WE VE the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence, *The Constitution of the United States was adopted by a convention of the several States September 17, 1787. It was ratified by the States as follows: Delaware, December 7, 1787; Pennsylvania, December 12, 1787; New Jersey, December 18, 1787; Georgia, January 2, 1788; Connecticut, January 9, 1788; Massachusetts, February 6, 1788; Maryland, April 28, 1788; South Carolina, May 23, 1788; New Hampshire, June 21, 1788; Virginia, June 26, 1788; and New York, July 26, 1788. Thus, on the 4th of March, 1789, the day fixed for commencing the operations of government under the new Constitution, it had been ratified by more than the required number of States. North Carolina ratified it November 21, 1789; Rhode Island, on May 29, 1790; and Vermont, on January 10, 1791. * See Appendix, page 192 |