Constitution of the Confederate States

Constitution of the Confederate States
Page one of the original copy of the Constitution
Overview
Jurisdiction	Confederate States of America
Created	March 11, 1861 (1861-03-11)
Ratified	March 29, 1861 (1861-03-29)
Date effective	February 22, 1862 (1862-02-22)
System	Constitutional presidential republic
Government structure
Branches	3
Chambers	Bicameral
Executive	President
Judiciary	Supreme, Circuits, Districts
Federalism	Federation
Electoral college	Yes
First legislature	February 18, 1862 (1862-02-18)
First executive	February 22, 1862 (1862-02-22)
Location	Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia
Commissioned by	Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
Author(s)	Montgomery Convention
Signatories	50 of the 50 deputies to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
Media type	Parchment
Supersedes	Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States

The Constitution of the Confederate States was the supreme law of the Confederate States of America. It superseded the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States, the Confederate State's first constitution, in 1862.^[1] It remained in effect until the end of the American Civil War in 1865.

The original Provisional Constitution is located at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia,^[2] and differs slightly from the version later adopted. The final, handwritten Constitution is located in the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library at the University of Georgia.^[2] Most of its provisions are word-for-word duplicates from the United States Constitution; however, there are crucial differences between the two documents in tone and legal content, primarily regarding slavery.