Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution is the oldest active codified constitution in the world. The document's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The first words of the constitution, We the People, were penned by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. These words represented a novel idea: that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania |
| Role | Chair of the convention's Committee of Style |
| Original words | We the People of the [list of 13 states] |
| Altered words | We the People of the United States |
| Goals added | To form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty |
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What You'll Learn
- The first words of the US Constitution are We the People
- Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania is credited with coining the phrase
- The phrase was an improvement on the original draft
- The Preamble was altered by Morris to list six broad goals for the Constitution
- The Preamble's origins predate the US Constitutional Convention
The first words of the US Constitution are We the People
The first words of the US Constitution are "We the People". These three words, penned by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style, represent a powerful idea: that the people, not the states, are the source of the government's legitimacy. This concept, considered an improvement on the original draft, marked a shift from the traditional view of state-centric authority to one that recognised the inherent authority of the people.
The US Constitution, the oldest active codified constitution, superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Articles of Confederation, adopted in 1781, gave limited powers to a central government, with decision-making abilities but no enforcement powers. The implementation of decisions, including amendments, required the approval of all 13 newly formed states, highlighting the challenges of a confederated system.
The opening words "We the People" set the tone for the Constitution, emphasising the role of the people in establishing a more perfect Union, ensuring justice, tranquility, common defence, welfare, and liberty. These words are followed by a list of six broad goals for the Constitution, outlining the aspirations and principles that the document seeks to uphold. The Preamble, altered by Morris, played a prominent role in the ratifying debates that followed the Constitution's drafting.
The US Constitution, with its relatively few guaranteed rights, has been noted as one of the most challenging constitutions in the world to amend. This difficulty has been attributed to contributing to the persistence of undemocratic institutions within the United States. The Constitution's first three articles embody the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each with distinct responsibilities and checks and balances.
The Constitution's impact extends beyond the legal framework, influencing the nation's political and social landscape. "We the People" not only acknowledges the people's role in establishing the government but also underscores their ongoing participation in shaping the country's future. The Constitution, as the supreme law of the land, provides a foundation for governance and a framework for the rights and responsibilities of citizens, reflecting the ideals and values of a nation.
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Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania is credited with coining the phrase
The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the nation, on March 4, 1789. The Constitution's preamble, which is an introduction to the highest law of the land, sets the stage for the Constitution and clearly communicates the intentions of the framers and the purpose of the document.
The opening words of the Constitution, "We the People," represented a new thought: the idea that the people, and not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy. Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style, is credited with coining the phrase. The phrase is considered an improvement on the section's original draft, which followed "We the People" with a list of the 13 states. Morris replaced the names of the states with "of the United States" and then listed the Constitution's six goals, none of which were originally mentioned.
Gouverneur Morris was a prominent figure in the early days of the United States. In addition to his role in drafting the Constitution, he also served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and signed the final document. He was known for his eloquent writing style and his strong belief in a unified national government. Morris' contributions to the Constitution were significant, and he played a key role in shaping the final document that has become the foundation of the US government.
The Constitution of the United States was transcribed by Jacob Shallus on parchment, and the document is now on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum. The spelling and punctuation of the transcribed document reflect the original. The Constitution delineates the frame of the federal government, with its first three articles embodying the doctrine of the separation of powers. The federal government is divided 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).
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The phrase was an improvement on the original draft
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 Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
The opening words of the Constitution, "We the People," were penned by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style. These words represented a novel idea: that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy. Morris's phrase was indeed an improvement on the original draft, which listed the 13 states after "We the People." By substituting "of the United States" for the state names, Morris emphasized the unity of the nation and set forth six broad goals for the Constitution: to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty.
The Preamble's origins predate the Constitutional Convention, as preambles to legal documents were common at the time. The Philadelphia Convention record offers no insight into why the Committee of Style altered it. However, there is no evidence of any objection to the changes made to the final version. The Preamble, as altered by Morris, played a prominent role in the ratifying debates that followed.
The Constitution has been amended numerous times since its inception to adapt to changing conditions. The rules and regulations of federal executive agencies also subtly change the meanings of the Constitution's words. Ultimately, the court system decides whether Congress or agency actions are permissible under the Constitution. The Constitution of the United States is the oldest active codified constitution, and it has served as a model for other nations' constitutions.
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The Preamble was altered by Morris to list six broad goals for the Constitution
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 Preamble to the Constitution, which was authored by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, states:
> "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 opening words, "We the People", represented a new thought: the idea that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy. Morris, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style, improved upon the original draft, which listed the 13 states after "We the People". Instead, Morris replaced the names of the states with "of the United States" and then listed six broad goals for the Constitution, none of which were mentioned in the original draft.
The Preamble specified the source of the federal government's sovereignty as being "the People". This was a significant departure from the previous understanding, which saw a confederacy of states as the source of sovereignty. The six broad goals articulated in the Preamble were all grounded in the historical experience of being governed under the Articles of Confederation.
While the record from the Philadelphia Convention does not indicate why the Committee of Style altered the Preamble, there is also no evidence of any objections to the changes. The first words of the Constitution, however, played a prominent role in the ratifying debates that followed.
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The Preamble's origins predate the US Constitutional Convention
The Preamble to the US Constitution, which begins with the famous words "We the People", was not a novel concept invented at the US Constitutional Convention. Instead, its origins predate the convention, as preambles to legal documents were commonplace at the time of the nation's founding.
In the English legal tradition, which heavily influenced American understandings of constitutional rights, preambles were included in several laws, such as the Petition of Rights of 1628, the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, the Bill of Rights of 1689, and the Act of Settlement of 1701. These preambles provided context and explained the objectives and historical background of the laws. This tradition continued in the American colonies, with the Declarations and Resolves of the First Continental Congress in 1774, which included a preamble outlining the grievances of the thirteen colonies against British rule.
The idea of including a preamble in the US Constitution was first proposed by Edmund Randolph of Virginia, a member of the Convention's Committee of Detail, formed in late July 1787 to draft the Constitution. Randolph viewed the Constitution as a legal document and argued that any preamble should explain why the existing government under the Articles of Confederation was insufficient and why a new supreme legislative body was necessary.
While there was little debate at the Philadelphia Convention about including a preamble, the record is silent on why the Committee of Style, chaired by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, made alterations to it. Morris replaced the original opening phrase with "We, the People of the United States", a significant improvement that represented the idea that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy. He also added six broad goals for the Constitution: to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty.
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Frequently asked questions
Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style, wrote the first words of the US Constitution.
The first words of the US Constitution are "We the People".
The opening words, "We the People", represented the idea that the people and not the states were the source of the government's legitimacy.
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