America “Land of the Free”
A Story of America’s Freedom and Independence
As Americans, we live in a country that is free. Have you ever
thought about how our nation began? Have you ever thought about
why the United States is a free country? Click to read the story of
how America became the “land of the free.”
Long ago, many people from
England decided to travel by boat to a
new land to settle. This new land
belonged to England. King George III,
the British King ruled both lands.
England
New Land (wasn’t named America yet.)
Life was difficult, but the settlers
worked hard and built a life in this
new territory. Thirteen 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
country. 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 nation. Many
settlers
finally
made
important decisions for this
territory.
Everyone knew that England
would want to keep ruling the new
land, so many Patriots decided to
fight for independence. That
decision meant the Patriots would
have to fight England’s huge army,
but it was important for them to fight
for freedom.
So the war began. It was
called the Revolutionary
War. It started in 1775.
Many men fought and died
in that war.
After the war began, a bright young
patriot named Thomas Jefferson, sat
and wrote the Declaration of
Independence in June of 1776. After
it was written, many men met at
Independence Hall in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania to talk about this
document.
After a lot of discussion, the
Second Continental Congress
approved the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776.
This document declared that the
colonists wanted independence
and freedom.
After a long fight, the
Revolutionary War ended in
1783. It was sad because
many Patriots died in battle
before they saw “America”
become a free nation.
At the same time is was
exciting because the land that the
Patriots fought for was finally
independent and free from
England. The territory became a
free nation. The name given to
the new country was “The
United States of America”.
Then the Constitution was
written. The United States
Constitution says how the
government works. It was
signed on September 17,
1787. Some of the men who
signed
it
were
George
Washington,
Benjamin
Franklin and John Adams.
The Patriots fighting for a new
nation
wanted
to
form
a
government that did not allow one
person to have too much authority
or control.
They wanted the
“people”
to
make
decisions.
Democracy is a part of our system
because of that.
The
first
United
States
President was Revolutionary War
hero
General
George
Washington.
The Constitution is a valuable part of America’s history. The first
part of the Constitution is the called the Preamble. The Preamble
begins with “We the People…” Click to the next slide to read it,
The first part of the Constitution is called the Preamble.
It tells what our founding fathers set out to do
We the people
In 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 liberty
To ourselves and our posterity
Do ordain and establish this Constitution
for the United States of America.
America’s fight for freedom and
independence was one fought
hard by early settlers. That fight,
loyal Patriots, documents like the
Declaration of Independence, and
the Constitution is what brought
independence and freedom to our
country, but it wasn’t an easy path.
Now it is your job to appreciate the
long journey that this country traveled
since it’s early days. As Americans,
everyone should treasure that freedom
each and every day. Like the Patriots
who fought so hard for independence
and freedom, all United States
citizens should be “Proud to be an
American!”
If you have internet connected, you can
listen to the preamble. Click on the
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