The Constitution is the highest law in the United States. It is the oldest written Constitution in the world.

The first three words encompass all American citizens and serve to emphasize that the U.S. government is ruled by the people.

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution were adopted on December 15, 1791. Known as the Bill of Rights, it details the rights of the people in relation to the U.S. government.

Since 1789, there have been 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The First Amendment states that everyone in the U.S. has the right to choose what religion to follow, including the right to change your religion at any time.

Each of the 50 U.S. states elects two senators to represent them in the Senate. This excludes territories such as Puerto Rico and American Samoa, as well as the federal capital city of D.C., formally the District of Columbia. Fifty states with two senators each = 100 U.S. senators.

 The term of office for a U.S. senator is six years, and every two years, one third of the Senate runs for reelection.

The House of Representatives has 435 members, who proportionally represent the population of all 50 states.

All U.S. House members serve a two-year term, and may run for reelection every even year.

Each state has two senators who represent all the residents of that state.

The presidential elections occur every four years on the first Tuesday in November.

The U.S. vice president is the head of the Senate, and will take over as president if the president dies or resigns.

Next in line is the Speaker of the House if both the president or the vice president cannot serve.

In addition to being Chief Executive, the president is also Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy.

After Congress passes a bill, the President signs the bill into law.

Only the president has the power to veto a bill, meaning he or she can prevent a bill from going into effect.

The president’s cabinet consists of the vice president and the heads of the 15 executive departments.

The Supreme Court decides whether or not laws align with the U.S. Constitution.

Two major political parties dominate American politics . The Democratic party represents a more liberal ideology while the Republican party represents a more conservative ideology.

Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, which was the formal statement declaring the U.S. its own country independent from Britain.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The U.S. now celebrates Independence Day every July 4th.

The Constitution was written during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

George Washington was the commander of the army during the American Revolution, he presided over the Constitutional Convention, and he was the first president of the United States.

George Washington was president of the United States from 1789-1797.

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th U.S. president from 1913-1921.

Franklin Roosevelt, known as FDR, served as president from 1933-1945.

Dwight Eisenhower served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953-1961.

The Cold War was an ideological battle fought between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The American civil rights movement, which took place during the 1950s and 1960s, demanded an end to racial segregation and discrimination.

September 11, also known as 9/11, was a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks carried out by Al Qaeda, a Muslim extremist group.