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Constitution of 3 May 1791

1791 · 18th century

The Constitution of 3 May 1791 was a reforming constitution adopted by the Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was the first modern written constitution in Europe, abolishing the liberum veto and strengthening the monarchy. Neighbouring powers saw it as a threat, and it was overturned by Russian intervention that led to the final partitions of the Commonwealth.

Constitution of 3 May 1791
Image: Ignacy Potocki (1750–1809), Hugo Kołłątaj (1750–1812), Stanisław August Poniatowski (1732–1798) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthGovernance, DeclineGrand Duchy of LithuaniaDeclineElectorate of SaxonyDecline

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Constitution of 3 May 1791. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/constitution-of-3-may-1791
MLA
“Constitution of 3 May 1791.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/constitution-of-3-may-1791. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Constitution of 3 May 1791.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/constitution-of-3-may-1791.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Constitution of 3 May 1791’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/constitution-of-3-may-1791 (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