Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The opening words of the US Constitution are We the People, which represented a new thought: the idea that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy. The Preamble, composed of the first 52 words of the Constitution, introduces the articles and amendments that follow.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Opening words | "We the People" |
| Number of words in the opening | 52 |
| Number of articles | 7 |
| Number of Amendments | 27 |
| First 10 Amendments | Bill of Rights |
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Date of ratification | June 21, 1788 |
| Date of superseding the Articles of Confederation | March 4, 1789 |
| Date of ratification of the Bill of Rights | December 15, 1791 |
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What You'll Learn
The opening words, We the People
The United States Constitution is a document that outlines the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments, beginning with the famous words, "We the People".
The opening words, "We the People", represent a significant shift in thinking. It conveys the idea that the people, rather than the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy. This phrase was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. In the previous draft, the section began with "We the People" followed by a list of the 13 states. Morris replaced the list of states with "of the United States" and then listed six goals, none of which were mentioned in the original draft.
The full sentence of the opening statement reads: "We the People of the United States, in Order 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, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." This sentence sets the tone and purpose of the Constitution, highlighting the intentions to form a unified nation with justice, peace, and liberty for its citizens.
The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, took place at the Constitutional Convention in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The convention was attended by delegates from 12 of the 13 original states, with Rhode Island refusing to send representatives. The initial goal was to amend the Articles of Confederation, which were ineffective in addressing the nation's needs. However, the delegates quickly began working on a replacement, and the final document, with its powerful opening words, "We the People", established a unified government with the power vested in its citizens.
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The Constitution's six goals
The US Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The preamble, which begins with the words "We the People", sets the stage for the Constitution and communicates the intentions of its framers. The six goals, or "Big Ideas", of the Constitution are:
- Limited government: The Constitution establishes a framework for a government with limited powers, as outlined in the preamble and further defined in the Bill of Rights.
- Republicanism: The Constitution establishes a republican form of government, with representatives elected by the people.
- Checks and balances: The Constitution outlines a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.
- Federalism: The Constitution establishes a federal system, with power shared between the national government and state governments.
- Separation of powers: The Constitution divides the powers of the federal government among three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
- Popular sovereignty: The Constitution vests sovereignty in the people, as stated in the preamble, "We the People", and protects individual rights throughout the document.
These six goals provide the foundation for the US government and continue to guide and shape the nation's political and legal landscape.
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The drafting of the Constitution
The US Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The convention was held in Philadelphia, beginning on May 25, 1787, and attended by 55 delegates chosen by their state legislatures. The delegates had been instructed by Congress to revise the failing Articles of Confederation, which had been the first form of national government in America, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures.
The convention saw fierce debates over the structure and powers of a new federal government. On August 6, 1787, Rutledge delivered a working draft of the proposed Constitution, which began with the now-familiar words, "We the People". However, this first draft started with the words, "We the People of the States of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island", and so on, listing the individual states. This draft was discussed and revised over the summer, with George Washington and David Brearley both making annotations to printed copies.
On September 8, a committee was elected to revise the style and arrange the agreed-upon articles of the Constitution. This committee, made up of Alexander Hamilton, William Johnson, Rufus King, James Madison, and Gouverneur Morris, condensed the 23 articles into seven and completed its draft on September 12. On September 13, Dunlap & Claypoole printed copies of the second working draft, which were distributed to the delegates.
On September 15, the delegates voted on the Constitution, with all the states present agreeing. The final text of the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788, after eleven states approved it, making it the law of the land. The Constitution has since been amended 27 times, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, ratified on December 15, 1791.
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The Constitutional Convention
The drafting of the United States Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which took place between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The convention was assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, with delegates chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states; Rhode Island refused to send delegates.
The convention's initial mandate was to amend the Articles of Confederation, which had been ineffective in meeting the needs of the young nation. However, the delegates quickly began considering measures to replace the Articles. The first proposal, introduced by delegates from Virginia, called for a bicameral (two-house) Congress based on proportional representation, an elected chief executive, and an appointed judiciary. This was known as the Virginia Plan, and an alternative proposal from New Jersey, the New Jersey Plan, also suggested an elected executive but retained the existing legislative structure.
The opening words of the Constitution, "We the People," represented a new idea: that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy. This phrase was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. The phrase was considered an improvement on the original draft, which listed the names of the 13 states after "We the People." Morris replaced the list of states with "of the United States" and then listed the Constitution's six goals, which were not mentioned in the original draft.
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land and superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789. It consists of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments, the first 10 of which are known as the Bill of Rights. The first three articles embody the separation of powers doctrine, dividing the federal government into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
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The Articles of Confederation
The need for a declaration of independence and a set of articles of confederation emerged as the American Revolution gained momentum. Many political leaders saw the advantages of a centralized government that could coordinate the Revolutionary War. On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution before the Continental Congress declaring the colonies independent and urging Congress to prepare a plan of confederation for the newly independent states.
The final draft of the Articles of Confederation was completed on November 15, 1777, and submitted to the states for ratification in late November 1777. Virginia was the first state to ratify on December 16, 1777, and by February 1779, 12 states had ratified the Articles. Maryland was the last state to ratify the Articles on March 1, 1781, after which the Congress of the Confederation came into being.
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Frequently asked questions
The opening of the US Constitution is called the Preamble.
The first three words of the US Constitution are "We the People".
The first three words of the US Constitution represent the idea that the people, not the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy.
