflict had already broken out between the colonist and the British army. (pg. 24) A year later it was evident that independence from British rule was necessary and unavoidable; and, on July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress.
The Declaration of Independence was a social contract between the government and the people. If at any time the government failed at its duties or became...

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...ion the government. With the addition of the Bill of Rights, the Constitution was ratified by nine of the thirteen states to become the new federal government.
With the new proposed Constitution, the country would become a republic, governed by representation of the people’s will. The Framers established a limited government in that it only had powers granted to it by the Constitution. The central government’s powers were divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial, with each branch given the ability to check the power of the other two branches. This checks and balances system would prevent one branch from gaining too much power and control. (pg. 36) And the Bill of Rights would protect individual and state rights. After numerous debates, compromises and the addition of the Bill of Rights, the United States Constitution was ratified in 1787.

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