Publisher Comments : The Declaration ofIndependence was the promise of a representative government; theConstitution was the fulfillment of that promise. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a unanimousdeclaration: the thirteen North American colonies would be thethirteen United States of America, free and independent of GreatBritain. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration set forth theterms of a new form of government with the following words: "Wehold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are createdequal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, thatamong these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." Framed in 1787 and in effect since March 1789, the Constitution ofthe United States of America fulfilled the promise of theDeclaration by establishing a republican form of government withseparate executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The firstten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, became part of theConstitution on December 15, 1791. Amo
