Which founding document begins with the words “We the People,” a cornerstone of the United States’ 250-year story?

The United States Constitution begins with the words “We the People.”

Its Preamble introduces the purposes of the federal government, including forming a more perfect union, establishing justice, providing defense, promoting general welfare, and securing liberty. The Constitution was drafted in Philadelphia in 1787 and signed on September 17 of that year.

The document replaced the Articles of Confederation, which had created a weaker national government after independence. It established three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—and divided authority between the federal government and the states.

The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments, added in 1791. The Declaration of Independence announced separation from Great Britain, but it did not create the later constitutional system.