ěWe 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.î
The Preamble to the United States Constitution is a brief yet eloquent introductory statement of the Constitutionís fundamental purposes and guiding principles. It states in general terms, and courts have referred to it as reliable evidence of, the Founding Fathersí intentions regarding the Constitutionís meaning and what they hoped the Constitution would achieve. It states the purpose of the document and the source of its power. The Preamble, especially the ěWe the Peopleî segment, is one of the most-quoted sections of the Constitution.
The Preamble serves solely as an introduction and does not assign powers to the federal government, nor does it provide specific limitations on government action. The Preamble to the Constitution establishes that the federal government has no authority that is not given it in the body of the Constitution.
The Preamble is not strictly considered a part of the Constitution and is not legally binding on issues relating to either government power or private right. Due to the Preambleís limited nature, no court has ever used it as a decisive factor. The courts have shown interest in any clues they can find in the Preamble regarding the Constitutionís meaning. The Preamble provides additional language against which to compare other parts of the Constitution. It is also useful for these efforts to identify the ěspiritî of the Constitution.
Those writing the Constitution had diverse ideas as to what the document should say. Little by little, the leaders worked out compromises, and the preamble below, interpreted into simpler, more modern terms, is what they wrote:
We, the people of the United States, are writing this Constitution in order to have justice, to have peace, to be able to defend ourselves, to be better off and to be free ó not just for ourselves, but for all our children and descendants.

Submitted by the Elizabeth Maxwell Steele Chapter of the DAR. The chapter encourages everyone to take time during Constitution Week to reflect on our heritage of freedom.