Framed Constitution, Bill of Rights & Declaration of Independence Set
Patriot Gear
Product Description:
The United States Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights are the greatest documents ever penned in human history.
The U.S. Constitution was written principally by James Madison, and it is the oldest written constitution still used by any nation. It serves as the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, were now independent states and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration is a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. The birthday of the United States of America—Independence Day—is celebrated on July 4, the day the wording of the Declaration was approved by Congress.
The absence of a "bill of rights" turned out to be an obstacle to the Constitution's ratification by the states. It would take four more years of intense debate before the new government's form would be resolved. The Federalists opposed including a bill of rights on the ground that it was unnecessary. The Anti-Federalists, who were afraid of a strong centralized government, refused to support the Constitution without one. In the end, popular sentiment was decisive. The American Bill of Rights, inspired by Jefferson and drafted by James Madison, was adopted, and in 1791 the Constitution's first ten amendments became the law of the land.