Explanation: Many of the earliest Americans followed a religion that was different from the one practiced (or believed in) by the people in government. These early Americans fled (or ran away from) their original countries because they were treated u...
Explanation: The phrase life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness comes from the Declaration of Independence and it is something Americans talk a lot about. These words were written by Thomas Jefferson. He and the other men who wrote the Constituti...
Explanation: On July 4, 1776, a group of men convened (or met) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and signed a document called the Declaration of Independence. To declare means to announce or let other people know about something, so a declaration is an a...
Explanation: When the Founding Fathers (or the men who made the U.S. government) wrote the Constitution in 1787, they wanted a government that would grow and change as America grew and changed. Everything they had written seemed like a good idea, but...
Explanation: Americans have a lot of freedom to say what they want, to believe what they want, and to get the government to do what they want. These and other rights (or freedoms) are found in the First Amendment to the Constitution. The First Amendm...
Explanation: While the Constitution was being written, many people argued that it did not actually protect the rights (or freedoms) of citizens or protect citizens from having the government take away their rights. Because of this, immediately after...
Explanation: The men who wrote the U.S. Constitution knew that their document was not perfect. That is why they included ways to change or add laws to the Constitution in thefuture. The fifth article (or section) of the Constitution says that America...
Explanation: The idea behind the words We the people is one of the most important ones in a democracy. A democracy is a government where the citizens (the people who are part of a country) vote for and elect (or choose) the people who will govern (or...
Explanation: The United States would be a very different country if it did not have the U.S. Constitution, because it does three very important things. First, it sets up (or organizes) the government, just like you would organize any organization or...
Explanation: Back in 1787, more than 200 years ago, the United States of America didnt exist the way it does today. There were just 13 states, and after they gained independence from Great Britain, they had a very weak government. They struggled to s...
