U.S. Constitution: A Research Guide

Now over 200 years old, the U.S. Constitution and its basic tenets remain the same and continue to be challenged through the legal system. During the drafting of the Constitution, the Constitutional Convention pointed at issues including how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected—directly by the people or by the state legislators. Learn more about how the delegates debated, and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution through the research materials listed below. The terms and phrases listed in the subject headings below can be used to search for more materials in the library's catalog and research databases. If you need further assistance, please ask a librarian.

The Constitution and Its Amendments by Roger K. Newman. 4 vols. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 1999. ISBN: 0028648587.
Provides a chronological history of the Constitution's seven articles and 27 amendments. Features include sidebar definitions and examples, photos, and political cartoons.

Constitutional Amendments, 1789 to the Present edited by Kris E. Palmer. Detroit: Gale Group, 2000. ISBN: 0787607827.
Lists amendments. Includes the full text of the amendment (including those proposed but unratified) and essays illustrating the social and political contexts.

Constitutional Amendments: From Freedom of Speech to Flag Burning by Tom Pendergast, Sara Pendergast, John Sousanis, and Elizabeth Shaw Grunow. 3 vols. Detroit: UXL, 2001. ISBN: 0787648655
Entries range in length from 10 to 15 pages and begin with the full text of all 27 amendments, followed by an essay on the social and political climate that gave rise to its proposal. Includes illustrations, sidebars, and a bibliography.

Constitutional Rights Sourcebook by Peter G. Renstrom. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1999.
ISBN: 1576070611.
Provides overview, 200 comprehensive entries on concepts, court decisions, people, and organizations, bibliography, table of cases, and index.

Encyclopedia of the American Constitution edited by Leonard Williams Levy, Kenneth L. Karst, and Dennis J. Mahoney. 4 vols. New York : Macmillan, 1986. ISBN: 0029186102.
Articles on individual subjects, individuals, landmark law decisions, and brief bibliographies related to the U.S. Constitution. 1992 supplement.

Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789–2002, 2nd ed. by John R. Vile. Santa Barbara , CA : ABC-CLIO, 2003. ISBN: 1851094288.
Covers 27 amendments, as well as notable proposed amendments, along with related issues, individuals, organizations, and Supreme Court decisions, among other topics.

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Charters of Freedom, National Archives
www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/constitution.html
View original constitution and learn more about the men who drafted it.

Colonial Hall
www.colonialhall.com
Provides biographies on the signers of the U.S. Constitution.

Explore the Constitution, National Constitution Center
www.constitutioncenter.org, select Explore the Constitution
Explores some of the guiding principles of the Constitution such as rule of law, separation of powers and checks and balances, federalism, judicial review, and individual rights.

To Form a More Perfect Union
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/bdsds/intro01.html
Narratives and searchable database of documents relating to the work of the Continental Congress and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution. From the Library of Congress.

National Constitution Center
www.constitutioncenter.org
An independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of, and appreciation for, the Constitution, its history, and its contemporary relevance.