The United States Constitution is the foundational law of the federal government of the United States. It was written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and took effect in 1789. The document begins with the words “We the People” and sets out the framework for how the national government is organized and how it exercises its authority.
The Constitution was written after weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation became increasingly clear. Under the Articles, the national government could make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement power, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money. In May 1787, delegates met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles, but they soon chose to design a new system of government instead.
The completed Constitution contains a preamble and seven articles. The first three articles establish the three branches of the federal government: the legislative branch, consisting of Congress; the executive branch, headed by the President; and the judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court. The document also creates a system of separated powers and checks and balances so that no single branch controls the whole government. Articles IV through VII address the relationship between the states and the federal government, the amendment process, and the ratification process.
Article I gives lawmaking power to Congress, which is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate. Article II establishes the presidency and the executive branch. Article III establishes the federal judiciary and names the Supreme Court as the highest federal court. Article V explains how the Constitution can be amended, and Article VII describes how it would be ratified by the states. Nine state ratifying conventions were required to put the Constitution into effect.
The Constitution signed in 1787 did not remain unchanged. In 1789, the First Congress proposed twelve amendments. Ten of those were ratified by the states on December 15, 1791, and became known as the Bill of Rights. These first ten amendments added protections for individual liberties and clarified limits on government power. Since then, the Constitution has been amended a total of 27 times.
The original Constitution remains a short document, but its influence has been lasting. It continues to provide the structure of the federal government, define core constitutional processes, and serve as the legal basis for the powers and limits of national authority. The version preserved by the National Archives is the parchment transcription written by Jacob Shallus, and the spelling and punctuation in that official transcription reflect the original text.
Preamble