The Constitution Of The United States National Archives

Leo Migdal

-Dec 9, 2025, 3:03 PM

the constitution of the united states national archives

--Preamble to the United States Constitution All four pages of the document are on permanent display at the National Archives. The Constitution acted like a colossal merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures. Under America’s first national government, the Articles of Confederation, the states acted together only for specific purposes. The Constitution united its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people. Without it, the American Experiment might have ended as quickly as it had begun.

Amendments 1-10 constitute what is known as the Bill of Rights Discover the other changes and additions that have been made to the Constitution over the past 200+ years. Note: The following text is a transcription of the Constitution as it was inscribed by Jacob Shallus on parchment (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) The spelling and... We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of... All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of...

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected,... Citation: Signed Copy of the Constitution of the United States; Miscellaneous Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Record Group 360; National Archives. Drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787, this four-page document, signed on September 17, 1787, established the government of the United States. The Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. Because the delegations from only two states were at first present, the members adjourned from day to day until a quorum of seven states was obtained on May 25. Through discussion and debate it became clear by mid-June that, rather than amend the existing Articles, the Convention would draft an entirely new frame of government.

All through the summer, in closed sessions, the delegates debated, and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution. Among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected—directly by the people... The work of many minds, the Constitution stands as a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise. Signed Copy of the Constitution of the United States; Miscellaneous Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Record Group 360; National Archives. Drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787, this four-page document, signed on September 17, 1787, established the government of the United States. Read more at America's Founding Documents...

Visit the National Archives Museum Journey into our nation's past. This page was last reviewed on September 26, 2016. Contact us with questions or comments. For the first time in history, the entire United States Constitution will go on display, to celebrate 250 years of American Freedom. The four-page Constitution and the original Bill of Rights will be surrounded by 17 Constitutional amendments, filling the Rotunda at the National Archives in Washington, DC in a dramatic and highly visual display. This historic, special display will also include the rarely displayed “fifth page” of the U.S.

Constitution. This original document outlines a set of instructions to the States on how to implement the Constitution, signed by George Washington as President of the Constitutional Convention. Jim Byron, Senior Advisor to the Acting Archivist of the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said: “As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, the National Archives is playing a... This extraordinary installation welcomes all Americans to celebrate the bedrock of our national life: our Constitution.” The display will open to the public in the Rotunda on Tuesday, September 16 and remain open through Wednesday, October 1. Visitors can view and experience the entire Constitution during regular museum hours: 10 a.m.

- 5:30 p.m. Those visiting within those dates should anticipate longer than usual wait times. Visitors are encouraged to reserve timed-entry tickets at Recreation.gov. The Constitution of the United States was written in Philadelphia during the sweltering summer of 1787 by a convention of delegates representing 12 of the 13 states. Presiding over this gathering of well-educated lawyers, merchants, soldiers, and landowners was George Washington, then a delegate from Virginia who had served as commander in chief of the American forces during the War for... Working in secret, the delegates abandoned the Articles of Confederation that had joined the states together during the American Revolution but had failed to create a cohesive nation.

In their place, they drafted the Constitution, establishing a stronger central government that could print money, collect taxes, build an army, and regulate trade. To prevent this new government from growing too strong, the framers split its powers among three branches — executive, legislative, and judicial — each with the authority to check and balance the other two. They also balanced the powers of big states and small states, and, in the spirit of the Revolution, made clear that the real power rested with the people, who would choose their leaders and... Even as they wrote and signed the document, delegates to the Constitutional Convention knew it was imperfect and would be revised. The Constitution has been amended 27 times over the past two centuries, yet it remains the longest-lasting written national constitution in the world and continues to inspire people of other nations as they write... The Constitution’s home is the National Archives, where it is held in trust for the American people and preserved for future generations to see in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom.

Download a high-resolution version of this document from the National Archives’ Online Public Access Database. "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of... These famous words, penned in 1787, laid the foundation for the Government of the United States of America, setting our fledging democracy on its way to becoming the great nation we live in today. September 17 of this year marks the 215th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. Thus, I believe it is fitting that we reflect on this document that continues to define our country as it grows and changes. Convening in May in Philadelphia, with the original intent to revise the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention debated throughout the hot summer months.

By June it was decided that rather than amend the Articles, the delegates would draft an entirely new framework of government. While we have a fairly complete record of the proceedings of the convention now, thanks to James Madison's detailed notes, sessions were held in secret with no reporters or visitors permitted. Among the major points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress each state should have, and whether those representatives should be elected directly by the... Debate over the Constitution sometimes turned bitter, but in the end the delegates were able to reach consensus, and the Constitution still stands as a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise. However, the story of the Constitution wasn't completed in 1787 with its writing or even with its adoption. The story continues today, as Americans seek to mold their government to fit the evolving needs of the country.

For example, the Constitution as originally written mentions little about the right to vote. At the time it was thought that only a privileged few (meaning white men who owned property) should be allowed to vote. The fight to enfranchise Americans regardless of race or gender is illustrated in the fact that today, seven of the Constitution's 27 amendments deal with the right to vote. The books in this collection are in the public domain and are free to use and reuse. More about Copyright and other Restrictions. For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate. United States. Exact text of the Constitution of the United States and the accompanying documents, -1870. From the original manuscripts. New York, A. Lovell & company, 1895.

Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/08027555/. U.S. National ArchivesThe U.S. Constitution on display at the National Archives Museum. Between September 16th and October 1st, the entirety of the U.S.

Constitution is on view in the Rotunda at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. in honor of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. According to a release from the National Archives, the display features the full U.S. Constitution and the original Bill of Rights. Notably, the exhibit includes the rarely displayed “fifth page” of the Constitution and all of the amendments that come after the Bill of Rights. The fifth page, signed by George Washington as President of the Constitutional Convention, “outlines a set of instructions to the States on how to implement the Constitution.” The page was briefly exhibited on its...

U.S. National ArchivesThe typical display of the U.S. Constitution in the Rotunda at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

The Constitution Of The United States National Archives

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