The Preamble

• "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 Purpose

• The Preamble is a brief statement that introduces the United States Constitution. The statement is meant to establish the guiding principles of the Constitution, establish the powers of the new government and convey the intentions of the Founding Fathers when they framed the constitution.
  
  

The Authors

• The authors of the Preamble and Constitution are referred to collectively as the "Founding Fathers." According to the U.S. National Archives, they were derived from 70 individuals appointed by the original states to attend the Constitutional Convention. In all, 55 delegates attended and 39 signed the Constitution. Notable delegates included Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and George Washington.
  
  

The Bill of Rights

• The first 10 amendments to the Constitution in 1791 are known collectively as the Bill of Rights. These amendments guaranteed individual rights in the face of a stronger governing body and included protections like the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, to due process, to trial by jury and to protection from illegal search and seizure.