The Declaration of Independence became a "model for many other colonies." Colonies are areas of land that are owned by another country. When the US declared independence from Britain, many other colonies followed suit. It wasn't a law of the land, and the U.S. Consitution came later.
The election of 1796 was between Federalist John Adams and Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson. The former won by a narrow electoral margin of 71 to 68.