Part 2/10:
Despite the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the path to a consolidated American identity was complex. For over a decade, the thirteen colonies functioned as separate entities rather than a unified nation. After breaking from British rule, they engaged in a loose confederation without a formal president or comprehensive federal government, primarily relying on the Continental Congress to execute actions that required enforcement by individual states. This setup presented challenges, particularly around governance, leading to a call for a stronger union and ultimately culminating in the drafting of the U.S. Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787.