200 Years Old—and Still Working

Our Constitution has been in operation for more than 200 years. It is the oldest working constitution in the world. It is not perfect. We have changed it twenty-seven times. Yet, for all its faults and problems, it has brought more liberty to more people than any other system of government in the history of the world. Over the years, millions of immigrants have come to the United States. One reason they came was because they understood that this nation had a strong Constitution. It guaranteed them a voice to say what they want, and the right to vote for their leaders.

The delegates in Philadelphia said in the Preamble that they wanted to create “a more perfect Union.” They wanted to “establish Justice” and “secure the Blessings of Liberty” to the American people. They succeeded remarkably well.

Preamble, 1987, Mike Wilkins. Painted metal on vinyl and wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC.

This 1987 work by American sculptor Mike Wilkins uses license plates to celebrate the U.S. Constitution on its 200th birthday. What do the words on the plates spell out?