如果有目击证人的话, 确实是一个参与其中的参与者, 美国作为一个独立国家的诞生, 主权国家, 是约翰·亚当斯. Although he defended British soldiers charged with killing Americans during the Boston Massacre, he devoted his life to the cause of American independence as a patriot, 大使, 马萨诸塞宪法的起草者, 副总统和美国总统.
1813年写信给他的老朋友托马斯·麦基恩, 亚当斯反思了他的国家的历史, concluding that “about a third of the people of the colonies were against the revolution.“大概有三分之二的人赞成. 即使是现在, 1813年，詹姆斯·麦迪逊担任总统期间, 亚当斯发现, “are not two thirds of the nation now with the administration?” 简而言之, Adams concluded, “Divided we have ever been and ever must be.”
During the War for Independence, a sizable portion of the people remained loyal to the British. Anti-Federalists vigorously opposed ratification of the 宪法. During Adams’s own administration the country was bitterly divided, prompting Adams to impose restrictions on freedom of 演讲 and the press. Slavery so divided the nation that only a civil war could resolve the ultimate questions of union and whether men could be considered the property of other men. 通过这一切，甚至更多, the 宪法 reigned as the ultimate authority to which those elected to represent us are sworn to uphold.
Much is to be admired in the form of government embodied in the 宪法: separation of powers into three branches of government; checks and balances restraining each branch from exercising too much power; independence of the executive and judicial branches; division of powers between a national and individual state governments; limiting the national government to those enumerated in the 宪法, 以及法治政府, 不是男人.
宪法没有确立“多数统治”.”,而, it embodies a structure and processes requiring multiple majorities at various stages in the act of governing. Each branch of government has the authority to prevent actions by the other branches and is required to work with other branches. 例如, enacting law requires approval by a majority of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The President may sign or veto the bill; if vetoed, 参众两院可以以三分之二的票数推翻否决. The House has the sole power of impeachment, but the Senate has the sole power to try impeachments. Congress has the power to declare war, but the President prosecutes the war as commander-in-chief. 立法部门制定法律, but the judicial branch can declare those laws to be unconstitutional. 宪法本身可以修改, but only in a process involving both the federal Congress and individual states. 简而言之, ours is a government which diffuses rather consolidates power, forcing collaboration and compromise among those elected by the people to govern.
To assure fundamental rights would be guaranteed in the 宪法, 第一届国会提出了十二项修正案. Ten were ratified by the states and became known as the Bill of Rights. 其中包括新闻自由, 演讲, 组装, 上访政府, 宗教信仰和锻炼, 正当法律程序, 陪审团审判. These rights not only protect individuals; they also assure th在 opinions of minorities may eventually become majority opinions. 它们促进了“思想市场”,” the free flow and competition of beliefs and opinions which formulate public policy.
In # 51 詹姆斯·麦迪逊说过:“如果人类是天使, 没有政府是必要的,而是因为政府是“由人治理人”, 你必须首先使政府能够控制被统治者, 在接下来的地方, 迫使它控制自己.麦迪逊清楚地认识到政府的必要性. Just as clearly he understood that government is composed of human beings who are flawed and, 因此, 必须对政府本身加以限制.
No other nation has recognized and protected the freedom of its people as has the United States under its 宪法. Nevertheless, our nation is divided; for some the object of their ire is the 宪法. To our national shame, the level of civic literacy among our citizenry is appallingly deficient. 根据伍德罗·威尔逊基金会2019年的数据, 只有一个州的人民, 佛蒙特州, were able to pass a simple civics survey using questions from the test all immigrants must pass before being granted citizenship. 此外, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni report that only eighteen percent of American colleges and universities require even one course in American government or history to graduate. 无知导致冷漠，点燃不文明的火焰. Our 宪法 and system of government are based on “We the People.” But how can “We the People” exercise our responsibilities if we are ignorant of our own 宪法?
This series of essays is intended to educate and inform, hopefully to inspire, and even entertain. It has relied primarily on original sources including those found in 创始人在线 通过 国家档案馆; 宪法批准的纪实史 在 Center for the Study of the American 宪法 在 University of Wisconsin Madison, and 阿瓦隆项目 在 耶鲁法学院Lillian Goldman法律图书馆.
Among hundreds of books bringing life to the history and meaning of the 宪法 and Bill of Rights, 那些征召他们的人, 他们面临的问题是 费城奇迹 凯瑟琳·德林克·鲍恩著; 1787年:国民公会 克林顿·罗西特著; 批准 波琳·迈尔; 1787年夏天 作者:David O. 斯图尔特; 第一届国会:詹姆斯·麦迪逊, George Washington and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government 弗格斯·M. Bordewich; and 联邦党人文集 亚历山大·汉密尔顿，詹姆斯·麦迪逊和约翰·杰伊.
其他在线资源包括 国家档案馆; 教授美国历史; 国家宪法中心; 人权法案研究所; and 宪法的事实. 最重要的是，阅读 宪法. 它属于你.