Pre-History of the USA Constitution

Having read this story you'll get to know why the Constitution was necessary for the American people at the beginning of their nation.

There was no United States of America in the early 1770s. Americans lived in thirteen colonies along the Atlantic coast. They were not independent then. Great Britain was then a powerful country more than two thousands miles away across the Atlantic Ocean.
One of the first things the visitors to America noticed was the huge size of the country. The opportunity to buy land attracted many new immigrants. Land was cheap and owning land meant not only that you could support your family, but also that you could vote.
Many Americans or their families, had originally come from Great Britain. As a result they spoke English and had many British ways. They dressed like the British. They practised the Protestant religion and followed many of the British customs. However, the American colonists were also different in some ways from the British.
Later, people from many different lands came to live in America. Each group of settlers brought with them their own customs and ways of life. There were about 500.000 black people who had originally been brought from Africa. This was 1/5 of the population of the entire country.
A newcomer to America would have been impressed by how well the colonists lived. They worked hard, but the land was fertile and they grew plenty of food. Most Americans ate better and were taller and healthier than people in Europe.
Not all people, however, had the same opportunities. Women, blacks, native Americans, and white men who did not own property usually were not allowed to vote. They could not be elected to the government. Most women were not allowed to own property. Slaves had no rights.
Great Britain ruled the American colonies from 1607 to 1776, more than 150 years. During much of this time Great Britain was busy with problems in Europe. Leaders in the American colonies learnt to govern themselves. They had brought British customs and laws with them to America. They used these British ideas to develop their own governments. The colonies participated in their governments much more than people did in Europe.
There W|ere many important leaders in early America. For example, Patric Henry, Abigail Adams, Benjamin Franklin and, of course, George Washington were all well-known during this time. They were Founders, because they helped found, or establish, the country.
The Founders led the fight to free the country from British rule.
Most of the Founders believed everyone has certain basic rights. These are the rights to life, liberty, and property. They called these rights their natural rights.
The Founders thought the best way to protect citizens' rights was for people to consent to form a government and to obey its laws. The main purpose of such a government would be to protect people's natural rights.
The Founders studied the history of governments. They were very interested in what they read about the government of the Roman Republic, which existed more than 2.000 years before the American nation began.
In 1776, the new government formed a committee to tell everyone why the colonists wanted to free themselves from British rule.