Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force, was drafted in 1787 during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention. The four-page document was signed on September 17, 1787, and established the government of the United States. The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789, and became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it on June 21, 1788.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Opening words | "We the People" |
| Number of words in the opening phrase | 52 |
| Number of articles | 7 |
| Number of amendments | 27 |
| First 10 amendments | Known as the Bill of Rights |
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Date of ratification | June 21, 1788 |
| Date the first 10 amendments were ratified | December 15, 1791 |
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What You'll Learn
- The opening phrase We the People represented a new thought
- The Preamble was placed in the Constitution during the last days of the Constitutional Convention
- The phrase We the People was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania
- The US Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution
- The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788
The opening phrase We the People represented a new thought
The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments, beginning with the Bill of Rights. The first 52 words of the Constitution, which include the famous phrase "We the People", introduce the articles and amendments that follow.
The opening phrase "We the People" represented a new thought: the 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. Morris's phrase was considered 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, none of which were mentioned in the original draft.
The preamble, which was mainly written by Morris, was placed in the Constitution during the last days of the Constitutional Convention by the Committee on Style. It was not proposed or discussed on the floor of the convention beforehand. The initial wording of the preamble referred to the people of the various states, which was the norm in earlier documents such as the 1778 Treaty of Alliance with France, the Articles of Confederation, and the 1783 Treaty of Paris. The phrase "People of the United States" has been understood to mean "nationals and citizens."
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, and ratified on June 21, 1788. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.
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The Preamble was placed in the Constitution during the last days of the Constitutional Convention
The United States Constitution is a written document that serves as the fundamental law of the land. It outlines the framework of the federal government and the powers it holds. The Constitution was written and signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. The process of drafting the Constitution began with a convention of state delegates in Philadelphia in May 1787, with the goal of revising the existing Articles of Confederation, which had been deemed inadequate for governing the country.
The Preamble to the Constitution, which begins with the famous first 52 words and the iconic opening phrase "We the People," was added during the final days of the Constitutional Convention. It was primarily penned by Gouverneur Morris, a delegate from Pennsylvania who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. The Preamble underwent a significant improvement over its original draft, replacing a list of the 13 states with "of the United States" and enumerating six goals of the Constitution.
The Preamble's opening phrase, "We the People," represents a pivotal shift in thinking. It signifies that the people, rather than the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy. This concept, known as State sovereignty, acknowledges that certain matters are subject to government regulation only at the state level and not at the federal level. The phrase We the People of the United States is interpreted to mean "nationals and citizens."
The Preamble to the Constitution sets the tone and establishes the purpose of the document. It introduces the six primary goals of the Constitution: forming a more perfect Union, establishing Justice, ensuring domestic Tranquility, providing for the common defence, promoting the general Welfare, and securing the Blessings of Liberty for the nation and its people. These goals reflect the aspirations and ideals of the founding fathers as they crafted a new form of government.
In summary, the Preamble to the United States Constitution, including its iconic opening phrase, "We the People," was placed in the document during the final days of the Constitutional Convention. The Preamble, authored primarily by Gouverneur Morris, encapsulates the fundamental principles and objectives that underpin the Constitution and the nation it governs.
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The phrase We the People was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania
The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in the world. It consists of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. The Preamble to the Constitution begins with the famous first 52 words, "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.
The phrase "We the People" was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. Morris was a lawyer from a landowning New York family, and he embraced the cause of independence. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention. Morris was included in the committee primarily because of his rhetorical gifts. He was an extraordinary orator, and his speeches at the Convention and in the Senate are well-known. He also had a strong sense of civic duty, which was reflected in his work in the Continental Congress and for the war effort.
Morris' original draft of the Preamble bore little resemblance to the final version. It began with the words "We the People of the States of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia, do ordain, declare and establish the following Constitution for th [e]". In place of the names of the states, Morris substituted "of the United States" and then listed the Constitution's six goals, none of which were mentioned in the original draft.
Morris' wooden leg, which he required after a carriage accident, was not a secret to historians. However, history doctoral candidate Jennifer Reiss has recently shed light on Morris' physical disabilities by examining his diaries. In them, Morris talks about his gout, a form of arthritis, in ways that don't align with 18th-century views of the condition. Reiss argues that Morris' descriptions of gout pain match the musculoskeletal pain he would have experienced as an amputee.
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The US Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution
The creation of the US Constitution was driven by concerns that the young country was on the brink of collapse due to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, had given the Confederation Congress rule-making and funding powers but lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. The Constitutional Convention, which began in May 1787, was convened to address these issues and revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates, representing diverse interests and views, crafted a completely new constitution that established a strong central government.
The opening phrase, "We the People," was coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. This phrase was considered an improvement over the original draft, which listed the 13 states after "We the People." Morris replaced the list of states with "of the United States" and added six goals, including forming a more perfect union, establishing justice, and securing the blessings of liberty. The Preamble, which includes the opening phrase, was placed in the Constitution during the final days of the convention without prior discussion or proposal.
The US Constitution has undergone several amendments since its ratification. The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. Overall, the US Constitution has been amended 27 times, with each amendment addressing specific aspects of the country's governance and the rights of its citizens. The process of amending the Constitution involves both national proposal and state ratification, reflecting the federal nature of the US government.
The US Constitution's longevity and influence are remarkable, and it stands as a testament to the founders' efforts to create a durable framework for the nation's governance. The document has been emulated by other nations and continues to shape American law and politics, with its interpretation and application evolving over time to meet the country's changing needs.
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The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution, was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. The signing of the Constitution was an extraordinary achievement, as the delegates, representing diverse interests and views, created a powerful central government while navigating the complexities of centralized power and state loyalty.
The Constitution-signing ceremony took place in Philadelphia, where the Constitutional Convention had assembled in May 1787. The convention was called by the Confederation Congress to propose revisions to the Articles of Confederation, which had been America's first constitution after the Revolutionary War. However, the delegates went beyond mere revisions and crafted a new governing framework.
The Constitution is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The preamble, famously beginning with the words "We the People," was penned by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania and embodies a significant shift in thinking. It asserts that the people, not the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy. This introduction is followed by the seven articles, which delineate the structure of the federal government and the separation of powers into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial.
The ratification process for the Constitution was carefully outlined by the founding fathers, who bypassed state legislatures in favour of special ratifying conventions in each state. This approach was chosen because state legislators were expected to be reluctant to cede power to a national government. The Constitution came into effect when nine of the 13 states ratified it, marking a critical moment in the establishment of the United States of America as we know it today.
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Frequently asked questions
"We the".
"We the People".
"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."
The first draft of the US Constitution was written by Jacob Shallus. However, the phrase "We the People" is attributed to Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style.
The phrase "We the People" represented a new thought: the idea that the people and not the states were the source of the government's legitimacy.
