..to insure domestic tranquility...

The next protion of the Preamble is .. to insure domestic tranquility...

It means to keep peace at home; to maintain law and order (tranquility) within the country (domestic). The framers felt that one of the federal government's jobs was to keep peace within our borders by using the National Guard, police forces, and other means of control. These branches are not necessarily military, but are used like one when needed. The National Guard (a method of keeping tranquility) is the states' way of taking part in their right to have a militia. The police force is used to enforce the laws of a district, whether it be a city, state, county, or town.

One of the events that caused the Convention to be held was the revolt of Massachusetts farmers known as Shays' Rebellion. The taking up of arms by war veterans revolting against the state government was a shock to the system. The keeping of the peace was on everyone's mind, and the maintenance of tranquility at home was a prime concern. The framers hoped that the new powers given the federal government would prevent any such rebellions in the future.

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