#Table of Contents

The Constitution
The Declaration of Independence
The American Flag

# K $The Constitution of the United States

The Constitution of the United States has been the supreme law of the nation since 1789. Drafted at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, it calls for a government of limited and delegated powers. Fifty-five delegates representing twelve states drafted the document; all 13 states had ratified it by May 29, 1790.

# K $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 Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is the document in which American colonists proclaimed their freedom from British rule. The Second Continental Congress, with representatives of the 13 British colonies in America, adopted the declaration on July 4, 1776. The document included an expression of the colonists' grievances and their reasons for declaring freedom from Britain.

# $Reasons for Declaring Independence

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

#The American Flag

The American flag contains 13 stripes to signify the original 13 colonies and the stars on the blue background represents the states of the union.

{bml flag.bmp}

# This is the context text for topic 1

# This is the context text for topic 2

# This is the context text for topic 3