The Story of the Constitution : Cornerstones of Freedom

by Marilyn Prolman

Book Overview

Describes the need for unification in a growing country and discusses the problems and decisions of the men who drafted the Constitution of the United States. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0756753074
• ISBN13: 9780756753078
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Childrens Press
• Length: 31 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Age Range: 9 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 6

Customer Reviews

The complete historical context of the creation of a radical and wonderful political document

One fact underappreciated by the modern student in the United States is how radical a political document the U. S. constitution was when it was created. The idea of a republic where the leaders were elected and restricted in their actions by a set of laws was revolutionary. Had the United States existed in Europe, it is very possible that the neighboring monarchies would have conspired to remove the government. It is also true that the path to the constitution was not a focused one. Each of the original 13 states considered itself to be a separate political entity, capable of printing money and managing affairs normally considered the purview of the national government. The original constitutional convention was called in order to modify the weak Articles of Confederation; there was no real plan to create a new government. However, the delegates to the convention succeeded beyond what anyone could have expected. The history of the U. S. Constitution is one that all American elementary students should know. This book provides a complete historical context for the development of the document, from the fact that most people identified with their state rather than their country to the greatest collection of political talent ever assembled. While they had some faults, the framers of the constitution recognized their faults and worked hard to make the constitution a document that could transcend those faults and survive everything from a stupid and incompetent president to a war between two distinct collections of states.

The Story of the Constitution

A wonderful fact filled story of our goverment starting in 1776 through the creation of the Constitution. The Articles of the Constitution are described in an easy to understand manner. A must for any elementary school classroom.