Lesson Purpose
The U.S. Constitution is a plan for government. Once the Constitution was ratified, it was the job of the first Congress to use this plan to organize the new government. In this lesson, you will read about some of the decisions made by the first Congress. You will learn how Congress organized the executive branch. You will also learn how Congress established a system of federal courts below the U.S. Supreme Court. Finally, you will learn how the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.
Lesson Objectives
When you finish this lesson, you should be able to explain how the first Congress organized the executive and judicial branches of government, and explain how the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.
Lesson Terms
appellate court
A judicial body that hears appeals from a lower court.
cabinet
Judiciary Act of 1789
Ninth Amendment
Tenth Amendment
