The constitution of the United States of America was written in order to create an effective government of the newly formed nation. In the preamble to the constitution the founding fathers listed some of the responsibilities of a government of free men. Hennesey and McConnell use illustrations in a comic book style format to depict how these responsibilities have been used over the years both morally and immorally. A large part of how this is done is by using different color schemes in the different illustrations ranging from monochromatic to vibrant with color. The color schemes in the constitution play a strong role in showing the themes in each separate picture in the comic displaying the emotions and power like the red and blue in the image with the carrier representing the document establishing the first government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

The first place this is apparent is in the image of an American suburb depicting a family waving goodbye to each other as a neighbor waves hello as they begin their daily lives with a dull blue and beige color scheme. The overall design of this is to give the audience a feeling of peace and tranquility as they go throughout their days. The caption reading “insure domestic tranquility”(Hennessey) resonates with the average citizen who wants a composed and harmonious life with those around them. This is intended to appeal to the average american who lives this as a part of their daily routines. The dichromatic color scheme of the blue and beige evokes a sense of calm and true peace, to those who view it because the shades that are used are dulled down so as to relax the viewer. It even brings a perception of a safe and secure environment to live and raise a family in. This is often viewed as the american dream, being able to build a life in a quiet and peaceful neighborhood as they work hard in order to move up in the world. The best way to depict that is with a nice and calm color palate like what is done in this illustration giving those who view it a sense of inner and external peace so that they can live out their lives as they please.

On the other end of the spectrum there is another image depicting a massive aircraft carrier coming to port with six fighter jets screaming by in the background in perfect and precise formation with the families of thousands of sailors waiting anxiously to see their loved ones. The color scheme is one of bright and vibrant hues of red, white, and blues giving the viewer a reaction of joy and excitement in what they’re looking at. Red, white, and blue like the colors of the star spangled banner where the red stands for sacrifice, the white stands for purity, and where the blue stands for justice. While, the clear, beautiful blue skies in the background give the audience a sense of freedom and the feeling that the sky is the limit for whatever their dreams are. The light grays of the ship and the jets give off the feeling of great strength and power like representing the strength of the actual metal that forms the metallic beasts. This image was designed to create a sense of pride and patriotism in the viewer. Those kind of emotions could only be made with a bright color scheme whereas a dull color scheme like was in the previous image made a sense of peace, and tranquility. If a dull color scheme was used on the aircraft carrier even with its massive size it couldn’t evoke the same emotions from an audience like that of a vibrant palate.

In another image is that of an angel like figure holding an hourglass leading a group disadvantaged minorities to confront a group of powerful rich white men who are hiding the american flag away in a safe. The caption reading “Blessings for ourselves” shows how the men were being selfish trying to keep the newly formed country for themselves instead of giving the rights that were promised to all people. The angel and the people he is leading are bathed in a golden shade of yellow implying that they are the enlightened ones who see the light of equality for all. Yellow and gold often are used when showing who the hero of a story is, which is why they used such a magnificent color to portray the righteous force of the angel and his followers. The rich white men are cloaked in a dark blue-green shade cowering away from the enlightened force of the angel showing they are stuck in their old ways and refuse to change. Dark colors are used to portray the villain of malevolent force in stories of good vs evil. These colors heavily influence who is perceived as the hero and the villain in any image almost regardless of context. This implies that the ideas the men represent are a dark point in our nation’s history and one that must be learned from and moved passed. In a connected part of that same image there are two men carrying the flag out of the safe presenting it to a group of people standing with their hands held over their hearts as the flag passes by them. The remarkable thing about this group of people is that they’re made up of all different races, faiths, and nationalities yet are all a single color. This single color shows unity among all of them regardless of all of their differences flushing out the idea tha people are different because of skin color. The color purple was chosen because not only is it a symbol of civil rights but it doesn’t apply to a single group of people so that it can be used to represent people from all around the globe unified under one symbol.

The color schemes used throughout The United States Constitution are designed to drag and tug at very different emotions based on what kinds of colors are being used by the illustrators. Dull colors like light-blues and beige evoke a sense of peace and tranquility, while a bright vibrant palate like the one used on the aircraft carrier creates a feeling of joy and excitement and depending on the context a feeling of pride and patriotism. They can even portray who is the protagonist and antagonist in a story based on the different shades of colors that are used.  These kinds of details can have a very subtle or extreme reaction from the audience giving that much more meaning to something that already means so much to so many different people.