Thoughts on the First Amendment

The First Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights which the Constitutional Convention added to the Constitution in 1787 at the demand of several of the delegates who wanted to ensure limiting the power of the government with specific definitions of civil liberties. The Bill of Rights was adopted by the states in December 1791.

First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

“It appears that some school officials, teachers, and parents have assumed that religious expression of any type is either inappropriate or forbidden altogether in public schools; however, nothing in the First Amendment converts our public schools into religion-free zones.”
-Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States of America

"The Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have [to] bare the secrets of government and inform the people."
-Hugo Black

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."
-Thomas Jefferson


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Quotes on Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech? Are there those who would seek to deprive us of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution? Here are some quotes on the subject...

“Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.”
—Harry Truman

"Once the government can demand of a publisher the names of the purchasers of his publications, the free press as we know it disappears. Then the spectre of a government agent will look over the shoulder of everyone who reads. The purchase of a book or pamphlet today may result in a subpoena tomorrow. Fear of criticism goes with every person into the bookstall. The subtle, imponderable pressures of the orthodox lay hold. Some will fear to read what is unpopular, what the powers-that-be dislike. When the light of publicity may reach any student, any teacher, inquiry will be discouraged. The books and pamphlets that are critical of the administration, that preach an unpopular policy in domestic or foreign affairs, that are in disrepute in the orthodox school of thought will be suspect and subject to investigation. The press and its readers will pay a heavy price in harassment. But that will be minor in comparison with the menace of [345 U.S. 41, 58] the shadow which government will cast over literature that does not follow the dominant party line. If the lady from Toledo can be required to disclose what she read yesterday and what she will read tomorrow, fear will take the place of freedom in the libraries, book stores, and homes of the land. Through the harassment of hearings, investigations, reports, and subpoenas government will hold a club over speech and over the press."
—U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas,
UNITED STATES v. RUMELY, 345 U.S. 41 (1953)

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.”
—Benjamin Franklin

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Founding Father Quotes on the Second Amendment

The second amendment has been receiving quite a bit of press lately. Are the citizens in the United States going to be allowed to continue to bear arms or will more bans be put into practice? We thought you'd enjoy reading some quotes from our founding fathers on this subject.

"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed – unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms."
– James Madison

"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed."
--Thomas Jefferson

"We should not forget that the spark which ignited the American Revolution was caused by the British attempt to confiscate the firearms of the colonists."
- Patrick Henry

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Sign the Constitution and then What?

After four long months of debate, the Constitutional Convention finally agreed on wording for the United States Constitution. It was on September 17, ,1787, that 39 delegates at the convention signed the Constitution.

The delegates were then able to carry the Constitution back to the individual states so the process of ratification could begin. While Benjamin Franklin urged all states to ratify, the convention did agree that only 9 of the 13 states had to do so.

It took the 13 states two and one half years to agree to the new Constitution. Many states refused to agree to the Constitution until certain amendments detailing the rights of individuals were added. These amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.

The new government for the United States was put into practice on March 4, 1789. At that time, only 11 states had ratified the Constitution. The 13th state did not ratify the Constitution until May 1790.

Staff Report
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William Taft Quote: Constitution and Growth of Civilization

"Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution and the one which, united with that of personal liberty, has contributed more to the growth of civilization than any other institution established by the human race."
-William Taft (1857 - 1930)

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Constitution as an Instrument

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”
-Patrick Henry


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James Madison Quote on Excess of Power and Respect

"As a man is said to have a right to his property, he may be equally said to have a property in his rights. Where an excess of power prevails, property of no sort is duly respected. No man is safe in his opinions, his person, his faculties, or his possessions."

-James Madison
National Gazette Essay, March 27, 1792


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Thomas Jefferson on Unlimited Powers

"The greatest [calamity] which could befall [us would be] submission to a government of unlimited powers."
-- Thomas Jefferson, 1825

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The Great Compromise of Representation

During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the delegates supported and debated many ideas. The larger states wanted representation in the one chamber based on population. The smaller states didn't think that would be good for them.

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was the result of the delegates coming together to devise a better plan. This plan, as we know it today, provided for two chambers- the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate allows equal representation for each state, while delegates to the House are based on state population.

Georgia delegate Abraham Baldwin, who first favored representation based on land holdings, saw the wisdom of the the Great Compromise. Later, he was to say his greatest public service was in his role in promoting the Great Compromise at the Convention.

This Constitution Moment was brought to you by the James Waldrop Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution in Fayetteville, GA.

