With the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the colonists’ victory in the American Revolution, a new nation was born—the United States of America. A few short years later, the structure of the government of the new country was put forth in the writing of the US Constitution. These actions created a new country and a new government for the people living in the former colonies. Before the revolution, colonies were subject to a monarch across the sea; now, they were independent. Freedom from the monarchy and the establishment of a new republic meant that people had new responsibilities as citizens of a new country. Imagine you are living in the year 1800. Think about what you consider to be the five most important responsibilities of being a citizen.