The Meaning of We the People

The phrase that begins the U.S. Constitution, "We the People," is not a mere slogan. It expresses the Framers' belief that the only legitimate source of authority for any government is the consent of the governed. This notion reversed the British notion of the source of government's authority, in which power and legitimacy flowed from the top-down, from the monarchy, through Parliament, to the subjects. In the American system of government, power flows upward, from the people to their elected representatives and officials.

Not every American was included in the original definition of "We the People." When the Constitution was written, only white men who owned property (generally, land) could vote. Women were excluded, as were slaves, most free blacks, Indians, and propertyless white men. Slaves and Indians were not considered citizens at all. Women were counted as citizens, but denied many of the rights of citizenship, including the right to vote. The Framers believed that only male property owners were truly independent, in the sense that they were not subject to control by a father, husband, boss, or master. As a result, they believed that only men who owned property could be trusted to exercise the most crucial right and duty of citizenship, voting. Over the course of American history, this fundamental right of citizenship would eventually be extended to all adults.