17
Adams writes in his massive History of the United
States
of
America
Thomas
Jefferson,
election
of
particularly
during
in
the
the
period
Jefferson
in
the
Administrations
South
preceding
in
1800,
and
New
of
the
Americans,
England,
were
convulsed over the question “whether the nature of
the United States was single or multiple, whether
they were a nation or a league.”
Seeing the issue stated as baldly as that, and
realizing that even back then people were asserting
that
the
United
States
was
nothing
more
than
a
“league,” instantly would bring the reader to the
opening words of the constitution: “We the People of
the
United
signifies
i.e.,
that
one
thought
States
the
nation.
of
…”
“We
United
If
themselves
the
as
the
States
People”
clearly
are
people,
Founding
an
one
generation
alliance
of
had
separate
nations they would probably have described themselves
as “We the People of the United States.” But they did
not do that.
The same can be said for another key phrase in
the Constitution: