Constitutional FAQ Answer #51 – The U.S. Constitution Online – USConstitution.net

Constitutional FAQ Answer #51

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Q51. “I was wondering what things in the
Constitution were actually original and what things were ‘copyrighted?’ I’m
doing this for an essay. I know that a lot of things were from the Bible and
from other constitutions, but could you give me a detailed list
maybe?”

A. You are in error that there is a lot of text in the U.S. Constitution
from the Bible and from other constitutions. Most of the Constitution was
written by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania after all the details had been
hashed out by a body of thirty to fifty other men. Though I’m sure there are
phrases and concepts from other sources, the U.S. Constitution is pretty
original. On top of that, as a government document, and one that is over 200
years old, there is no copyright on it.



Last Modified: 9 Aug 2010


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