The Declaration of Independence is considered one of the founding documents of the United States of America. On July 4th, 1776, the United States of America became the first nation to officially break away from Great Britain and fight for independence. Although today is generally considered to be the United States of America’s patriotic holiday, it was actually the birthday of another man. Thomas Jefferson turned 56 years old on that day, and he had the distinction of being the person who wrote the Declaration of Independence. His lifelong friend and colleague, John Adams, was also there that day and he too signed the Declaration of Independence. The two had the good fortune of being born on the same day, and it was a day that changed the course of American history.
It was not necessarily their intent to write the Declaration of Independence at that time. In fact, they were trying to find a common ground and work together to create a united front against England. However, the writing of the Declaration of Independence lasted for weeks, and it was not until July 6th that they finally finished.
This was a very challenging time for the men who were just beginning their careers, and it was almost certain that they would not live to see the fruits of their labor. The following year, 1777, was also the year that John Adams’s wife, Abigail, gave birth to their sixth child, named Nabby. She was the youngest of the five children that Nabby would have, and it is said that she spent the first 16 years of her life in the presence of her brother John and sister Abigail, who were both adults. It is no wonder that she became known as “Abigail Adams,” and it was this connection that helped the couple to find success in their political career.
The Constitutional Convention
Ten days after the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Second Continental Congress appointed a committee of five men—Andrew Hamilton, John Hart, Robert Livingston, Robert Morris, and William Hooper—to meet at the New York state house to discuss the formation of a new government for the United States. The meeting was officially called the “Constitutional Convention,” and it was there that the basic framework of the United States Constitution was agreed upon.
Most people know that the Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia from August 1787 to September 1787, and it was there that the United States Constitution was officially adopted. Less well known is the fact that it was not the outcome of a single meeting, but it was the result of a long, arduous process that began more than two years earlier. On April 18th, 1785, George Washington, the President of the United States, called for the convention to be held in Philadelphia, and it was there that the delegates from 12 of the 13 United States gathered to finally give birth to the country they had all been building throughout their careers.
The Constitutional Convention was the brainchild of George Washington, who desired to “create a Federal Government that is simple, fair, and effective.” He considered himself to be something of a political prodigy, and he had already held numerous public offices by the time that he was 25 years old. He understood that a strong central government was necessary for the survival of the new nation, and he wanted to ensure that the government that was formed would be effective and transparent.
The deliberations of the Constitutional Convention were lengthy and sometimes heated, but in the end they produced a blueprint for a government that would last for years to come. It was a remarkable accomplishment for the men who had spent years working to establish their political careers, and it is quite possibly one of the reasons that the United States enjoys such a strong and lasting bond with its’ constitutional monarchy.
The Signing Of The Constitution
The men who had been appointed to write the Declaration of Independence and frame the Constitution worked tirelessly to ensure that their principles were honored, and on September 17th, 1787, exactly one year after the Constitutional Convention was held, all of the delegates signed the final version of the United States Constitution. The following day, President Washington, who had taken a long sabbatical, returned from his estate in Mount Vernon and was sworn in for a sixth term as President of the United States.
On that day, George Washington attended the Virginia Military Academy, where he had served as the school’s first professor of military science more than 20 years earlier. He was honored and pleased to return to the place that he had helped to found, and it is said that he wept openly upon learning that he would not be able to keep the academy’s horses, as he had felt that his service there deserved some recognition.
Although some historians still question the wisdom of the Constitutional Convention and the United States Constitution, few would dispute the fact that these two documents created a more perfect union than had ever existed before. The men who had fought and died for independence were now able to live in peace and prosperity, and they had accomplished much.
The United States Constitution, which is still the legal framework for the country more than two centuries later, is the culmination of a long and storied struggle for independence, which began with the Revolutionary War and ended with the establishment of the United States of America.