America's Freedom Started Here: The Three Most Important Documents in U.S. History

My daughter is getting ready to attend the 10th grade this coming fall and she has yet to learn about the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States of America, or the Bill of Rights. These are three of the most important documents in U.S. History and our children aren't being taught even the basic ideas behind them. I believe that all Americans should be required to know where our country started and what the founding fathers had in mind when these documents were written.

In honor of our country's 231st birthday, I thought it would be fun to learn a little more about them. Here's a few facts about each of these three historical documents.

The Declaration of Independence (original title - 'The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America')

Between June 11 and June 28, 1776, Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, after the Lee Resolution ( an act of the Second Continental Congress declaring the Thirteen Colonies to be independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain) was written and introduced by Richard Henry Lee on June 7, 1776.

The original Declaration is now exhibited in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in Washington, DC. It has faded badly, largely because of poor preservation techniques during the 19th century. The document measures 29-3/4 inches by 24-1/2 inches.

The first, largest, and most famous signature is that of John Hancock. The youngest signer was 26 year old Edward Rutledge while Benjamin Franklin was the oldest at age 70. The Declaration was signed by two future presidents: John Adams (second President) and Thomas Jefferson (third President).

The movie 'National Treasure' peaked many people's interest in the Declaration of Independence and they wondered what us was on the back of the document. The writing on the back of the Declaration of Independence reads: "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776" and it appears on the bottom of the document, upside down. [Source: http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/treasure/back_of_declaration.html]

The Constitution of the United States

Primarily written by James Madison after it was proposed, and debated at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the Summer of 1787. It was ratified on June 21, 1788 (New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify, meeting the requirements set forth in Article VII of the Constitution.) [Source:http://www.thisnation.com/constitution-facts.html]

On December 7, 1787, Delaware was the first of thirteen states to ratify the Constitution and on May 29, 1790, Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the Constitution.

The basic principles of the Constitution:
1 - The three branches of government (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) are separate and each is checked and balanced off by the power of the other two,
2 - The U.S. Constitution is supreme,
3 - All persons are equal before the law, as are all states and each state must be democratic and respect the law of others,
4 - The people can change the U. S. Constitution by the methods outlined within it.

Facts about Amendments:
The first 10 Amendments are known as The Bill of Rights
The 11th and 16th Amendments cover the scope of Federal Government power
The 12th, 17th, 20th, 22nd, and 25th Amendments cover Federal Elections & Terms
The 13tth, 14th, and 15th Amendments are Civil War Amendments
The 15th, 19th, 23rd, 24th and 26th Amendments are Suffrage Amendments
The 18th Amendment excludes use of "intoxicating liquors" except those used for religious purposes
The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment

The Bill of Rights

There were originally 12 amendments proposed on September 25, 1789. Articles 3 to 12 were sent to the states by the first session of the First Congress and they were ratified Dec. 15, 1791. Article 1 (the number of constituents for each Representative) was never ratified. Article 2 (concerning compensation for Representatives and Senators services) was ratified May 7, 1992 as the 27th Amendment.

Amendment I - Freedom of religion, speech, of the press, and right of petition
Amendment II - Right of people to bear arms not to be infringed
Amendment III - Quartering of troops (freedom from quartering soldiers in a house without the owner's consent)
Amendment IV - Persons and houses to be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures
Amendment V - Trials for crimes; just compensation for private property taken for public use
Amendment VI - Civil rights in trials for crimes enumerated
Amendment VII - Civil rights in civil suits
Amendment VIII - Excessive bail, fines, and punishments prohibited
Amendment IX - Reserved rights of people
Amendment X -Powers not delegated, reserved to states and people respectively

Honestly, how many Americans know that, in order qualify to be the President, a person must be natural-born, at least 35 years old, and a resident within the U.S. Borders for at least the last 14 years? And how many Americans know the first 10 Amendments are called The Bill of Rights? Unless you're a politician, or interested in becoming one, there aren't very many Americans who know these facts, either because they are willfully ignorant of their rights and the history of this great nation and choose to remain so, or they haven't been educated in our governments history.

Why are our schools failing to teach the children about these historical documents? It should be mandatory because, as I like to say, 'It's impossible for an educated person to be made into a slave.' If we want to keep the freedoms that the United States founding fathers envisioned, and our military fought for, we need to teach our children about the history of our nation, especially about these documents. If the schools won't do it, then the parents need to step in and teach them.

If you're interested in these and other historical documents, for yourself or your children, two excellent sites to view them are Our Documents and Archiving Early America.