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 Declaration of Independence - Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and
June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and
unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of
individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in "self-evident truths"
and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country.
Constitution of the United States of America - The Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles
of Confederation. Because the delegations from only two states were at first present, the members adjourned from day to day until a quorum of seven states was obtained on May
25. Through discussion and debate it became clear by mid-June that, rather than amend the existing Articles, the Convention would draft an entirely new frame of government. All
through the summer, in closed sessions, the delegates debated, and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution. Among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how
many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected--directly by the
people or by the state legislators. The work of many minds, the Constitution stands as a model of cooperative
statesmanship and the art of compromise. The booklet contains the amendments to the constitution as well.
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The Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States of America
