What the Declaration said

I. Basic Rights and Ideas

Ideas on which the govt was founded
Truths are self-evident
obvious

All men are created equal

Endowed by their Creator

Higher authority than Crown

Excluded any minorities

Rights given

With certain unalienable rights

Cannot be taken away

Life Liberty Pursuit of Happiness

Govts are formed to protect rights

Originally called property

II. Attacks
Attack on King George III Veto power
Limited powers of governors Proclamation of 1763 Hired professional German soldiers

Limited migration

Hessians

Quartering Acts Trials in Britain Navigation Acts Closing ports in Boston Stamp Act Townshend Acts No town meetings Declaratory Act Domestic problems and Indian problems Petitioned for redress

Attack on Parliament

Attacks on British People

(you) have been deaf to the Voice of Justice
Boston Massacre

we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends

III. An Independent Nation

United States of America
that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independence states

Cut all ties with Britain

Absolved from allegiance to Crown Full power (to colonies) to levy war, conclude peace, etc

We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honour

PREAMBLE TO THE U.S. CONSTITUATION

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The Basics

The Constitution is the highest law in the United States. All other laws come from the Constitution. It says how the government works. It creates the Presidency. It creates the Congress. It creates the Supreme Court. Each state also has a constitution. The constitutions of the states are their highest law for that state but the United States Constitution is higher.

The Constitution can be changed. The Constitution is changed by an "amendment." Among the amendments is a list of the rights of the people. By listing these rights, they are made special. It is illegal for the government to violate those rights.