Constitution of the United States
Preamble
Ratified September 17, 1787
Verbatim
We 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.
Plain English
We the People of the United States are establishing this Constitution for six reasons: to form a stronger union of states, to set up a system of justice, to keep peace at home, to defend the country, to support the well-being of the country, and to protect freedom for ourselves and the generations who come after us.
About
The Preamble is the Constitution's mission statement. It does not grant any rights or create any laws on its own, and courts rarely cite it when deciding cases. What it does is tell you three things: who the Constitution is for (the people), what it is trying to do (the six purposes above), and on whose authority (the people themselves, not a king or a government). Every other part of the Constitution flows from this paragraph.
The phrase "We the People" was a deliberate choice by the founders. The Articles of Confederation, which the Constitution replaced, had begun "We the undersigned Delegates of the States." Switching to "We the People" signaled that the new government drew its authority directly from citizens rather than from state governments. This change was politically significant in 1787 and remains the textual foundation for the principle that the federal government's power comes from the people.