The Constitution of the United States is a document that outlines the basis of the Federal (national) government of the USA. It was in 1787 at the "Constitutional Convention" held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 55 men at the convention are called the "Founding " of the USA, and are also known as the "framers of the Constitution." Some of the more famous of the framers are George Washington (the President of the USA), James Madison (the fourth of the USA), Franklin and Alexander Hamilton.
The US Constitution was ratified () and went into effect on June 21, . It replaced the earlier set of rules, the Articles of Confederation (which were written in 1781, but gave Congress very little ).
The Preamble of the Constitution is the short introduction to the Constitution; it explains that the document proposes to establish a more perfect government complete with justice, tranquility, and liberty. It states, "We the of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect , establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common , promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
The Constitution sets up the US government as a republic with three of government: the branch (which makes the national laws and consists of Congress), the branch (headed by the President), and the l branch (which interprets the Constitution and laws, and consists of judges in courts). The Constitution sets up the power balance between and the Federal government, details how to add new states to the USA, tells how the Constitution can be amended, and enumerates requirements for ratifying (approving) the Constitution by the states.
Many amendments ( to the Constitution) have been made throughout the years. The first 10 amendments, called the Bill of , were added in 1791; the Bill of Rights preserves the rights of the people, including the freedom of and religion, among others. So far, there have been amendments to the constitution.
The US Constitution has been the model for many countries' constitutions around the world. It is a great document that has withstood the test of time in creating a government that has functioned well for over 200 years while preserving individual liberty and justice.