Constitution Day: Origin of the Constitution

Image: Our Founding Fathers

The year is 1787.  The Articles of Confederation are a failure as  a design for government.  Congress has no ability to raise or collect taxes.  The Government cannot pay its debts or the soldiers who had fought in the Revolution.  The individual States are fighting amongst themselves with the larger states abusing the smaller ones.  Interstate trade and commerce are in chaos.  The economy is collapsing and mob violence is becoming an increasing threat.  The Government has no power to raise an army to put down rebellions.  We need a new form of government.  On May 25, 1787, the Constitution Convention is called to design it.  
 

Article I  Establishes the Legislative Branch — Congress makes the laws
Article II Establishes the Executive Branch — The President enforces the laws
Article III Establishes the Judicial Branch — The Supreme Court interprets the laws
Article IV — Describes the relationship of the States to each other and to the Federal Government (Each state respects the laws of other states — including slave ownership; each state must have a republican form of government; the Federal Government will protect each state from violence)
Article V — The Amendment Process
Article VI — Federal Law has supremacy above States’ laws; Oaths to support the Constitution; no religious test can be required
Article VII — The Process of Ratification
 

The first Gallery image is "Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States" a painting by Howard Chandler Christy.   Christy created the painting in April 1940; it is so large (20 by 30 feet or 6.1 by 9.1 metres) that he painted it in a sail loft. It currently is displayed along the east stairway in the House of Representatives wing in the Capitol building.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scene_at_the_Signing_of_

the_Constitution_of_the_United_States#/media/File:

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The second Gallery image is "The Constitution" a mural by  Barry Faulkner.  It can be seen In the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in the National Archives Building.  The mural was painted between 1933 and 1936  and is about the size of a city bus.