The Constitution The Preamble History of the Constitution

The Constitution: The Preamble

History of the Constitution �On May 14, 1787 in Philadelphia, the Federal Convention came together to revise the Articles of Confederation. �The Articles of Confederation was an agreement between 13 states and became the first constitution. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, which left most of the power go to the state governments. �Sovereign States - a state which administers its own government and is not dependent upon another power.

The 13 States � The 13 States that signed the Articles of Confederation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Virginia South Carolina New York Rhode Island Connecticut Georgia New Hampshire Pennsylvania Massachusetts North Carolina New Jersey Delaware Maryland

History Continued �After long discussions among the federal Convention, it was decided that the Articles would not be amended and the Convention would draft a new government and revise the old Articles for the new Constitution. �From there, it was decided how much power goes to the central government, how many representatives are allowed in Congress for each state, and how the representatives should be elected.

About the Preamble �The Preamble is an introductory statement to the United States Constitution. �This introductory statement is general terms and intentions by the Founding Fathers. It gives the United States of America an idea of what we need to achieve as a country. �The Preamble is a good opening that leads into the guiding principles and Articles of what we should follow.

The Preamble of 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.

Fun Facts! � There are 7 Articles in the Constitution. � The Constitution is currently located in The National Archives Building in Washington D. C. � The Founding Fathers: Delegates to the Constitutional Convention: � All of the original states, except Rhode Island, appointed 70 individuals to the Constitutional Convention. Although a number of them either did not accept the invitation or could not attend. � Those who were not able to attend: Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock. � There were only 39 individuals who attended and signed the Constitution. A few of those individuals were: Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, James Madison Jr. , Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Dayton, and many more.

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