United States Constitution: Learn About the Constitution

Learn about the text, history, and meaning of the U.S. Constitution from leading scholars of diverse legal and philosophical perspectives. How it works: The National Constitution Center selected two scholars for each clause with guidance from the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society—America’s leading legal organizations representing different perspectives on the Constitution. The Common Interpretation, signed by both scholars, is a joint statement of what they agree about the provision’s history and meaning. Matters of Debate represents each scholar’s individual views.

Which documents and ideas influenced the Founders when drafting the Bill of Rights? How did the amendments change throughout the drafting process? What text made it into the final ratified text? Explore key historical documents that inspired the Framers of the Constitution and each amendment during the drafting process, the early drafts and major proposals behind each provision, and discover how the drafters deliberated, agreed and disagreed, on the path to compromise and the final text.

The video library contains two series: The Constitution Project, which comprises award-winning documentaries of landmark Supreme Court cases, and Conversations on the Constitution, in which Supreme Court justices discuss constitutional topics with high school students.

This interactive guide to the U.S. Constitution provides the original text and an explanation in plain language of the meaning of each article and amendment. The guide is an excellent research tool for students to use to gain a deeper understanding of one of our nation’s founding documents and the establishment of the federal government.