The Preamble to the Constitution

"We the People of the United States, in Order 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, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The Preamble to the United States Constitution is a brief introductory statement of the Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It states in general terms, and courts have referred to it as reliable evidence of, the Founding Fathers' intentions regarding the Constitution's meaning and what they hoped the Constitution would achieve.

The Preamble to the Constitution states the 6 goals of government...

1. form a more perfect union... make the best country possible

2. establish justice... create a fair system for our people
3. insure domestic tranquility... guarantee peace on our home land

4. provide for the common defense... provide protection for our citizens
5. promote the general welfare...  work together for the common good
6. secure the blessing of liberty... protect our citizens rights & freedoms

The Preamble to the Constitution

The Preamble to the Constitution in Licenses Plates 

The Social Contract

SOME EXTRAS FOR THE OVERACHIEVERS…

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
John Locke, a 17th century English Philosopher, insisted that men “have a mind to unite for the mutual Preservation of their Lives, Liberties and Estates, which I call by the general Name, ‘Property.’”

Adam Smith, an 18th century Scottish philosopher and economist whom some have called the father of free trade with his treatise The Wealth of Nations, penned the phrase “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Property.”

Jefferson, according to historians, was a great follower of Adam Smith, and since he was well educated it’s very likely his inspiration for the phrase “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” was derived from Locke and Smith.

The Leviathan

A “leviathan” is literally a sea monster mentioned in the Bible.  It is also the title of a well known philosophy book written by Thomas Hobbs in 1651.  The focus of the book is the structure of society and legitimate government.  In the book, Hobbes argues for a "Social Contract," whereby by the people give up some of their absolute freedoms in exchange for governmental protection of human rights.  Hobbs felt that “The State of Nature,” which is total chaos pitting man against man, could only be averted by strong central government.

Of The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right, is a philosophy book written in 1762 by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.  In this book, Rousseau theorized about the best way in which to set up a political community in the face of the problems of commercial society which he had already identified in his “Discourse of Inequality.”

The Electoral College

The 3/5's Compromise

The Three-Fifths Compromise is found in Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the United States Constitution:

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to the Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.

Wikipedia explains:

The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise between Southern and Northern States reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 in which three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted for enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the appointment of the members of the United States House of Representatives ... Delegates opposed to slavery generally wished to count only the free inhabitants of each state. Delegates supportive of slavery, on the other hand, generally wanted to count slaves in their actual numbers. Since slaves could not vote, slaveholders would thus have the benefit of increased representation in the House and the Electoral College; taxation was only a secondary issue. The final compromise of counting "all other persons" as only three-fifths of their actual numbers reduced the power of the slave states relative to the original southern proposals, but increased it over the northern position.

The Great Compromise

The Great Compromise...
James Madison and William Paterson discuss how to fix the United States Government.  Each have an idea but one favors small states and the other large states.  Roger Sherman then rescued the two by coming up with the Great Compromise.


The Constitutional Convention in 15 Minutes...
Mr. Hughes explains the compromises which were brokered at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Topics for discussion include the Connecticut Compromise (Great), the 3/5th's Compromise and the Anti-Feds demands for a Bill of Rights.  Thank you Mr. Hughes!

Totally Off Topic...
The following video features a song written by John Prine entitled, The Great Compromise.  Written in 1972, this protest song is a metaphor for Prine's disillusionment of his country during the Vietnam War.  In this instance the songwriter is using the word "compromise" to mean a dishonorable or shameful concession.  

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention of May 1787 was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where delegates from 12 of the 13 states were present. The state of Rhode Island refused to send a delegate because it was afraid of losing its states' rights. The delegates worked for 4 months behind closed doors of the State House to draft a new document known later as the "Constitution."

In Philadelphia, more than fifty delegates from twelve of the original thirteen colonies met to begin writing the Constitution of the United States.

These delegates were selected by their states. They were educated, patriotic, and experienced men, ranging from the ages of 40 to 81. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate. Some men were landowners and some were lawyers or judges. All delegates held at least one public office. This group is sometimes called the "Founding Fathers." There were no women or minorities.

Shay's Rebellion

Enjoy two short excerpts from a documentary on Shays' Rebellion. It has SUPERB animation! You can find the entire documentary on YouTube under the title, Shay's Rebellion 1787. It is posted in five pieces

The Northwest Ordinance

The Northwest Ordinance was a law passed by Congress in 1787 to provide government for the Northwest Territory, located north of the Ohio River and west of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi River. Soon after its passage, settlers flocked westward and created new towns and farms throughout the territory.

This law divided the Northwest Territory into smaller territories, each governed by a territorial governor.  As soon as a territory had 5,000 free adult males, it could elect its own legislature, or lawmaking body.  When the population reached 60,000, a territory could apply to Congress to become a state.

The Articles of Confederation

The Article of Confederation were America's first attempt at government. Ultimately they failed because they did not give the federal government enough power to raise taxes or settle disputes.