The Declaration of Independence proclaimed back in 1776 that “all men are created equal” and are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” This means a person’s basic rights cannot be taken away by anyone.But it took a long time to change people’s minds. After the ...

The people of America had to agree to the Constitution. If they didn’t, it would not become the law of the land. Eventually, the people of all 13 states agreed.But many were concerned that it did not clearly protect certain rights. They thought the Constitution should include a specific list ...

After winning the war against England, the American people had their freedom. Now they needed to form a government to help them get along with each other.In 1787, there were 13 states with many problems. The country was poor and needed better rules for trade and security. Each state sent men to ...

“BEN! Ben..ny!” I tried to block out Mom’s voice by pulling the pillow over my head. I still hoped to escape back into sleep because I knew it was Saturday, and I didn’t have to get up for school. But then the pillow was pulled off, and bright sunlight penetrated my closed eyelids. ...

America’s founders believed that the best way to avoid losing their freedom was to share power between different parts of government. They settled on three parts. Each part has some ability to control or influence what the others do. If one part makes a mistake, another part can fix ...

Starting in the 1600s, large numbers of Europeans sought a new life in America. Some came because they wanted to worship God as they wished. Others came for land or business.Much of the new country was ruled by England, also called Great Britain, and many people were loyal English citizens. For ...