Lost Chapters
The Constitution: Quartz Item
The U.S. Constitution is the fundamental framework of the American federal government. It was written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and signed on September 17, 1787. It took effect after nine states ratified it in 1788, and it has been changed by 27 amendments, the first ten known as the Bill of Rights.
- Cost
- 7 crystals
- Type
- Item · Treasure
- Color
- Quartz (Founders & Revolution)
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Set
- Liberty & Lightning (Set 1)
Your Founders get +2/+2. Draw a card. If you control James Madison, draw 2 instead.
Foundational legal document creating a government flexible enough to last centuries yet rigid enough to cause endless arguments.
The real history
The Constitution is the written plan for how the United States government works. It was drafted in secret in the summer of 1787 at the Federal Convention in Philadelphia, which began on May 14 in what is now called Independence Hall. The delegates came to fix the Articles of Confederation, the country's first plan of government, but ended up writing an entirely new one. They argued over how much power the national government should have, how many representatives each state should get, and who should choose them.
Thirty-nine delegates signed the finished document on September 17, 1787. Three delegates who were present, George Mason, Edmund Randolph and Elbridge Gerry, refused to sign. The Constitution divides power among three branches: Congress, the presidency and the courts.
It still had to be approved by the states, and nine of them were needed. Delaware went first on December 7, 1787, by a vote of 30 to 0. New Hampshire became the ninth state in June 1788, which put the Constitution into effect. Rhode Island was the last to join, in 1790, by two votes. Federalists, who backed the plan, debated Antifederalists, who feared too much central power and pointed out that it had no list of individual rights.
To win support, Federalists including James Madison promised that the new government would add a bill of rights. Congress proposed amendments in 1789, and the first ten, the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. They protect freedoms such as speech and religion. In all, the Constitution now has 27 amendments, and the original is kept at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Sources
- Constitution of the United States (1787), National Archives
- Observing Constitution Day, Ratification, National Archives
- U.S. Constitution FAQs, National Constitution Center
How the card plays
The Constitution costs 7 crystals and is an Un-common Quartz Item (Treasure). Its card text is Your Founders get +2/+2. Draw a card. If you control James Madison, draw 2 instead.
It is a strong turn in a Founders deck, since it grows your whole Founder board and replaces itself with a card. If you hold it until James Madison, Constitution Lead James Madison, Constitution Lead is in play, it draws 2 instead, so waiting a turn can pay off. National Convention National Convention gives your Founders +1/+1 and makes them cost 1 less, so you can fill the board before the Constitution lands. Washington, First President Washington, First President gives your other Founders +1/+1, and the two bonuses stack into a very big team.
- Playable in decks led by George Washington, and by any Traveler Leader whose colors include Quartz.
- In the Washington starter deck (1 copy). Deck code:
LC2-BhoCgAKBAYIBgwGEAYUBhgKHAYgBiQGKAYsBjAKNAY4BjwGQAZEBkgGTAZQBlQGWAZcBmAGZAZoCmwGcAZ0BngGfAaABoQFBjA - Works with James Madison, Constitution Lead.
- A deck holds up to 3 copies of this card.
Questions about The Constitution
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
It has 27 amendments. The first ten, proposed in 1789 and ratified in 1791, are called the Bill of Rights.
Where is the original Constitution?
The original is kept at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
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