The birth of the United States of America

In America, the British colonies have, after many years of struggle, won liberty from British rule. Britain had to give up, and in September 1783, British and American representatives sign a peace treaty in Paris. This is now an independent country consisting of thirteen colonies, that later will be called ‘states’. Here the people will rule - no king; no emperor! But the thirteen colonies are quite different.

In the north people live by trading, fishing, and handicrafts. In the central colonies, many make their living from agriculture. In the south there are large plantations where cotton and tobacco are grown. It’s difficult to get the colonies to agree on different issues, and it’s difficult for the parliament to collect taxes. The Americans realise that they need something that holds the different colonies together, otherwise they will soon be transformed into thirteen different countries.

They need a common foundation, a constitution. To write this, a group of men gather in Philadelphia. They will later be called the founding fathers. They are knowledgeable in politics, and all of them have been involved in the American Revolution. Several of them, such as George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison will later become presidents of this new country.

The founding fathers are inspired by a French writer and philosopher: Montesquieu. Montesquieu has written a book entitled "The Spirit of the Laws", where he compares different forms of government, in particular the republic, the monarchy, and the dictatorship. Montesquieu believes democracy to be the best because it is most equal. He believes that people who gain power are often tempted to abuse it. The founding fathers do as Montesquieu suggests, introduce a system where power is divided between three branches: one which establishes the laws: the Legislative Branch.

one which carries out - executes - the administration: the Executive Branch. and one which judges those accused of disobeying the laws. The Judicial Branch. These three different branches of government should be separated, to prevent each other from taking advantage of their powerful positions. They should balance and keep each other in check.

Montesquieu says: Power must keep power in check. The founding fathers decide that the executive branch, in the United States of America is led by a president and that the legislative branch consists of a parliament, called congress. The congress is divided into two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Members are elected by the people, and by the states. The third branch, the judiciary, is called the Supreme Court.

Its role is to ensure that the President and the Congress do not violate the Constitution. The founding fathers determine that the thirteen States should take care of themselves in many areas, such as schools, local courts, and policing. But the states should have the same currency, shared postal services, and shared foreign policy. The president, together with the collective - or federal - government, manages this foreign policy, maintains relations with other countries, and ensures that there is an army. It is also the federal government that decides which new states may become members of the United States.

Not all the states like the constitution to begin with. But in 1789 they agree, and the United States becomes one of the most democratic countries in the world. The United States becomes the first big country ruled by a popularly elected leader, a republic. For the first president, the people choose the former rebel commander, George Washington. A new country must have a flag!

The flag gets thirteen stars and thirteen stripes, one for each state. Later, the flag will get a new star for each new state. But the thirteen stripes are still there today. The USA becomes a role model for how people want their countries to be governed. In 1789, the same year as the United States Constitution comes into force, a revolution breaks out in one of Europe's most powerful countries, France.

A revolution that draws inspiration from the United States of America - USA.