Three Important Documents
What does each document mean?
Goal:
Goal:
Historical documents are created around the time of an event. These documents provide evidence about an event that is happening at that time. They can reflect goals and beliefs people want for their future town, state, or country. Click through the slides to learn what each document represents for the United States of America.
The Declaration of Independence states the beliefs on which the United States was founded. This document lists the reasons to separate from Great Britain. The United States was founded on the ideas of fairness, liberty, and equality for all. The document explained that the 13 original colonies of America were “free and independent states.” Thomas Jefferson was given the job by Congress of writing the Declaration of Independence. He wrote it in four days. It was approved by Congress on July 4, 1776, and it tells the people that they are free from British rule.
The United States Constitution describes the organization of the Federal government of the United States. Our United States Constitution is a set of rules that guide how our country, states, or other government branches work. The U.S. Constitution originally had 4,543 words. It has grown to 7,591 words after adding 27 amendments. It is the shortest and oldest written Constitution of any major government in the world! Jacob Shallus, a Pennsylvania General Assembly clerk, wrote the Constitution for $30.
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. It tells the rights of people and states in relation to the government. Each amendment is a written statement that explains the basic freedoms and rights of United States citizens. These are just some examples of the different amendments added to the Constitution: The First Amendment allows people to show their opinions through speech and in writing, through the press. The Fifth Amendment says that anyone accused of a crime should be treated like they are innocent until they are proven guilty. Also, a grand jury must decide if a case needs to go to trial in a court of law. The Tenth Amendment says that the federal government has only the powers stated in the Constitution.
Question:
What ideals was the United States founded on as stated in the Declaration of Independence?
The United States was founded on the ideas of fairness, liberty, and equality for all.