1

Only a few of the signatures on the parchment copy 1 are now legible. Consequently they are given below, classified by states and occupations:

1"There are three texts of the Declaration which may be called official. One is the text in what is called the 'rough' Journal; a second is the text in the 'corrected' Journal; a third is the text on parchment, the one which was signed by the members of Congress. The most authoritative text, one would suppose, should be that in the corrected Journal. Apart from spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, this text is the same as that in the rough Journal except in two instances, in each of which a single word is omitted from the text in the corrected Journal which appears in the rough Journal. That these omissions were not intentional seems clear from the fact that they were not made in the final parchment copy. The above follows the parchment copy except the last paragraph which is changed in capitalization for emphasis."

The Declaration was signed in this order: Hancock, Bartlett, Livingston, Paine, Floyd, John Adams, Lewis, Walton, Samuel Adams, Stockton, Huntington, Hopkins, Hart, Clark, Lewis, Morris, Morton, Francis Lightfoot Lee, Penn, Sherman, Whipple, Witherspoon, Ellery, Hooper, Robert Morris, Harrison, Williams, Franklin, Paca, Hopkinson, Stone, Carroll, Jefferson, Taylor, Rutledge, Hewes, Smith, Ross, Clymer, Heyward, Gwinnett, Read, Wilson, Lynch, Chase, Braxton, Rush, Hall, Rodney, Nelson, Middleton, Wythe, R. H. Lee, Gerry, Wolcott, Thornton, M'Kean.

At the signing of the Declaration, the average age of the members was forty-four years.

At the time of their deaths, five were over ninety years of age, nine between eighty and ninety, nine between seventy and eighty, thirteen between sixty and seventy, twelve between fifty and sixty, seven between forty and fifty and one died at the age of thirty.

The longevity of the signers is remarkable since they lived to the average age of approximately sixty-five years and ten months. The youngest member was Edward Rutledge who signed in his twenty-seventh year.

The oldest member was Benjamin Franklin who signed in his seventy-first year.

We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America.

The Preamble serves to introduce the purposes of the Constitution by first indicating its source (the people rather than the states); secondly, it insures national unity, peace at home and while traveling abroad, justice in courts, personal liberty, and provides for the welfare of all.

Pre

amble.

ARTICLE I

SECTION I. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested Legisin a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate lative and House of Representatives. Powers.

Section I of Article I vests all legislative powers in Congress. Note that Section I of Article II vests executive power in the President and that Section I

The parts italicized and in brackets throughout the Constitution as printed here are obsolete or no longer operative.

House

of Repre

of Article III vests judicial power in the Supreme Court.

SECTION II. The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several sentatives. States, and the electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State Legislature.

Qualifi

cations of Representatives.

Apportion

ment of Representatives.

Since 1920 women vote the same as men. "Electors" means voters which now includes nearly all citizens over twenty-one years of age. The members of the House are called Congressmen.

No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

These qualifications give us stronger candidates, and allow even immigrants a chance to hold office after seven years of citizenship. Custom requires a person to be a resident of the district from which he is chosen.

Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union according to their respective numbers [which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons]. The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each State shall have at least one Representative; [and, until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New

Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three].

The clause embodying the "three-fifths rule" was rendered obsolete by Amendment XIV, Section 2. The temporary apportionment clause beginning "and until such enumeration is made-" expired in 1791. The first census was taken in 1790, and a federal census has been taken every ten years since that time.

When vacancies happen in the representation from any State, Vacanthe Executive Authority thereof shall issue writs of election to cies, fill such vacancies.

If a representative dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the Governor of his state may call a special election to choose a successor. guarantees equal representation to all.

This

How

Filled.

The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and Officers. other officers, and shall have the sole power of impeachment.

The Speaker or "Chairman" of the House is chosen by the members every two years and has great power because he usually represents the party in control. In a case of impeachment the House makes the charges of misconduct in office, but the Senate acts as a jury and makes the decision.

SECTION III. The Senate of the United States shall be com- Senate. posed of two Senators from each State, chosen [by the Legislature thereof], for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.