The documents which would birth and shape a nation are bound together here in one beautiful edition. The philosophies upon which the United States of America was founded have influenced the entire world. Within the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America, these philosophies are distilled to their very essence. These texts retain a special significance far beyond their roles within the government of a single nation, and this significance is best embodied in that immortal statement which begins with "We hold these truths to be self-evident..."