Calugay 1

Ryan Calugay
Mrs. Allison
Period 4
November 4, 2014
Preamble Essay
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of the
creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. This quote was
stated by Martin Luther King Jr., a Civil Rights activist for African-Americans, who wanted
equal rights for all the citizens of America (see figure 1). Before African-Americans were
eventually given equal rights, there was a time that they were treated unfairly. This contrasts one
of the six functions of the Preamble, secure the blessings of liberty. Even at the time that the
Constitution was written and ratified, African-Americans were not treated as if they had any
freedom at all. It took a lot of events to happen before African-Americans were fully secured to
the blessings of liberty.
Meaning and Purpose of the Preamble
Before we get into that, we need to know what the Preamble exactly is. According to
Dictionary.com, the generic meaning of the word preamble is an introductory statement;
preface; or introduction. When the word preamble is linked to the Constitution the Preamble is
the introductory statement of the U.S. Constitution setting forth the general principles of
American government. Now, why do we even need the Preamble? Well, the United States
History Textbook: Independence to 1914 states that the overall purpose of the Preamble is that it
explains the goals of the new government under the Constitution. It gives the people of America

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a brief summary on what the Constitution is about so that they wont have to read the whole
document.
Deciphering the Preamble
To further understand more about the Preamble, we must decipher its meaning line by
line. We the people of the United States. This means that the Constitution is including every
citizen in the United States. In order to form a more perfect union. This means that the framers
of the Constitution wanted something better than the Articles of Confederation. Establish justice.
This means that to maintain a sense of righteousness, fairness, and rightness in America. Insure
domestic tranquility. This means to keep peace at home. Provide for the common defense. This
means to raise and care for the army. Promote the general welfare. This means to make life
easier and to satisfy the needs of the people of America. And secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our posterity. This means to keep freedom to every citizen of America the future
generation. Do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. This
means that the Constitution was made to benefit the United States of America.
Enduring Impact
As stated before, there was a time when African-Americans were not treated with the
blessings of liberty and freedom the Preamble promised. It took several years, a war, and a civil
rights act before they received those rights. At the time the Preamble was written, AfricanAmericans were treated as slaves. According to Pre-Civil War African-American Slavery, a
slaves day was filled with long hours of physical labor for the slaves owners. While working
the slaves were under supervision and had to endure a harsh punishment if they ever slacked off.
During the Civil War, African-Americans fought in both the Union and the Confederate side
despite the fact that the Civil War was fought to end slavery. In the Union, many African-

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American men volunteered to help serve. Black Civil War Soldiers - American Civil War
states that Abraham Lincoln originally did not allow them to enlist because he feared that if he
did, states that were neutral during the Civil War (Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri) would
turn to the Confederate side. African-Americans were finally allowed to enlist in 1862. But, even
at a time of war, African-American soldiers were still being discriminated in the battlefield. For
example, they were paid with less money for their service than their white counterparts and had a
much harsher punishment if they were captured by the Confederate Army. Eventually, the Union
would go on to defeat the Confederate Army in 1865, ending the Civil War. Afterwards, three
amendments were made that abolished slavery and gave all men the rights to vote. However, the
Southern states still discriminated African-Americans and tried to hinder their rights through
segregation. According to Civil Rights Act - Black History, President John F. Kennedy (see
figure 2) tried to stop the South states by proposing the Civil Rights Act, which banned all forms
of segregation. Kennedy then stated, the United States will not be fully free until all of its
citizens are free. When Kennedy was assassinated, his Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson (see
figure 3) took his place and finally signed the Civil Rights Act into a law in 1964. This finally
gave African-Americans the blessings of liberty and the freedom the Preamble promised in the
U.S Constitution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there was a time when African-Americans were not treated with one of the
six main functions secure the blessings of liberty. It took several years, the Civil War, and the
Civil Rights Act until they finally had their freedom. Isnt it pretty astounding to think that it
took all these things to happen just to make African-Americans have equal rights?
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~ Figure 1; Martin Luther King Jr.

~ Figure 2; John F. Kennedy

~ Figure 3; Lyndon B. Johnson

Works Cited
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 04 Nov. 2014.
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/preamble>.
"African-American Soldiers During the Civil War - American Memory Timeline-

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Classroom Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress." African-American
Soldiers During the Civil War - American Memory Timeline- Classroom Presentation |
Teacher Resources - Library of Congress. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentation
s/timeline/civilwar/aasoldrs/>.
"Black Civil War Soldiers." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 02 Nov.
2014. <http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/black-civil-war-soldiers>.
"Civil Rights Act." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act>.
"Pre-Civil War African-American Slavery - American Memory Timeline- Classroom
Presentation | Teacher Resources - Library of Congress." Pre-Civil War AfricanAmerican Slavery - American Memory Timeline- Classroom Presentation | Teacher
Resources - Library of Congress. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentation
s/timeline/expref/slavery/>.