America “Land of the Free”A Story of America’s Freedom and Independence

As AmericansAmericans, we live in a countrycountry that is freefree. Have you ever thought about how our nationnation began? Have you ever thought about why the United StatesUnited States is a free countryfree country? Click to read the story of how AmericaAmerica became the “land of the freeland of the free.”

Long ago, many people from England decided to travel by boat to a new landnew land to settle. This new land belonged to England. King George III, the British King ruled both lands.

New Land (wasn’t named America yet.)

England

Life was difficult, but the settlers worked hard and built a life in this new territoryterritory. Thirteen coloniesThirteen colonies were formed there. Though King George III lived far away, he was still the leader in England, as well as in the new colonies.

After awhile, some of the colonists talked and decided that they wanted to be a free free countrycountry. They didn’t want to be under the rule of England’s king anymore.

However, the people were divided. Some felt they needed to obey the English King, while others wanted to be an independent nationindependent nation. Many settlers finally made important decisions for this

territory.

Everyone knew that England would want to keep ruling the new land, so many PatriotsPatriots decided to fight for independenceindependence. That decision meant the PatriotsPatriots would have to fight England’s huge army, but it was important for them to fight for freedomfreedom.

So the war began. It was called the Revolutionary Revolutionary WarWar. It started in 17751775. Many men fought and died in that war.

After the war began, a bright young patriot named Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson, sat and wrote the Declaration of Declaration of IndependenceIndependence in June of 17761776. After it was written, many men met at Independence HallIndependence Hall in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania to talk about this document.

After a lot of discussion, the Second Continental Congress Second Continental Congress approved approved the Declaration of Declaration of Independence Independence on July 4, 1776July 4, 1776. This document declared that the colonists wanted independenceindependence and freedom.freedom.

After a long fight, the Revolutionary WarRevolutionary War ended in 17831783. It was sad because many PatriotsPatriots died in battle before they saw “AmericaAmerica” become a free nationfree nation.

At the same time is was exciting because the land that the Patriots Patriots fought for was finally independentindependent and freefree from England. The territoryThe territory became a free nationfree nation. The name given to the new countrycountry was “The “The United States of America”.United States of America”.

Then the ConstitutionConstitution was written. The United States United States ConstitutionConstitution says how the governmentgovernment works. It was signed on September 17, September 17, 17871787. Some of the men who signed it were George George Washington, Benjamin Washington, Benjamin Franklin Franklin andand John Adams. John Adams.

The PatriotsPatriots fighting for a new nationnation wanted to form a governmengovernment that did not allow one person to have too much authority or control. They wanted the “people” to make decisions. DemocracyDemocracy is a part of our system because of that.

The first United States United States PresidentPresident was Revolutionary War Revolutionary War hero General George hero General George WashingtonWashington.

The ConstitutionConstitution is a valuable part of America’sAmerica’s history. The first part of the ConstitutionConstitution is the called the PreamblePreamble. The Preamble Preamble begins with “We the People…”“We the People…” Click to the next slide to read it,

The first part of the ConstitutionConstitution is called the PreamblePreamble.

It tells what our founding fathers set out to do

WWe the peopleIn 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 libertyTo ourselves and our posterity

Do ordain and establish this ConstitutionConstitutionfor the UUnited SStates of AAmerica.

America’sAmerica’s fight for freedomfreedom and independenceindependence was one fought hard by early settlersearly settlers. That fight, loyal PatriotsPatriots, documents like the Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of Independence, and the ConstitutionConstitution is what brought independence independence and freedomfreedom to our country, but it wasn’t an easy path.

Now it is your job to appreciate the long journey that this countrycountry traveled since it’s early days. As Americans,Americans, everyone should treasure that freedom freedom each and every day. Like the PatriotsPatriots who fought so hard for independence ndependence and freedom, freedom, all United States United States citizenscitizens should be “Proud to be an AmericanAmerican!”

If you have internet connected, you can If you have internet connected, you can listen to the preamble. Click on the listen to the preamble. Click on the

links below.links below.

Listen to the Words of the Preamble

"School House Rock" Preamble

To see the words of the Preamble, click here.

Written and Created by Stacy Bodin