The Real Story of the American Revolution 

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Maintaining Liberty

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Latest Changes: 07Feb26 - go to new format / 07Jun01 - move links to all governance documents here / 07Jun23 - move Independence to a new page /

How were the concepts of liberty implemented in the U.S. after 1783?
How do education, mentoring, and recognition produce an informed and involved citizenry?
Why is an informed and involved citizenry important in promoting and protecting liberty?

Governance of the American Colonies       Charters, Proprieterships, and Royal Governors Treating the New States as Individuals in a Confederation (1776-1787)       Deliberation as an Element of Governance       Initial State Constitutions and the Articles of Confederation Moving from a Confederation to a Republic (1787 -1807)       The U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Later State Constitutions PRINT RESOURCE: See the book by Thomas Fleming Extending Liberty (1807 to 2007)       Extending Liberty and the Vote to Groups Originally Omitted

Suggested Projects Project A: What individual liberties became explicitly protected in 1776? The first eight Amendments to the U.S. Constitution outline protections for a number of individual liberties. Pick one of these liberties, pick a state charter or constitution written before 1787 (when the U.S. Constitution was written), and report on how the selected liberty was treated in that document. Project B: Who is being represented by the Congress? Pick two states, check the state constitutions that were in force there in 1787, and compare their qualifications for voting. Project C: No taxation without representation? Many residents of Guam, Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands are citizens of the United States. Pick one of these territories and find out How did this territory become associated with the U.S.? In what year did the residents first elect the territory's head of government? What percent of the residents are U.S. citizens? Can they vote for a U.S. President, Senator, Representative? Do they pay any taxes that are established by and support the U.S. government?

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