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John Adams: Quotes on the Constitution Regarding Religion and Morality

"Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty."
-John Adams
June 1776

"We have no government armed in power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."
-John Adams
October 1798


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Alexander Hamilton Quote on Liberty and Strength of Government

"Good constitutions are formed upon a comparison of the liberty of the individual with the strength of government: If the tone of either be too high, the other will be weakened too much. It is the happiest possible mode of conciliating these objects, to institute one branch peculiarly endowed with sensibility, another with knowledge and firmness. Through the opposition and mutual control of these bodies, the government will reach, in its regular operations, the perfect balance between liberty and power."
--Alexander Hamilton
June 25, 1788


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Liberty Quote by John Adams

"Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. ... Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives."
—John Adams


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The Rising Sun at the Constitutional Convention

Remarks of Benjamin Franklin after the signing of the US Constitution on September 17, 1787 in the words of James Madison:

"Whilst the last members were signing it Doctr. Franklin looking towards the Presidents Chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few members near him, that Painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art a rising from a setting sun. I have, said he, often and often in the course of the Session, and the vicissitudes of my hopes and fears as to its issue, looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun."

Taken from the Journal of James Madison
Notes of the Constitutional Convention
September 17, 1787

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Today is Constitution Day. Celebrate it

Today is Constitution Day. Celebrate it
by: Clyde posted: 2009-09-17 11:45:00


On Monday, September 17, 1787, two-hundred twenty-two years ago today, our second Constitution was signed and sent to the states for ratification. Everything went well for a few states, then the lack of a Bill of Rights, something present in all the states' constitutions, stopped the ratification process in its tracks.

The Constitution, as then-presented, was worded only to say what the federal government could do; it did not address.....http://patriotroom.com/article/today-is-constitution-day-celebrate-it

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University of West Georgia Celebrates Constitution Day

The University of West Georgia and the Ingram Library will present an observance of Constitution Day with Dr. Stanley Caress, professor of political science, on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 11 a.m., in the Ingram Library. The event is free and the community is invited to attend.

Caress will talk about “Why We Care about the Constitution” as part of the national observance of Constitution Day. The event is co-sponsored by the library, the American Democracy Project, the Murphy Center for Public Service and the office of Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Constitution Day, created by federal legislation in 2004, commemorates September 17, 1787, which is the date that the 39 delegates in the Constitution Convention signed the newly created United States Constitution. The delegates hoped that this new framework for a national government would provide a permanent guarantee of the political liberties achieved in the Revolution.

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Constitution Quote of the Day

Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.
~ Abraham Lincoln


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James Waldrop Chapter DAR Promotes Constitution Week Awareness

Thursday, September 17, 2009, begins the national celebration of Constitution Week. The weeklong commemoration of America’s most important document is one of our country’s least known official observances. Our Constitution, which is 222 years old, stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties and freedom, and to ensure those unalienable rights to every American.

The tradition of celebrating the Constitution was started many years ago by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). In 1955, the Daughters petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into Public Law #915 on August 2, 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The aims of the celebration are to (1) emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution, preserving it for posterity; (2) inform the people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life; and (3) encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.

The United States of America functions as a Republic under the Constitution, which is the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people. This landmark idea that men had the inalienable right as individuals to be free and live their lives under their own governance was the impetus of the American Revolution. Today, the Constitution stands as an icon of freedom for people around the world.

“Constitution Week is the perfect opportunity to read and study this great document which is the safeguard of our American liberties,” states DAR President General, Linda Gist Calvin. “We encourage all citizens across the country to take time this week to reflect on our heritage of freedom.”

DAR has served America for 119 years as its foremost cheerleader. In 1928, the Daughters began work on a building as a memorial to the Constitution. John Russell Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, was commissioned to design the performing arts center, known as DAR Constitution Hall. Today, DAR Constitution Hall is the only structure erected in tribute to the Constitution of the United States of America.

Known as the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world, DAR has over 165,000 members with approximately 3,000 chapters in all 50 states and 11 foreign countries. The DAR has long promoted patriotism through commemorative celebrations, memorials, scholarships and activities for children, and programs for new immigrants. For more information about DAR and its programs visit jameswaldrop.georgiastatedar.org.

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Rethinking the Constitution

The Constitution is the cornerstone of our government. Have you read it lately?

In 2009, the Constitution will be 222 years old on September 17. Did you know it is the oldest surviving constitution of its kind still in use today?

Check out these two wonderful educational videos on the framing of the United States Constitution.







This Constitution Moment is brought to you by the James Waldrop Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, Fayetteville, GA.

Hold on to the Constitution

"Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy throughout the world."- Daniel Webster

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15th Amendment Ratified February 3, 1870

American citizens, no matter what race or color, may vote. This 15th amendment to the United States Constitution was proposed February 26, 1869 and ratified February 3, 1870.

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