There are three documents that were instrumental in the foundation of our country. These three documents, known collectively as the Charters of Freedom, have secured the rights of the American people for more than two and a quarter centuries and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States. 

Declaration of Independence

The Bill of Rights

The Constitution

OHMM is a state militia, and therefore the Ohio State Constitution is important as citizens of the state.

Ohio State law says that: "The Ohio Militia consists of all citizens of the state that  are more than seventeen years of age and not more than sixty-seven years of age. Every citizen shall maintain firearms and sufficient ammo to repel all attacks by any enemy foreign or domestic."

If you are an Ohio citizen between 17 and 67, legally you should be in the Ohio Minutemen Militia. OHMM has members that are older, and we welcome all those that desire to pass on their knowledge and training. 

The Ohio State Constitution

The Declaration of Independence, formally titled The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America (in the engrossed version but also the original printing), is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress, who had convened at the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in the colonial era capital of Philadelphia. The declaration explains to the world why the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as independent sovereign states no longer subject to British colonial rule.

The 56 delegates who signed the Declaration of Independence came to be known as the nation's Founding Fathers, and the Declaration has become one of the most circulated, reprinted, and influential documents in world history.

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally including seven articles, the Constitution delineates the frame of the federal government. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, in which the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). Article IV, Article V, and Article VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relationship to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. Article VII establishes the procedure subsequently used by the 13 states to ratify it. The Constitution of the United States is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world.

Dunlap & Claypoole

The Constitutional Convention's printers, Dunlap & Claypoole, printed the drafts and final copies of the United States Constitution. John Dunlap and David C. Claypoole had printed for Congress since 1775, including the first copies of the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation, and were designated Congress's official printer in 1778. During the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Dunlap & Claypoole printed 820 draft copies and 500 final copies at a total cost of $420.

The Pennsylvania Packet and the General Advertiser was an American newspaper that was founded in 1771. In 1784, it became the first successful daily newspaper published in the United States. The paper was founded by John Dunlap as a weekly paper in late 1771. It was based in Philadelphia, except during the British occupation of the city between 1777 and 1778, when Dunlap published the paper in Lancaster. David C. Claypoole eventually became a partner with Dunlap. As of September 21, 1784, the paper was issued as the Pennsylvania Packet, and Daily Advertiser, reflecting the paper's move to daily publication.

On Wednesday, September 19, 1787, The Pennsylvannia Packet and Daily Advertiser published the ratified Constitution for the United States of America. When reading the origional documents, what looks to us as an lower case f, was at the time how a lower case s was printed. The following pages are photo-copies of one of the few original prints available today.

Constitution pg.1

Constitution pg.2

Constitution pg.3

Constitution pg.4

The Federalists vs the Anti-Federalists

In 1787 the newly founded United States was already having major problems. The young nation was deep in debt and unable to levy any taxes. The 13 states refused to work together, and there was no central leader fix any of these issues. 

The first U.S. constitution, called the Articles of Confederation, was largely to blame. It gave almost all power to the individual states, and the central government was so weak that it could not even enforce laws. So, delegates from the states gathered at a convention in Pennsylvania to find a solution. Some say the Articles can be fixed, while others want to start over.

After months of debate, a new Constitution was written. It set up a strong federal government, hoping to solve the issues of the Articles of Confederaiton. However, the document could not take effect, unless nine states ratify, or approve, it. Each state held its own special convention to decide.

From the debate over ratification of the new Constitution, two groups emerged.

The Federalists supported ratification the new Constitution and of a strong central government. The Anti-federalists believed that Americans citizen’s freedoms were better protected by state governments. Both sides give speeches and publish essays to persuade the states.

In the final days of the 1787 convention—now known as the Constitutional Convention—an Anti-federalist from Virginia named George Mason suggested adding a Bill of Rights. He believed that listing American citizen’s individual freedoms would help reassure people who were concerned about a strong federal government.

The Federalists, however, felt that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary. The Constitution didn’t grant the government control over the press or speech or religion, they said. So why did they need another document protecting those rights? They also worried that listing all of people’s individual freedoms was impossible. If they forgot one, what then?

The Federalists arguments convinced enough states that the new Constitution, though not perfect, was a big improvement over the Articles of Confederation. Plus, the document could be amended, or changed. In fact, several states suggested amendments to the Constitution at the same time they voted to ratify it.

In December 1787, Delaware became the first state to approve the Constitution. Other states followed. In June 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify—the last vote needed. On March 4, 1789, the date set by Congress, the Constitution officially became the law of the land.

Though they had not supported the Constitution, the Anti-federalists did leave their mark on it. In 1789, the very first Congress under the Constitution agreed that it was important to protect Americans from too much government control. Two years later, the freedoms that Anti-federalists had demanded became the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.