this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2025
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Does a constitution define what a nation is?
In the case of the US, yes. The US started out as 13 independent countries. It was only the Articles of Confederation and later the Constitution that defined the US as a country. Disband the US constitution tomorrow, and the US becomes 50 independent countries.
Even then, not really.
We celebrate July 4, 1776, the creation of our national identity independent from England, not June 21, 1788, when our constitution took effect.
But July 4th is called "Independence Day", because it's the day we got our independence from England. The articles of confederation weren't signed until November 15, 1777, July 4th, 1776 was just the declaration of Independence
The US didn't get widely accepted as a country until a good few years later (within 5-10 years though depending on who you ask)
Yes, that's already what I'm saying. The United States celebrates its Independence Day, not any day that has anything to do with the creation of the Constitution that forms our basis of government.