Various State Constitution Preambles
Alaska
We the people of Alaska, grateful
to God
and to those who founded our nation
and pioneered this great land, in order to secure and transmit to succeeding
generations our heritage of political, civil, and religious liberty within
the Union of States, do ordain and establish this constitution for the
State of Alaska.
Colorado
We, the people of Colorado, with profound
reverence for the Supreme Rulerof the Universe,
in order to form a more independent and perfect government; establish justice;
insure tranquillity; 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 "State of Colorado".
Idaho
We, the people of the state of Idaho,
grateful to Almighty God for our freedom,
to secure its blessings and promote our common welfare do establish this
Constitution.
New Mexico
We, the people of New Mexico, grateful
to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty,
in order to secure the advantages of a state government, do ordain and
establish this constitution.
Connecticut
The People of Connecticut acknowledging
with gratitude, the good providence of God,
in having permitted them to enjoy a free government; do, in order more
effectually to define, secure, and perpetuate the liberties, rights and
privileges which they have derived from their ancestors; hereby,
after a careful consideration and revision, ordain and establish the following
constitution
Florida
We, the people of the State of Florida,
being grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional
liberty, in order to secure its benefits, perfect our government, insure
domestic tranquility, maintain public order, and guarantee equal civil
and political rights to all, do ordain and establish this constitution
Georgia
To perpetuate the principles of free
government, insure justice to all, preserve peace, promote the interest
and happiness of the citizen and of the family, and transmit to posterity
the enjoyment of liberty, we the people of Georgia, relying upon the protection
and guidance of Almighty God, do ...
Kansas
We, the people of Kansas, grateful to
Almighty
God for our civil and religious privileges, in order to insure
the full enjoyment of our rights as American citizens, do ordain and establish
this constitution of the state of Kansas, with the following boundaries,
Maine
Objects of government. We the people
of Maine, in order to establish
justice, insure tranquility, provide
for our mutual defense, promote
our common welfare, and secure to ourselves
and our posterity the
blessings of liberty, acknowledging
with grateful hearts the goodness
of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe
in affording us an opportunity,
so favorable to the design; and, imploring
God's aid and direction in
its accomplishment, do agree to form
ourselves into a free and
independent State, by the style and
title of the State of Maine and do
ordain and establish the following Constitution
for the government of
the same.
Massachusetts
...We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts,
acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the great
Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course of His
providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud,
violence or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit, and solemn
compact with each other; and of forming a new constitution of civil government,
for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so
interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain and establish the following
Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the Constitution
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...
Michigan
We, the people of the State of Michigan,
grateful to Almighty God for the blessings
of freedom, and earnestly desiring to secure these blessings undiminished
to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution
Minnesota
We, the people of the state of Minnesota,
grateful to God for our civil and religious
liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings and secure the same to
ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution
Mississippi
We, the people of
Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty
God, and involving his blessing on our work, do ordain and establish
this Constitution
Montana
We the people of Montana grateful to
God
for the quiet beauty of our state, the grandeur of our mountains, the vastness
of our rolling plains, and desiring to improve the quality of life, equality
of opportunity and to secure the blessings of liberty for this and future
generations do ordain and establish this constitution
Nebraska
Constitution of the State of Nebraska,
Preamble 1875: We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom,
do ordain and establish the following declaration of rights and frame of
government, as the Constitution of the State of Nebraska.
Constitution of the State of Nebraska,
1875 (has since been removed):
The blessings of a free government can
only be maintained by a firm
adherence to justice, moderation, temperance,
frugality, and virtue, and by
frequent recurrence to fundamental princples.
New Jersey
We, the people of the State of New Jersey,
grateful to Almighty God for the civil and
religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking
to Him for a blessing upon our endeavors to secure and transmit the
same unimpaired to succeeding generations, do ordain and establish this
Constitution.
New Mexico
We, the people of New Mexico, grateful
to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty,
in order to secure the advantages of a state government, do ordain and
establish this constitution.
North Carolina
We, the people of the State of North
Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign
Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of th>
Transfer interrupted!
nce of our civil, political and religious
liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance
of those blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain
security thereof and for the better government of this State,
ordain and establish this Constitution.
Ohio
Note:
Ohio does not have God in preable but
an article on religious freedom supports morlity and virtue.
* CONST I Sec. 7 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM; ENCOURAGING
EDUCATION
All men have a natural and indefeasible
right to worship Almighty God according to
the dictates of their own conscience. No person shall be compelled to attend,
erect, or support any place of worship, or maintain any form of worship,
against his consent; and no preference shall be given, by law, to any religious
society; nor shall any interference with the rights of conscience be permitted.
No religious test shall be required, as a qualification for office, nor
shall any person be incompetent to be a witness on account of his religious
belief; but nothing herein shall be construed to dispense with oaths and
affirmations. Religion, morality, and knowledge, however, being essential
to good government, it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to pass
suitable laws, to protect every religious denomination in the peaceable
enjoyment of its own mode of public worship, and to encourage schools and
the means of instruction.
Pennsylvania
WE, the people of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for
the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His
guidance, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
South Dakota
We, the people of South Dakota, grateful
to Almighty God for our civil and religious
liberties, in order to form a more perfect and independent government,
establish justice, insure tranquillity, provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare and preserve to ourselves and to our posterity
the blessings of liberty, do ordain and establish this Constitution for
the state of South Dakota.
Washington
We, the people of the State of Washington,
grateful to the Supreme Ruler ofthe Universe
for our liberties, do ordain this constitution.
Wyoming
We, the people of the State of Wyoming,
grateful to God for our civil, political and
religious liberties, and desiring to secure them to ourselves and perpetuate
them to our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution
