Virginia Experience Civics & Economics Social Studies

CHAPTER 1
Foundations of the
U.S. Government
Lesson 2
Founding documents
In order to establish a government that upheld the five fundamental political principles of limited
government, consent of the governed, democracy, representative government, and rule of law, our
founding fathers wrote the U.S. Constitution. This includes the Bill of Rights.
Key Concepts in the U.S. Constitution
In May of 1787, representatives from 12 of the 13 states met in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to write a new constitution for the
United States. These men are known as the “Framers” of the
Constitution. Some of the best-known Framers are John Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and George Washington.
The Framers worked together to make sure the new U.S.
Constitution incorporated the fundamental political principles
that formed the foundation of the U.S. government.
The Constitution of the United States, including the Bill of Rights:
➟ ➟
➟ ➟
Influential Documents
established the structure of the United States government
guaranteed equality under the law with majority rule and
the rights of the minority protected
affirmed individual worth and dignity of all people
protected the fundamental freedoms of religion, speech,
press, assembly, and petition
Correlates with CE.1a, d, f; CE.2b
Vocabulary
constitution: a written plan
for government
➟Sample
The Framers of the U.S. Constitution shared ideas, debated, discussed, argued, listened, and
kept at it until they had created a new government. The fundamental political principles that
define and shape American constitutional government became part of the U.S. Constitution,
including the Bill of Rights. The new government was based on a mixture of old ideas, new
ideas, experiences, and compromises. American constitutional government is founded on
concepts articulated in earlier documents.
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