The Formation of the Union [antikvár]

cFoímation ofthe J 'Union Between September 5, 1774, when the Firát Continental Congress met m Philadelphia, and December 15, 1791, when the Bili of Rights became part of the Conátitution of the United States, the course of American hiátory was set for centuries to come. Thirteen small and separate Colonies—in many cases having little in common besides their fealty to Great Britain—declared themselves independent átates, secured recognition from foreign powers and made an alliance with Francé, defeated Great Britain on the field of battle, and negotiated a treaty of peace with favorable territorial provisions. Experi-menting and innovating as they went, the new States etítablished a com-pletely originál non-colonial policy for territorial acquisitions. When a confederation—their earlieát form of government—appeared inadequate, they changed their political átrucíture, in peaceful revolution, to a federal unión under man's firát written national conátitution with specific guar-antees of individual freedom in the Bili of Rights. The Americans who travelled this remarkable route were wise in the ways of politics after their long experience of virtual self-government within the British Empire and could boaát a high level of literacy for the period in which they lived. The canny lawyers and businessmen they chose to lead the American Revolution were careful to leave a written record of moát of the áteps in the formation of the American Union.