VLS Resources
The Articles of Confederation: America’s First Constitution
Before the United States had the Constitution we know today, it had the Articles of Confederation. Adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777 and fully ratified in 1781, the Articles served as the country’s first national governing document. They reflected the priorities of a new nation fresh from revolution: protect liberty, preserve state independence, and…
The History Behind Constitution Day
Every year on September 17, the United States observes Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, a commemoration of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787. The day invites Americans to look back at the creation of the nation’s framework of government and to reflect on the responsibilities that come with citizenship. After the…
The Night Washington Saved the Revolution – General George Washington’s retreat from Brooklyn in 1776
Among many historians, the most famous and successful night of the American Revolution was General George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware on Christmas Eve 1776. This bold and brilliant military plan achieved by cunning and courage is considered a crucial factor for the young American country winning its independence. However, earlier in that year, there…
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson: A Friendship Shaped by Revolution and Rivalry
At first glance, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson seemed unlikely companions. Adams was fiery, talkative, and impatient with hesitation; Jefferson was quiet, polished, and more comfortable letting his pen speak for him. Yet these two very different men became central partners in the American founding. They stood together in the struggle for independence, drifted apart…
Happy 250th Birthday America!
Two and one-half centuries ago, a provincial people on the edge of a vast continent declared something astonishingly radical: that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. These brave patriots – farmers, merchants, frontiersmen, bankers – did not merely protest taxation or quarrel with imperial policy. They announced to the world…
When to Fly Your American Flag
When we see the flag, we’re reminded of liberty, freedom and pride. The America flag has accompanied our nation in making its greatest achievements. It flies at both poles, on the moon and sits atop Mount Everest. The flag is how America signs her name. New Year’s Day * January 1 Inauguration Day * January…
Thomas Paine, a Renowned Pamphleteer
“The sun never shined on a cause of greater worth.” – Thomas Paine Before what we refer to as “social media,” more than 250 years ago pamphleteers were the ones spreading information throughout the colonies. Mercy Otis Warren was writing satirical plays and poems attacking England in the 1770’s. The colonies were afire with discontent…
How does June 14th, 15th, and 16th involve the US ARMY and George Washington?
How does June 14th, 15th, and 16th, 1775 involve the United States ARMY, and General George Washington? When the Second Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia the delegates realized they needed a unified ARMY supported and manned by citizens from all the colonies. Every colony sought independence, but the was no cooperation among the militias…
RODGER SHERMAN, Revolutionary and Dedicated Public Servant
Roger Sherman is the only person to have signed all four of the most significant documents in our nation’s early history: the Continental Association from the first Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. He began life as a surveyor and a cordwainer (someone who makes shoes…