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The Preamble to the Constitution of the United
States
Clip art from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx
© 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
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