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• U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the United States, establishing the framework of the federal government and outlining the rights of citizens.
• It was drafted in 1787, ratified in 1788, and went into effect on March 4, 1789.

Key Features of the U.S. Constitution

1. Preamble

The opening statement of the Constitution, explaining its purpose:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

2. The Seven Articles

The main body of the Constitution consists of seven articles, each outlining a different part of the government:

• Article I – Legislative Branch (Congress: House of Representatives & Senate)
• Article II – Executive Branch (President & Vice President)
• Article III – Judicial Branch (Supreme Court & federal courts)
• Article IV – Relations Among States (State powers & responsibilities)
• Article V – Amendment Process (How the Constitution can be changed)
• Article VI – Supremacy Clause (Federal law is the highest law of the land)
• Article VII – Ratification (Explains how the Constitution was to be approved)

3. The Bill of Rights (First 10 Amendments)

Added in 1791, these amendments protect individual liberties:

1. Freedom of Speech, Religion, Press, Assembly, and Petition
2. Right to Bear Arms
3. No Quartering of Soldiers in Homes
4. Protection Against Unreasonable Searches & Seizures
5. Rights of the Accused (Due Process, Double Jeopardy, Self-Incrimination)
6. Right to a Speedy & Public Trial
7. Right to a Jury Trial in Civil Cases
8. No Cruel or Unusual Punishment
9. Rights Retained by the People (Unenumerated Rights)
10. Powers Reserved for the States & People

4. Later Amendments (11-27)

Other key amendments include:

• 13th Amendment (1865) – Abolished slavery
• 14th Amendment (1868) – Equal protection & citizenship rights
• 15th Amendment (1870) – Voting rights for African American men
• 19th Amendment (1920) – Women’s right to vote
• 22nd Amendment (1951) – Limits the President to two terms
• 26th Amendment (1971) – Lowered voting age to 18

• George Washington – First U.S. President (1789-1797); "Father of the Nation."
• John Adams – First Vice President; second President; helped draft the Declaration of Independence.
• Thomas Jefferson – Wrote the Declaration of Independence; made the Louisiana Purchase.
• James Madison – "Father of the Constitution"; led during the War of 1812.
• James Monroe – Established the Monroe Doctrine to prevent European interference in the Americas.
• Abraham Lincoln – Led the U.S. during the Civil War; issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
• Andrew Johnson – First president to be impeached but was not removed from office.
• Woodrow Wilson – Led the U.S. during World War I; supported the League of Nations.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt – Served four terms; led the U.S. through the Great Depression & World War II.
• John F. Kennedy – Youngest elected President; led during the Cuban Missile Crisis; assassinated in 1963.
• Richard Nixon – Only President to resign (Watergate scandal).
• Jimmy Carter – Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for humanitarian work.
• Ronald Reagan – Former actor; helped end the Cold War.
• George H.W. Bush – Led the U.S. during the Gulf War (1991).
• George W. Bush – Led the U.S. after 9/11; started the War on Terror.
• Barack Obama – First African American President; signed the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
• Donald Trump – First President without prior political or military experience; launched "America First" policies.
• Joe Biden – Oldest President in U.S. history; served as Vice President under Obama.

• The 13 original states of the USA (formerly the 13 American colonies) that declared independence from Great Britain in 1776 are:
  • Delaware
  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
  • Georgia
  • Connecticut
  • Massachusetts
  • Maryland
  • South Carolina
  • New Hampshire
  • Virginia
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Rhode Island
• Delaware ✅ (Ratified on December 7, 1787)

• The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
• It was established by Article III of the U.S. Constitution in 1789.
• The Supreme Court has 9 justices—1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices.
• Justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• Supreme Court justices serve for life unless they retire, resign, or are impeached.
• The first Chief Justice of the U.S. was John Jay (1789-1795).
• The first African American Supreme Court Justice was Thurgood Marshall (1967).
• Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice (appointed in 1981).
• The Supreme Court has the power of "Judicial Review," established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).
• The Supreme Court hears cases involving the Constitution, federal laws, and disputes between states.

• John Jay – First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1789-1795).
• only U.S. President to later serve as Chief Justice - William Howard Taft
• current chief justice is John Roberts (since 2005)

The U.S. was involved in several major wars during the 20th century:

1. World War I (1917-1918) – The U.S. joined the Allies against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
2. World War II (1941-1945) – The U.S. fought the Axis Powers (Germany, Japan, Italy) after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
3. Korean War (1950-1953) – The U.S. helped South Korea fight North Korea and its ally, China.
4. Vietnam War (1955-1975) – The U.S. supported South Vietnam against communist North Vietnam.
5. Gulf War (1990-1991) – The U.S. led a coalition to drive Iraq out of Kuwait.

• The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
• It was established by Article III of the U.S. Constitution in 1789.
• The Supreme Court has 9 justices—1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices.
• Justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• Supreme Court justices serve for life unless they retire, resign, or are impeached.
• The first Chief Justice of the U.S. was John Jay (1789-1795).
• The first African American Supreme Court Justice was Thurgood Marshall (1967).
• Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice (appointed in 1981).
• The Supreme Court has the power of "Judicial Review," established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).
• The Supreme Court hears cases involving the Constitution, federal laws, and disputes between states.

