On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.

On March 4th, 1789, the U.S. Congress met for the first time in New York City, at Federal Hall.

At the First Continental Congress, only Geogia was not represented, as the colony was hoping for British help with its Native-American population.

Among all the European countries who colonized America in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, France was least interested in establishing large, permanent settlements. Instead, the French government favored establishing trading posts and dealing with the Native Americans. The French did have a presence stretching from the St. Lawrence River in Canada through the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi River Valley. One of the few settlements was established at New Orleans in present day Louisiana.

After a short preamble, the first subject that the writers of the Constitution addressed was the legislative branch of the government, the United States Congress. This position shows the vital role the framers saw in the legislature, as the "people's branch." Article II and III went on to detail the roles of the Executive and Judicial Branches, respectively. Enumerated rights of citizens were not originally included, and anti-federalists who were opposed to the constitution saw this as a primary reason to oppose the document. The Bill of Rights, ten amendments that enumerated rights of citizens was added in 1791.

The first permanent settlement in present day Delaware was established by Sweden in 1638. Fort Christina (now Wilmington) was the only Swedish settlement in North America. This placed it perilously between the English in Virginia and the Dutch in New Amsterdam. In 1651, the Dutch conquered Fort Christina, pushing the Swedes out of North America. By 1664, the English had conquered all Dutch territory in North America.

In a Republican system of government the power is derived from the mass of the people. The people vote to elect representatives, who are then given a mandate to make decisions on behalf of the people. This is the system of government present in the United States. 

James Madison arrived at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 with the idea of creating an entirely new government than had existed under the Articles of Confederation. He documented these ideas, for the most part in his famous Virginia Plan, and garnered support from many of the delegates at the Convention. His ideas, along with those of Hamilton and Jefferson, would prove the driving forces behind the nature of the Constitution. 

The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees the right of American citizens to free religious belief, free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom to assemble and petition the government. Freedom of assembly was seen as vital to many of the Founding Fathers, as it would allow protection from tyranny and theoretically ensure the control of the people. 

Under the Articles of Confederation, there was a single legislative Congress, no president, and no judiciary. In this Congress, each state got a single vote and nine of the thirteen states had to agree to approve any legislation. This Congress could not print Federal currency, nor could it collect taxes.

About the only things it could do were handle foreign affairs, enter in to treaties, and declare war.