In this annotated version of The Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution you will also find: Italicized text explaining which areas of the Constitution were modified by a Constitutional Amendment Links to the amendment Dates of ratification This provides additional historical context and allows readers to efficiently correlate amendments with their location in the text. The Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution are two of the most important documents in American History, both conveying the principles on which the country was founded. Providing the framework and ideals that still guide American Politics today, these writings should be mandatory reading for every American. In a list of grievances against the King of England, the Declaration of Independence professes that all men are created equal and possess certain “unalienable rights” through natural law that no one should be denied. Over a decade after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Second Continental Congress recognized the need for a more robust and centralized framework for governing the newly formed United States. The United States Constitution went above a beyond the Articles of Confederation to more clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Government with the Bill of Rights defining individual liberties. The principles set forth here safeguard the sovereignty of American citizens by establishing civil liberties and placing certain restrictions on government influence. Nearly two and a half decades after its signing, the United States Constitution, with its Bill of Rights, is still revered as the Supreme Law of the Land.
Authors
The term Founding Fathers of the United States of America refers broadly to the individuals of the Thirteen British Colonies in North America who led the American Revolution against the authority of the British Crown and established the United States of America. It is also used more narrowly, referring specifically to those who either signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 or who were delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention and took part in drafting the proposed Constitution of the United States. A further subset includes those who signed the Articles of Confederation. During much of the 19th century, they were referred to as either the "Founders" or the "Fathers". Some historians define the "Founding Fathers" to mean a larger group, including not only the Signers and the Framers but also all those who, whether as politicians, jurists, statesmen, soldiers, diplomats, or ordinary citizens, took part in winning American independence and creating the United States of America. Historian Richard B. Morris in 1973 identified the following seven figures as the key Founding Fathers: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington . Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin worked on the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. Hamilton, Madison, and Jay were authors of the The Federalist Papers, advocating ratification of the Constitution. Washington commanded the revolutionary army. All served in important positions in the early government of the United States. DOB based on First Continental Congress DOD based on death of James Madison, last surviving member
