To All My Historian Friends

Lets learn what the

Preamble really means.

Hello.  My name is Buster.  Some people just call me Hopper.  You can call me anything you want since we are friends.  

The Preamble of the Declaration of Independence

Meet my friend Pete.  Pete is real smart and he is teaching me about something called the PREAMBLE of the Declaration of Independence.  

Hi Pete!!!

Hi Buster!!!

I would love to help here.  I love history and there are so many things that just make me so Hoppy to explain. 

See this United States Flag.  How many stripes do you see?  I count 13!!!!  These stripes represent the original 13 colonies which were the first people to live in the United States, and these colonies came together to make some rules for all of them to follow.

Huh?

I'm confused Pete.  I thought England gave us the rules on how to behave and follow the law.

Stay with me Buster.  I will explain. Remember..I will be HOPPY to explain this to you.

OK.  So the new colonist within the 13 colonies did not like being ruled by England. England was way across the ocean and so there was a lot of fighting between England and the new colonies.  Eventually the new colonies were able to become independent from Englands rule..

I get it Pete!!!  The 13 colonies wanted to separate from the Kings rule in England, and make their own rules. 

I understand. But,how did the colonist from 13 different colonies figure out how to have the same rules for each other?  

Well, the colonies made a document called "The Articles of Confederation".    It was the first agreement among the first 13 colonies of the United States of America.  Unfortunately this document was not successful.  It had many problems that allowed room for much dispute amongst the colonist.

This is NOT good Pete!!!

If the Articles of Confederation rules did not work, then what did the 13 Colonies do?

Well Buster, the colonies went back to the drawing board and came up with a more detailed list of rules.  They remained independent from England and came up with new rules that are outlined in a document called The Declaration of Independence. This document is what we still have in place in the United States of America.

WAIT A MINUTE!!!  

My assignment is to understand what is the PREAMBLE of the Declaration of Independence? Is the PREAMBLE the same as the Declaration of Independence?

Well...Yes and No.

Let me explain....remember I am HOPPY to do so!!!!!  The Declaration of Independence is a document written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776.  This document replaced The Articles of Confederation.  The PREAMBLE is a single sentence with 52 words in length. The PREAMBLE is a summary of the full Declaration of Independence.  

SIDE NOTE:  Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for writing the Declaration of Independence, but actually there were 5 men who were involved with writing the Declaration of Independence.

HEY HEY HEY....This is Roger Rabbit and we are listening too.  Why didn't you just say the PREAMBLE is just an introductory sentence.  GESH!!!

Hey Roger.  This is PUFF.  Please be kind.  We are all listening and Pete is explaining this very well.  The PreAmble is a 52 word long sentence that is a introductory or summary to the Declaration of Independence.  We all understand.  Now lets see how Pete explains these 52 words to us!!!!!!

THANKS PUFF!!!  Yes you are correct.  

The PREAMBLE is just a very very long sentence that is at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence. It is like an introductory sentence to the "rulebook".  

I will now break down those words so you can understand.  First, Buster will read the PREAMBLE.  Take it Away BUSTER!!!

We the people of the United States of America in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, secure the Blessings of liberty  to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.

Here it is!!!!