“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 Committee on Style led by Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816) American statesman, a Founding Father of the United States, and a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution
Note about Morris: While most Americans still thought of themselves as citizens of their respective states, Morris advanced the idea of being a citizen of a single union of states. He was also one of the most outspoken opponents of slavery among those who were present at the Constitutional Congress which took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. He was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution
Comment: The Preamble to the Constitution is an introductory, succinct statement of the principles at work in the full text. It is referred to in countless speeches, judicial opinions, and in a song from Schoolhouse Rock. Courts will not interpret the Preamble to confer any rights or powers not granted specifically in the Constitution. — Legal Information Institute of Cornell Law School