Founding Documents: Declaration, Articles, Constitution, Bill of Rights
Four documents define America's founding: Declaration of Independence (1776), Articles of Confederation (1781), Constitution (1787), Bill of Rights (1791). Know what each did and why each was needed.
Four documents, one founding
America's founding produced four critical documents in just 15 years. Each fixed a problem the previous one created. The CBE expects you to know what each accomplished and the order they came in.
- Declaration of Independence (1776) — written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, declared the 13 colonies free from Britain. Famous opening: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
- Articles of Confederation (1781) — first US government. Weak federal power: could not levy taxes, no executive, no national courts. Failed within a decade.
- U.S. Constitution (1787) — replaced Articles. Created federal system: Congress can tax, President leads executive branch, Supreme Court interprets law. Influenced by Montesquieu's separation of powers.
- Bill of Rights (1791) — first 10 amendments to the Constitution. Guarantees freedom of speech, religion, press, right to bear arms, due process, etc.
Why the Articles failed
The Articles' biggest fatal flaw: no power to tax. Congress had to beg states for money to pay Revolutionary War debts. Without funds, the federal government couldn't enforce laws or pay soldiers. Shays' Rebellion in 1786-87 — a Massachusetts uprising of farmers — proved the federal government couldn't even protect against domestic unrest. That convinced delegates to scrap the Articles and write the Constitution.