▁sevent een ▁later ▁am end ments ▁expand ▁individual ▁civil ▁rights ▁prote ctions . ▁O thers ▁address ▁issues ▁related ▁to ▁federal ▁authority ▁or ▁modify ▁government ▁processes ▁and ▁procedures . ▁Am end ments ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution , ▁unlike ▁ones ▁made ▁to ▁many ▁constitution s ▁world wide , ▁are ▁app ended ▁to ▁the ▁document . ▁All ▁four ▁pages ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁U . S . ▁Constitution ▁are ▁written ▁on ▁par ch ment . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate : ▁" The ▁Constitution ' s ▁first ▁three ▁words — We ▁the ▁People — aff irm ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁exists ▁to ▁serve ▁its ▁citizens . ▁For ▁over ▁two ▁centuries ▁the ▁Constitution ▁has ▁remained ▁in ▁force ▁because ▁its ▁fram ers ▁wis ely ▁separated ▁and ▁bal anced ▁government al ▁powers ▁to ▁saf egu ard ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁majority ▁rule ▁and ▁minor ity ▁rights , ▁of ▁liberty ▁and ▁equality , ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁and ▁state ▁govern ments ." ▁The ▁first ▁permanent ▁constitution ▁of ▁its ▁kind , ▁adopted ▁by ▁the ▁people ' s ▁represent atives ▁for ▁an ▁exp ans ive ▁nation , ▁it ▁is ▁interpreted , ▁supp lement ed , ▁and ▁implemented ▁by ▁a ▁large ▁body ▁of ▁constitution al ▁law , ▁and ▁has ▁influenced ▁the ▁constitution s ▁of ▁other ▁nations . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁First ▁government ▁From ▁September ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 7 7 4 , ▁to ▁March ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 7 8 1 , ▁the ▁Cont inental ▁Congress ▁function ed ▁as ▁the ▁prov is ional ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁United