The term �constitution� may be traced to ancient Rome. Yet, this concept�s contemporary meaning derives from its transformation during the Middle and Modern ages, first at England and then in the North American colonies. The peculiar way in which the American revolutionaries understood the notions of �constitution� and �fundamental laws,� opened spaces for the rise of constitutionalism. Thus, the first American constitutionalism, as it was embraced at the new state constitutions, was influenced by both the Anglo-Saxon legal tradition, and the colonial self-governing experience as well. On the other hand, the beginning of the revolution in Nueva Granada, propitiated the rise of the first Colombian constitutionalism. The first provincial constitutions present French and American influences, yet the citizens of Nueva Granada were already familiar to notions, such as the limitation of political power or the popular participation in public affairs, which derived from some administration instruments used by the Spanish colonial government.