“Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people”
- John Adams
The Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2, 1776. Two days later on July 4, a declaration explaining the reasons for independence, largely written by Thomas Jefferson, was adopted.
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789.
The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.