The U.S. Constitution

The U. S. Constitution

What Is the U. S. Constitution? The U. S. Constitution is an important set of rules for the United States. It explains how the government works. It also helps protect the rights of all Americans.

Creating the Constitution In 1776, the thirteen American colonies felt they had been treated unfairly by Great Britain. They began to call themselves the United States of America. They fought a war with Great Britain to become free. The United States won the war in 1783. After the states won the war, they needed to make a new government. They knew they didn't want to be ruled by a king again.

In 1787, important people from each state met to talk about the new government. They had to decide what its parts should be and how it should work. They shared their ideas all summer and then wrote the Constitution. The states approved the Constitution, and it became the law. George Washington was elected the nation's first president.

What's in the Constitution? The Constitution has seven parts, called articles. The first three articles explain how the United States government should work. It splits the government into three branches, or parts. Those parts are the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch.

The Constitution makes the president the head of the executive branch and the nation's top leader. The president is also in charge of the armed forces. To run for president, a person must have been born in the United States. He or she must also be at least thirty-five years old.