The original signed document of the Constitution bound the people of thirteen disparate colonies in a grand democratic experiment. And that was just the beginning. As the fledgling nation shaped its identity and advanced its position on the world stage, demands were made of this four-page document that could never have been envisaged by its eighteenth-century authors. This fascinating book examines the Constitution’s origins and development through argument and compromise, and provides an in depth look at the process of introducing new amendments—all of which have enabled it to remain relevant and authoritative in the modern age.