Anatomy of the US Constitution: The PREAMBLE

The U.S. Constitution is the document that creates our nation’s government. The contents of the Constitution create the three branches of our government and give directions for how the federal government works. (It does this with a little over 4,500 words covering only four sheets of paper!) Although the Constitution was written in 1787, over 220 years ago, it still guides our officials in running our country today. It is the oldest written constitution in the world that is still in use. 

Introducing… The Preamble 

Our Constitution is divided into nine parts. The first paragraph is called the Preamble. Its job is to introduce the Constitution, explain what the Constitution is meant to do, and describe the purpose of the new government. The first three words of the Constitution

— ”We the People”—contain the important idea of self-government.