• The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
• It was established by Article III of the U.S. Constitution in 1789.
• The Supreme Court has 9 justices—1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices.
• Justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• Supreme Court justices serve for life unless they retire, resign, or are impeached.
• The first Chief Justice of the U.S. was John Jay (1789-1795).
• The first African American Supreme Court Justice was Thurgood Marshall (1967).
• Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice (appointed in 1981).
• The Supreme Court has the power of "Judicial Review," established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).
• The Supreme Court hears cases involving the Constitution, federal laws, and disputes between states.

• two chambers of Congress.
  • The U.S. Senate
  • U.S. House of Representatives
• Senate has 100 members
  • two from each state
  • elected to serve for a term of six years.

• check your state governors name

• The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
• It was established by Article III of the U.S. Constitution in 1789.
• The Supreme Court has 9 justices—1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices.
• Justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• Supreme Court justices serve for life unless they retire, resign, or are impeached.
• The first Chief Justice of the U.S. was John Jay (1789-1795).
• The first African American Supreme Court Justice was Thurgood Marshall (1967).
• Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice (appointed in 1981).
• The Supreme Court has the power of "Judicial Review," established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).
• The Supreme Court hears cases involving the Constitution, federal laws, and disputes between states.

• The Bill of Rights (First 10 Amendments)- Added in 1791, these amendments protect individual liberties:

1. Freedom of Speech, Religion, Press, Assembly, and Petition
2. Right to Bear Arms
3. No Quartering of Soldiers in Homes
4. Protection Against Unreasonable Searches & Seizures
5. Rights of the Accused (Due Process, Double Jeopardy, Self-Incrimination)
6. Right to a Speedy & Public Trial
7. Right to a Jury Trial in Civil Cases
8. No Cruel or Unusual Punishment
9. Rights Retained by the People (Unenumerated Rights)
10. Powers Reserved for the States & People

• The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
• It was established by Article III of the U.S. Constitution in 1789.
• The Supreme Court has 9 justices—1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices.
• Justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• Supreme Court justices serve for life unless they retire, resign, or are impeached.
• The first Chief Justice of the U.S. was John Jay (1789-1795).
• The first African American Supreme Court Justice was Thurgood Marshall (1967).
• Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice (appointed in 1981).
• The Supreme Court has the power of "Judicial Review," established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).
• The Supreme Court hears cases involving the Constitution, federal laws, and disputes between states.

• John Jay – First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1789-1795).
• only U.S. President to later serve as Chief Justice - William Howard Taft
• current chief justice is John Roberts (since 2005)

• Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. military - The President of the United States
• Article II of the U.S. Constitution designates the President as Commander-in-Chief
• Franklin D. Roosevelt was Commander-in-Chief during World War II
• George H.W. Bush - U.S. Commander-in-Chief during the Gulf War (1990-1991)
• Barack Obama- Commander-in-Chief when the U.S. military killed Osama bin Laden in 2011
• George W. Bush- Commander-in-Chief, led the U.S. into the Iraq War in 2003
• Abraham Lincoln- Commander-in-Chief during the American Civil War

The United States has five major territories and several smaller territories. These territories are under U.S. sovereignty but do not have the same status as states.

✅ Five Major U.S. Territories:

1. Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 – Caribbean island; U.S. citizens; no voting representation in Congress.
2. Guam 🇬🇺 – Pacific island; important U.S. military base.
3. U.S. Virgin Islands 🇻🇮 – Caribbean islands; purchased from Denmark in 1917.
4. American Samoa 🇦🇸 – Pacific islands; residents are U.S. nationals, not citizens.
5. Northern Mariana Islands 🇲🇵 – Pacific islands; self-governing U.S. commonwealth.

🔹 Other U.S. Minor Territories:

• Midway Atoll 🏝️ – Important WWII battle site.
• Wake Island 🏝️ – U.S. military base in the Pacific.
• Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands – Uninhabited Pacific islands.
• Kingman Reef & Palmyra Atoll – Small, uninhabited Pacific territories.

🌍 Key Facts:

• U.S. territories use the U.S. dollar 💵.
• They follow U.S. laws but have different political rights.
• Puerto Rico has the largest population (~3 million).

• The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
• It was established by Article III of the U.S. Constitution in 1789.
• The Supreme Court has 9 justices—1 Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices.
• Justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• Supreme Court justices serve for life unless they retire, resign, or are impeached.
• The first Chief Justice of the U.S. was John Jay (1789-1795).
• The first African American Supreme Court Justice was Thurgood Marshall (1967).
• Sandra Day O'Connor was the first female Supreme Court Justice (appointed in 1981).
• The Supreme Court has the power of "Judicial Review," established in Marbury v. Madison (1803).
• The Supreme Court hears cases involving the Constitution, federal laws, and disputes between states.

• Second in line (After the Vice President)