Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution, which came into force in 1789, begins with the words We the People. This phrase, coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, represented a new thought: that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First 7 words | We the People of the United States |
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What You'll Learn
- The first 7 words of the US Constitution are We the People of the United States
- The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since 1789
- The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights
- The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States
- The US Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments
The first 7 words of the US Constitution are We the People of the United States
The first seven words of the US Constitution are "We the People of the United States". These words are considered to be the opening of the Preamble, which is followed by seven articles and 27 amendments. The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.
The phrase "We the People" is considered to represent a new thought: the idea that the people, and not the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy. This was a shift from the original draft, which 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 improved on the original draft by substituting "of the United States" for the names of the states and then listing the Constitution's six goals, none of which were mentioned in the original draft.
The seven articles of the US Constitution make up the structural framework of the federal government. 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 articles (IV, V, and VI) 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.
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The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since 1789
The first seven words of the US Constitution are "We the People of the United States". The Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of the government within the US states. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections. Others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures. Amendments to the US Constitution, unlike those made to many constitutions worldwide, are appended to the document. The original US Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus.
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The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights
The first seven words of the US Constitution are: "We the People of the United States". These words, coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, represented a new thought: the idea that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy.
The first ten amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. These amendments offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of the government within the US states. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections. Others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures. Amendments to the US Constitution are appended to the document, unlike amendments to many other constitutions worldwide.
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The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States
The first seven words of the US Constitution are "We the People of the United States". The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States. It was drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in mid-June 1777 and was adopted by the full Congress in mid-November of that year. Ratification by the 13 colonies took more than three years and was completed on March 1, 1781. The Articles gave little power to the central government. While the Confederation Congress had some decision-making abilities, it lacked enforcement powers. The implementation of most decisions, including amendments to the Articles, required legislative approval by all 13 of the newly formed states. The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of the government within the US states. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections. Others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures.
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The US Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments
The US Constitution begins with the words "We the People", and is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights, and offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice, as well as placing restrictions on the powers of the government within the US states. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections, while others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures.
The seven articles of the Constitution define the basic framework of the federal government. The preamble to the Constitution, which begins with "We the People of the United States", sets out the intentions of the document: to "form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity".
The Constitution was drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in mid-June 1777 and was adopted by the full Congress in mid-November of that year. Ratification by the 13 colonies took more than three years and was completed on 1 March 1781. The original Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus. It has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789.
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Frequently asked questions
"We the People of the United States".
The opening words, "We the People", represented a new thought: the idea that the people and not the states were the source of the government's legitimacy.
The phrase was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style.
