For America's 250th anniversary, which document established the current federal government of the United States?

The United States Constitution established the current federal government of the United States, making it one of the defining documents of America’s 250-year history.

Delegates drafted the Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787. It replaced the Articles of Confederation, which had created a weaker national government with limited ability to tax, regulate commerce, or enforce national decisions.

The Constitution created three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. It also established federalism, dividing authority between the national government and the states. The document’s system of checks and balances was designed to prevent any single branch from dominating the government.

The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and took effect after the required states ratified it. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. Later amendments changed voting rules, presidential elections, slavery, civil rights, and other aspects of American government.