This book tells the story of the U.S. Constitution as a living document—one that began as ink on parchment and became the shared framework of a nation still writing its story. The Living Charter follows how the ideas of freedom, balance, and amendment grew from debate into design, and from compromise into continual reinvention. It opens in Philadelphia, 1787: a sweltering room, thirteen states in conflict, and fifty-five delegates wrestling with the limits of power. You'll see the drafting, the argument, and the vote through vivid narrative and rich illustration. The book then follows the text itself—article by article—showing how each idea was tested by history. The result is not a legal manual but a visual, human journey through time.