How the Constitution Came to Be - Reading Comprehension
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How the Constitution Came to Be Reading Comprehension
     How the Constitution Came to Be reading comprehension (sample is shown below)


How the Constitution Came to Be
By Phyllis Naegeli 		  
1     The United States Constitution has remained the highest law in our land since it was written in 1787. Our federal government continues to be a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." Its relevance to our daily lives has endured over two hundred years of testing. How did we get such a timeless document?
 
2     In 1776, the American colonies declared their independence from England. Thirteen fiercely independent states banded together to become a new country. However, there were many issues to resolve in order to form a strong country. Each state had its own form of self-government. They made their own laws, coined their own money, and were concerned about their individual interests. The oppression from England united the states with a common purpose - freedom. However, they were fearful of creating a government that would return them to the same tyranny they had endured from England.
 
3     The first government in the United States was formed under The Articles of Confederation. In 1777, the states sent delegates to a convention to put together a plan for a unified country. Together, they wrote a document that would establish a central government with a legislative congress to make laws. For four years, the states debated these articles. Finally, in 1781, they were approved by all thirteen states. The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government. It failed to give the new government the power to collect taxes, establish a military, form courts, or make the states obey the laws made in the legislative congress. The results were disastrous. The economy became chaotic. States began to fight over boundaries and levy taxes on each other. The new, weak government proved ineffective in uniting the states.

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