Category: Important Documents

The Emancipation Proclamation During the course of the Civil War, Lincoln had wanted to declare all slaves free. He waited, however, until the Union forces had some decisive victories over the Rebels; no doubt his holding off was to prevent giving the South a rallying point until one would have no effect on the outcome…

The I Have a Dream Speech Advertisement In 1950’s America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950’s were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began…

September 12 Draft of the Constitution Advertisement On Saturday, September 8, 1787, the Constitutional Convention appointed members to the Committee of Style and Arrangement. The Committee was tasked with taking the August 6 draft and editing it to include all points decided by the Convention, and to polish the document into something to be presented…

August 6 Draft of the Constitution Advertisement On Tuesday, July 24, 1787, the Constitutional Convention appointed members to the Committee of Detail. The Committee was tasked with taking all of the points debated by the Convention up to that point and constructing a document that could be used as a basis for further debate. The…

The Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence Topic Page may be of some interest to readers. Demographic data about the Signers is also available. An image of the Declaration is available. Contents Introduction Crimes of the King Conclusion Signatories In Congress, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America…

Constitution of the Confederate States of America Advertisement The following is the complete text of the Constitution of the Confederate States of America, as adopted on March 11, 1861. The text of the CSA Constitution was verified at the University of Oklahoma and the Library of Congress and was marked up for Web display by…

The American’s Creed The American’s Creed was written in 1917 by William Tyler Page, an employee in the House. The Creed was one of 3000 entries in a contest sponsored by the New York Commissioner of Education. In 1919, Page was elected Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. When the majority party in the…

Constitution of the People’s Republic of China Advertisement The following is the complete text of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, as adopted on December 4, 1982. The electronic text was acquired from the The Wiretap Electronic Text Archive and was marked up for Web display by Steve Mount. If you are aware…

The Boston Port Act Advertisement In 1773, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act, which allowed theBritish East India Company to sell tea in America without any duty. The act waspartially passed because the East India Company’s imports of tea into Americahad declined sharply during the prior decade because of American boycotts. After the passage…