What does it say?
Preamble
Article I
Article II
Article III
Article IV
Article V
Article VI
Article VII
What does it mean?
Preamble
Article I
Article II
Article III
Article IV
Article V
Article VI
Article VII
PREAMBLE
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.
PREAMBLE
We the people of the United States create this constitution.
We aim to use this document to improve our government, establish justice, make relations within the country peaceful, protect ourselves, make living conditions good, achieve all the benefits of freedom for ourselves and our children.
The preamble does not legally guarantee any rights. But the first three words make an important point. They say the people – not a king, or even lawmakers– have the power to form and maintain the government.
Americans often use the words “we the people” to show the U.S. is a democracy. Voters elect officials to represent them.
But scholars also note that not everyone was historically included in “we the people.”
The men who wrote the Constitution in 1787 did not expect everyone to have the same right to participate in the U.S. government. They expected white men who owned property to vote, make laws and become judges and presidents.
They did not expect poor men, American Indians, African-Americans and women to play a significant role in government. Over time, changes to the Constitution gave all these groups more political power.