On this day, January 14, in 1638

A political document, known as The Fundamental Orders, was adopted by the Connecticut Colony council. This document officially established a government within the English Colony of Connecticut by dictating the powers and limitations of its new governing body. It is also largely considered to be the first written constitution in Western history. Certain principles embodied by the Fundamental Orders, including the section on individual rights and the use of secret ballots, were later applied to the United States Constitution. If you think about it, the American government is founded on ideas of individualism.