What document begins with the words “We the People” and establishes the U.S. federal government?

The Constitution of the United States begins with “We the People” and establishes the U.S. federal government.

Delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia drafted the Constitution in 1787. Its Preamble introduces the document with “We the People of the United States,” presenting the people as the source of the government’s authority.

The Constitution originally contained a Preamble and seven articles. It defined the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, described relationships between the federal government and the states, and established a process for amendments.

The Constitution is often mixed up with the Articles of Confederation, which preceded it as the nation’s first governing framework. It is also distinct from the Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments were added in 1791 to protect specific individual liberties.