When was the Constitution written?

The Constitution was written in 1787 during the Philadelphia Convention, where delegates from the thirteen original states convened to address the issues facing the nation under the Articles of Confederation. The document intended to create a stronger federal government that could effectively govern a growing country and rectify the weaknesses of the existing system, notably the lack of a strong executive branch and the difficulties in passing legislation.

The year 1787 is significant as it marks the beginning of a new era in American governance, laying down the foundational principles of democracy, separation of powers, and checks and balances that remain integral to U.S. law and political structure today. The Constitution was then ratified by the states in the following years, with the required nine states approving it by June 1788, and it officially went into effect in 1789.

The other years listed did not correspond to the writing of the Constitution. 1776 is celebrated for the Declaration of Independence, which announced the colonies' separation from British rule. 1781 refers to the ratification of the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States but ultimately proved ineffective. 1791 marks the year the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, was ratified