The Declaration was the first national founding document to assert that the legitimacy of government came not from divine right, hereditary bloodlines, or conquest but from the consent of the governed; and that all men are created equal with inalienable rights—rights that exist in nature—that cannot be taken away by the government. The US Constitution The adoption of the US Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation in 1789 was the first time a large, independent nation organized itself under a single written document that was explicitly superior to state and local laws. Created primarily as a compromise to protect against the “tyranny of the majority” in pure, direct democracy, where more populous states could dominate the rest of the country, the Electoral College elects the president indirectly, through state-appointed electors.
Author: January 20, 2026
Published at: 2026-01-20 00:00:00
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