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Chapter 6
father of our
UnitedStatesConstitution
.
On September 17, 1787, 39 out of 55
delegates approved our new plan of
government. At age81, BenFranklinwas the
oldest signer of the new Constitution. This
plan of government is the one we still use
todaymore than two hundred years later!
ANewGovernment
Needs Approval
T
he delegates who wrote our new
Constitution felt they had to get
first a government that works. The
newConstitutionneeded tobeapprovedby
nine out of the 13 states. There was
something missing in this plan for
government. Several states wouldnot agree
to approve the Constitution unless there
was a list of freedoms that the government
promised the people. The leaders of the
Constitution agreed that they would have
another meeting to write these freedoms.
Delaware became the first state to approve
our new Constitution, and Pennsylvania
became the second state.
The writers of our Constitution knew that
their country would grow and change. So
they provided a way that the Constitution
could be changed over the years. These
changes
are
called
amendments
.
Amendments are added changes to the
Constitution. Again, the changes had to be
approved by every three out of four states to
be part of the Constitution.
Earlymap of Philadelphia.
Jody Shoemaker
