Our forefathers (the people that came before us) that started our country in 1776 wanted it to be free.  They had immigrated from other countries and many had left because they didn't have the freedoms that they wanted.  They couldn't say what they thought, go to the church of their choice; or own land or get a job they wanted.  Many leaders like: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and James Monroe- debated how our freedoms and rights could be established for our country.  They wrote down their ideas in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.  Here are some pictures from Philadelphia and Washington D.C. showing some historic places where these documents were written and where they are stored today.