Isabella Carter
The US Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first five words of the Constitution are We the People, which represented a new thought: the idea that the people and not the states were the source of the government's legitimacy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First 5 words of the US Constitution | We the People |
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What You'll Learn
- The first five words of the US Constitution are We the People
- The US Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments
- The Preamble introduces the articles and amendments that follow
- The phrase We the People was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania
- The phrase We the People represents the idea that the people, not the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy
The first five words of the US Constitution are We the People
The first five words of the US Constitution are "We the People". These words represent a new thought: the idea that the people, and not the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy. The phrase was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. Morris considered the phrase an improvement on the original draft, which followed "We the People" with a list of the 13 states. Instead, Morris substituted "of the United States" and then listed the Constitution's six goals.
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The US Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments
The first five words of the US Constitution are "We the People". The US Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The Preamble, which begins with these famous words, sets out the principles on which the Constitution is founded. It establishes the idea that the people, rather than the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy.
The seven articles that follow the Preamble make up the structural constitution. They define the basic framework of the federal government, embodying the doctrine of the separation of powers. The first three articles outline the three branches of government: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III).
Articles IV, V, and VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the relationship between the states and the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment.
The 27 amendments to the Constitution, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, were ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments further define and protect the rights and liberties of the people, building upon the foundation established by the Preamble and the seven articles.
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The Preamble introduces the articles and amendments that follow
The first five words of the US Constitution are "We the People". The Preamble, which begins with these words, introduces the seven articles and 27 amendments that follow. The seven articles make up the structural constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. The first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). The remaining four articles (IV, V, VI, and VII) embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relation to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. The 27 amendments to the Constitution, which began with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, ratified on December 15, 1791, further elaborate on and modify the articles.
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The phrase We the People was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania
The first five words of the US Constitution are "We the People". This phrase was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. Morris is best known for writing the preamble to the Constitution, which represented a new thought: the idea that the people and not the states were the source of the government's legitimacy.
Morris was a Founding Father of the United States and a disabled American. He had injured his left leg in a carriage accident in Philadelphia while serving in the Second Continental Congress, which resulted in an amputation below the knee and his lifelong use of a wooden prosthetic leg. He also suffered an accident at the age of 14 when a large kettle of boiling water fell on his right side. Morris railed against slavery at the Philadelphia convention in 1787 and later worked as an envoy in Paris during the French Revolution.
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The phrase We the People represents the idea that the people, not the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy
The first five words of the US Constitution are "We the People". This phrase represents the idea that the people, not the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy. This was a new thought at the time, as the previous draft of the Constitution had followed "We the People" with a list of the 13 states. Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style, is credited with coining the phrase. He replaced the list of states with "of the United States" and then listed the Constitution's six goals, none of which were mentioned in the original draft.
The phrase "We the People" is significant because it establishes the principle that the government derives its power from the people. This is a fundamental concept in democratic theory, known as popular sovereignty. It means that the people are the ultimate source of political authority and that the government exists to serve the interests of the people.
By stating "We the People" at the outset, the Constitution makes clear that the rights and freedoms it guarantees are intended to protect the people, not the states. This idea is further reinforced by the structure of the Constitution, which delineates the powers of the federal government and establishes a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one branch or entity holds too much power.
The phrase "We the People" also serves as a reminder that the Constitution is a living document that belongs to the people. It is subject to interpretation and amendment, as evidenced by the 27 amendments that have been made to the Constitution since its ratification. These amendments reflect the evolving needs and values of the American people, demonstrating that the Constitution is a dynamic framework that can adapt to changing circumstances.
In conclusion, the phrase "We the People" in the opening of the US Constitution represents a powerful statement of democratic ideals and the principle of popular sovereignty. It establishes the people as the source of the government's legitimacy and sets the tone for a document that is intended to protect the rights and freedoms of the people. By beginning with these three words, the Constitution affirms the fundamental values of American democracy and underscores the importance of citizen participation in the political process.
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Frequently asked questions
"We the People of".
These words are important because they establish the authority of the people in creating the Constitution and the government.
The US Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments.
The original document is on display at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.
