The original U.S. Constitution refers to the fundamental law of the United States, adopted in 1787, which established the structure and powers of the federal government.
Related terms
Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that guarantee individual rights and liberties.
Federalism: A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority (the federal government) and regional or state governments.
Three-Fifths Compromise: An agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention where enslaved individuals were counted as three-fifths of a person for determining representation and taxation purposes.