Was declared in "full force and effect" by the US Congress, on this day, March 4th, 1789. At that time they were meeting in Federal Hall in NYC, March 4th being thier first scheduled meeting day under the newly ratified document. Sometimes refered to as the Original 7 Articles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution
Signers:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitut...n.signers.html
Benjamin Franklin signed both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
Delaware was the first state to ratify it, hence the state nickname, "The First state". That makes sense!
Now permanently housed in the National Archives in Washington, DC.
It is in the central case of the Rotunda, the Declaration of Independence in the case on it's left and the Bill of Rights in a case to it's right. I have been to DC many times in my life and have toured the Archives every time.
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/cha...stitution.html
Meant to replace the failed Articles of Confederation, arguably America's 1st Constitution, it has survived for, now, 220 years to this day.
Drafted and signed in Philadelphia at the Constitutional covention of 1787.
George Washington was President of the Convention, and the chair he sat in is original to Assembly Hall/Declaration hall in Independence Hall.
The Constitution "facially" states many provisions. The SC is entrusted with it's interpretation.
Take, for instance:
Article 1:
Section 6. The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the United States. They shall in all cases, except treason, felony and breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other place.
The bolded clause refers to arrest on the Civil Process and has never been interpreted to exclude any criminal offense not listed either.
The Full Faith and Credit clause also has never been interpeted to apply across the constitutional board state to state.
Under the Constitution the SC has "Original" jurisdiction in certain matters, such as suits between states. Some of these over the years have been "boundary" disputes.
One was a legal battle between New York and New Jersey to decide who owned Ellis/Liberty Island.
When we get into the Bill of Rights then the case law really heats up.![]()

