Founding Documents
Introduction to America’s Founding Documents
No documents have had a greater influence on the citizens of our country than the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. The Declaration of Independence marked the birth of our republic and set forth our “unalienable rights” to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Later, the Constitution outlined our style of government and defined the rights that are protected from intrusion by government.
These documents have been a beacon to all men and women who value freedom. They are just as meaningful now as when they were written. As the American statesman Henry Clay said, “The Constitution of the United States was not made merely for the generation that then existed but for posterity – unlimited, undefined, endless, perpetual posterity.”
The Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were written with the intent that they could be easily read and understood by ordinary citizens. The difficulty comes with the changes in the English language that have occurred since they were written, making both documents more difficult to decipher. Freedom Defined addresses this problem by providing instant access to the definitions of words and phrases used in these documents. The definitions are based on dictionaries used during the early years of the United States, the records of the Constitutional Convention, and the writings of the Founding Fathers.
- Preface
- To Teenagers Who Use Freedom Defined
- To Adults Who Use Freedom Defined
- The Fire of Freedom
- Suggestions for Further Reading
The Declaration of Independence
- Introduction
- The Foundations of Free Government
- Abuses of King George III
- Efforts to Obtain Justice from Great Britain
- The Birth of the American Nation
- Signers of the Declaration of Independence
The Constitution of the United States
- Preamble: Purposes of the Constitution
- Article I: The Legislative Branch
- Article II: The Executive Branch
- Article III: The Judicial Branch
- Article IV: The States and the Federal Government
- Article V: The Amendment Process
- Article VI: The “Supreme Law” and Other Provisions
- Article VII: Ratifying the Constitution
- Signers of the United States Constitution
- The Bill of Rights (Amendments 1 – 10)
- Amendments 11 – 27
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