The Constitution of the United States
The Constitution of the United 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. –Preamble to the United States Constitution
The Constitution acted like a colossal merger, uniting a group of states with different interests, laws, and cultures. Under America’s first national government, the Articles of Confederation, the states acted together only for specific purposes. The Constitution united its citizens as members of a whole, vesting the power of the union in the people. Without it, the American Experiment might have ended as quickly as it had begun.
Amendments
About the Constitution
What Does it Say?
The meaning of the document
How Did it Happen?
The history of the document
How Was it Made?
The creation of the parchment document
Who were the framers of the Constitution?
Additional activities and information
How can I visit the Constitution?
The National Archives Museum
Read a Transcript
The Constitution of the United States Transcript