1787 (in force 1789) · Constitutions

Constitution of the United States

United States

The first written national constitution still in force. It sets up a federal government with three branches and divides power between the nation and the states.

Why it matters

It was the model for written constitutions, federal systems and judicial review in many countries.

Built on

1689

English Bill of Rights

England

ideas of limited government and rights against the Crown

Went on to shape

1791

United States Bill of Rights

United States

added to the Constitution as amendments

1917

Constitution of Mexico

Mexico

kept the federal and presidential structure

1947

Constitution of Japan

Japan

drafted during the Allied occupation with strong American input

Counting texts that borrowed from the texts that borrowed from this one, 8 later texts on this timeline trace back to it.

Countries in the Legal Families Atlas

United States

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s timeline lists links of influence only where the borrowing is widely documented. Historians sometimes disagree about how much one text shaped another. It is an educational overview, not legal advice.