Comparing the Articles and the Constitution The United States has operated under two constitutions. The first, The Articles of Confederation, was in effect from March 1, 1781, when Maryland ratified it. The second, The Constitution, replaced the Articles when it was ratified by New Hampshire on June 21, 1788. The two documents have much in…

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Members of Congress The following is a list of the Senators and Representatives of the 112th Congress, as of January 5, 2011. If you see any discrepancies, please let me know. In the “Party” column, the following abbreviations are used: D = Democratic R = Republican I = Independent – = Vacant NV = Non-Voting…

Common Sense Thomas Paine was born in Thetford, England, on January 29, 1737. He was raised by a Quaker father and an Anglican mother. He apprenticed as a corset maker, a profession that he drifted in and out of for many years. In 1764, he studied for and was admitted as an excise officer, though…

Civil Unions News This page is an archive of articles presented on the Current News page of the USConstitution.net site concerning Vermont’s Civil Union Law. 03/06/02 Massachusetts court to take up gay marriage The top court in Massachusetts is taking up the issue of gay marriage in a case brought by seven gay and lesbian…

How to Cite This Site Jump to: Citing the Constitution It is very important when writing a paper for a school project (at any level, from elementary school to graduate school) to properly cite your sources. Where did you find your information? Citations are placed in the text as footnotes or endnotes, and/or placed at…