Exact text:
“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.”
Easy to understand explanation:
The Preamble (written above) serves as an introductory paragraph to the rest of the Constitution. It establishes who adopts the constitution and why. “We the People of the United States….” are adopting the Constitution. We adopt the Constitution “….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 to ourselves and our Posterity….” Let’s break that down. Shall we?
The Constitution was ratified on September 17, 1787. Prior to then, America functioned under the Articles of Confederation, which intentionally established a weak central government. After just recently winning independence from an oppressive government, Americans wanted to ensure that their government would be minimal. However, the Articles of Confederation were proven to be too weak, so Americans established the Constitution instead.
This is where “….more perfect….” comes in. The idea of a small government was nearly perfect. To make it even “….more perfect….” The Founding Fathers decided to better establish the government’s role in protecting the rights of the people.
The Preamble focuses on the unity between the States and the Nation. The “Union” emphasizes that although each state is individualistic, they come together to form The United States. The power differences between the federal and state governments are described in the 10th Amendment.
The next section is interpreted as written, “establish Justice” means to create law and order, whereas “insure domestic Tranquility” means to keep the country peaceful. Furthermore, “provide for the common defense” means that we allot resources to the military that fights for the best interest of all Americans.
Liberty, the freedom from unreasonable restraint, is a Blessing because it is not afforded to everyone. Because the “Blessings of Liberty [are secured] to ourselves and our Posterity” not only will we always live in the land of the free, but our children will as well. This ensures the longevity of freedom that has extended and will extend for countless generations.
That is why “We the People…. ordain and establish” the Constitution as the Supreme Law of The Land.
McDonnell For Salem 