US History - American Foundation Documents and Flags

The Revolution was effected before the war commenced.

The Revolution was in the hearts and minds of the people.

-- President John Adams, 1818

America, or the USA, was first formed by these states: New Hampshire, Massachusetts bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (together these formed 1 state), Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

This Hub will present some important aspects of the forming a new nation called the United States of America. It will display information about and links to the nation's foundation documents, other writings about these documents, and images and links regarding the various American national flags.

Remember that most immigrants to America during the founding of the Colonies came from what is the united Kingdom and it has been thought that this region was more liberal than the rest of Europe politically, joined in thought by The Netherlands. As far as religion is considered, most of the immigrant practiced some form of Calvinism [in protest to the Anglican Church at home]. Calvinism rather emphasized both divine and secular contractual relationships and this appears in the USA's founding documents as well - we see God mentioned and we see secularism applied as well.

This is all considered under Constitutional law and its practice and there are continuing arguments in the 21st century about whether or not America is a Christian Nation or a nation of Christians (there are many religions here), or a secular nation, or just what it is. At any rate, America stemmed from a social order emphasizing individual rights and social mobility.

Some of the most important Founding Documents of the Untied States of America, most of which are held in the National Archives, and their immediately ensuing papers include:

• Declaration of Independence
• The Articles of Confederation - accepted by Congress November 15, 1777 and ratified March 1, 1781.
• Preamble to the Constitution
• The Constitution of the United States of America
• The Federalist Papers

In the Articles of Confederation, Article IV states that "paupers, vagabonds, and fugitives from justice (are) excepted" from the freedoms and immunities offered by the States. If you were poor or a drifter, you had no rights.

It is also interesting that The Articles of Confederation, Article IX, provided that Canada was permitted to join the United States:

Article XI. Canada acceding to this confederation, and adjoining in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this Union; but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine States.

This Article sets a sort of precedent for a permitted joining of Canada, USA, and Mexico into one large community, as has been suggested for some years. Canada did not become a Nation until around 1846. Previously, Canada was a colony of England and was fought over by the French, Mohawks and English - and others.

The Acadians (French) would not leave when the British threw the Acadians out of Nova Scotia, Canada in 1760. In fact, they went to New Brunswick and applied guerilla warfare (which the Swamp Fox may have learned from them) to the enemy. It took 5 years, until 1765, to convince the Acadian militia to lay down their arms. It also took the combined efforts of the British, the Americans, and the French Officers other than this militia to convince the Acadians to cease fire. They left reluctantly, but the rest of the Acadians had been driven all the way to New Orleans, their farms and possessions burned by the British. Through intermarriages, they became the Cajuns and the families are still trying to trace lost members today.

See a portrait of one of these Acadians, along with some good recipes: Cajun Easter Foods.

Please visit the Links provided that will transport you to a thorough explanation and discussion of these documents.