Independence is the revolutionary lifeblood, which has long captured and stirred the collective imagination of the American people. In the sixteenth century the pilgrims arriving on these shores sought complete Independence from the monarchs of old Europe, and soon organized themselves into what ultimately came to be known as  Independent states. Their earliest founding documents reinforcing this spirit of Independence, ultimately lead to the authoring of the US Constitution, which formally recognized the rights, responsibilities, and Independence of the individual.