Just in time for Independence Day, here is a pocket-sized edition of the United States\' most important documents.
Written so that it could be adapted to endure for years to come, the Constitution has been amended only seventeen times since 1791 and has lasted longer than any other written form of government..
Among the rights guaranteed by these amendments are freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and the right to trial by jury.
The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, became part of the Constitution on December 15, 1791.
Framed in 1787 and in effect since March 1789, the Constitution of the United States of America fulfilled the promise of the Declaration by establishing a republican form of government with separate executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration set forth the terms of a new form of government with the following words: We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a unanimous declaration: the thirteen North American colonies would be the thirteen United States of America, free and independent of Great Britain.
The Declaration of Independence was the promise of a representative government; the Constitution was the fulfillment of that promise.
Together in one book, the two most important documents in United States history form the enduring legacy of America\'s Founding Fathers including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton.
Featuring a lively Introduction by Pauline Maier, the author of American Scripture, a New York Times Top Ten Book of 1997, this pairing of The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution should be a centerpiece of every American classics collection.
Just in time for Independence Day, here is a pocket-sized edition of the United States\' most important documents
