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Life in the USA Land, History and Language American History
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Rival Philosophies
After the revolution, political forces calling for a strong central government clashed with forces calling for a minimal government. These debates were extremely bitter, but were eventually settled by a great compromise. The original states adopted a written constitution in 1787 which laid out the functions of government. They then added ten amendments (the Bill of Rights ) which served to limit the powers of government over the individual. Ever since, courts, legislatures and the people themselves have debated the meaning of the Bill of Rights. See the section on American Government for a full explanation of the Bill of Rights.
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