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Learn Your Rights With the United States Constitution App

13.03.2011
Many Americans are justifiably proud of the rights and freedoms which they enjoy under the law. However, many Americans are also unfortunately ignorant of the particulars of the United States Constitution, which establishes and describes those rights. The Android app named United States Constitution puts the entire, searchable text of the Constitution in the palm of your hand along with relevant historical notes and documents that provide context and insight into the motivations of the people who wrote and ratified the Constitution. The app is free as in freedom, and it's well worth your time to download and use it.

The app is uncomplicated to use, but well-organized to provide fingertip access to drill down to the information you want. The home screen is divided into sections by Constitution, Appendix, and American DNA. Clicking a section expands it into full-screen text. Flicking the screen left-to-right takes you to the next section; flicking right-to-left takes you to the previous section.

The Constitution section is divided into Preamble, Articles, and Amendments.

The Appendix section comprises Signatories, Constitution Timeline, Constitutional Typos, and Failed Amendments.

The American DNA section comprises historical documents including the Articles of Confederation, The Mayflower Compact, Liberty or Death, A Proclamation by the King, The Virginia Declaration of Rights, The Declaration of Independence, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, The Star-Spangled Banner, The Emancipation Proclamation, The Gettysburg Address, I Have a Dream, Jefferson's Wall of Separation Letter, Separation of Powers, The Miranda Warning, and The Pledge of Allegiance.

Each of the American DNA sections contains not just the document text, but also an explanation of the historical context and significance. Although it's not an exhaustive reference, the information goes deep enough to be educational for most people who are not professional historians.