The Preamble to the Constitution of the United

States

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© North Carolina Community College System

The American colonies declared their independence in 1776,

but the British did not want to let the colonies go.

For several years, the British and the Americans fought a war. This war is

called the American Revolution.

Finally the British

surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown, Virginia, in

1781.

The colonies won their freedom!

As a new country, the United States had to set up a government.

Delegates from all thirteen states met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This meeting was called the

Constitutional Convention.

In 1787, the delegates wrote a constitution—a set of rules—for the United States. It is

still used today.

These rules are the oldest and the shortest written constitution of any government in the world!

The first words of the United States Constitution are

We the People . . . .

Remember, the Declaration of Independence says that government gets its power from

the consent of the governed!

The United States Constitution establishes a republic.

A republic is a government without a king.

It is a government under a charter or a constitution.

Under a constitution everyone must obey the laws, even elected leaders and

government officials.

This is known as the rule of law. No one is above the law.

The United States Constitution has three parts.

A Preamble 7 Articles

27 Amendments

The Preamble says the

Constitution is being established

so that We the People .

. .

The Preamble says the

Constitution is being established

so that We the People .

. .

• Can have a just legal system

• Can have peace inside the country

• Can defend the United States from other countries

• Can have a better life

• Can be free and can be sure freedom will last for our descendents

The middle part of the Constitution is the seven Articles. We look at

them in the next lesson.

7 Articles7 Articles