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What kind of information materials are available?

Background · NARA: America's Founding Fathers - Delegates to the Constitutional Convention · Colonial Hall: Biograhies of the Founding Fathers · NARA: Charters of Freedom - The Bill of Rights · NARA: Charters of Freedom - The Constitution of the United States · Columbia Encyclopedia: Constitution of the United States · University of Chicago: The Founder's Constitution · Grolier's Multimedia: The Constitution of the United States · National Constitution Center · Outline of American History: The Formation of a National Government CD · Outline of U.S. Government: The Constitution: An Enduring Document CD · Rights of the People - Individual Freedom and the Bill of Rights CD · Issues of Democracy: The U.S.Constitution - America's Most Important Export CD · Library of Congress: To Form a More Perfect Union German · Die Verfassung der USA : ein zeitloses Dokument CD · magazinUSA: Die amerikanische Verfassung · Eine Erklärung der Verfassung: Die Federalist Papers CD · Die Unabhängigkeitserklärung: Kongreßsitzung vom 4. Juli 1776 CD · Amerikanische Verfassung CD · Die Verfassung: ein zeitloses Dokument - Zusatztexte CD · National Constitution Center: Die Verfassung der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika CD   The American Constitution is the oldest written constitution in force in the world.  The authors of the Constitution built in a provision for amending the document when political, social or economic conditions demanded it.  Twenty-seven amendments have been passed since ratification. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, called the Bill of Rights, assure individual rights and freedoms.  The Constitution divides the powers of the government into three branches - the Executive, headed by the President; the Legislative, which includes both houses of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives); and the Judicial, which is headed by the Supreme Court.  The Constitution limits the role of each branch, through a system of checks and balances, to prevent any one branch from gaining undue power. See also: About the USA > The Media > Freedom of the Press About the USA > History of the United States > Revolutionary Period and New Nation (1770s to 1800s)

Original Documents · About America: The Constitution of the United States with Explanatory Notes (IIP) CD · American Constitution CD · Avalon Project at Yale Law School: The Roots of the Constitution · U.S. Mission: List of Basic Documentsand Writings CD · Outline of U.S. Government: Bill of Rights CD · The Constitution · Ourdocuments.gov: Constitution of the United States (1787) · Cornell University Law School: The Constitution of the United States of America · GPO: The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation · National Constitution Center: The Constitution of the United States · Library of Congress: The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution · Declaration of Independence · Library of Congress: Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention · Library of Congress: George Washington's Annotated Copy of the Constitution · Constitutional Rights Foundation: U.S. Constitution · FindLaw.com: U.S. Constitution. Cases and Codes For High School Students · Ben's Guide to the Constitution of the United States · Congress for Kids: Constitution · ConstitutionFacts.com · Whit House Kids: The Constitution of the United States · The World Almanac for Kids: Constitution of the United States · Ben's Guide to Rights of Citizens: The Bill of Rights   Exhibits - Digital Images · NARA: Charters of Freedom · Safe America's Treasures: Charters of Freedom and Murals Teacher Resources · The Logic of American Politics: Chapter 2 - The Constitution · CQ Press: The Constitution - Behind Closed Doors · National COnstitution Center: Constitution Day · Educator's Reference Desk: The Constitution - Our Plan for Government · EDSITEment: The Constitutional Convention - Four Founding Fathers You May Never Have Met · EDSITEment: The Constitutional Convention - What the Founding Fathers Said · Library of Congress Learning Page: George Washington and the U.S. Constitution · Library of Congress Learning Page: In Congress Assembled: Continuity and Change in the Governing of the United States · Constitutional Rights Foundation: The Federalist Papers · Discovery Education: A Nation's Voice. Lesson Plan · EDSITEment: The Preamble to the Constitution: How Do You Make a More Perfect Union? · NARA: Teaching with Documents: Constitutional Issues - Watergate and the Constitution · NARA: Teaching with Documents: Observing Constitution Day · Educator's Reference Desk: U.S. Constitution and Amendments · Educator's Reference Book: You and the U.S. Constitution Link Lists · Open Directory Project: Constitution · Google: Constitution · Yahoo! Constitution of the United States

Texts are abridged from U.S. State Department IIP publications and other U.S. government materials.

What kind of information materials are available? CD: These documents are available in fulltext format on the About the USA CD-ROM. Teachers: Request a copy for classroom use. L: Selected documents are available in German as well as other languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Persian and Turkish.

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U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany /Public Affairs/ Information Resource Centers  Updated: February 2009