Important Documents

The Magna Carta, born out of a conflict between King John of England and his barons in 1215, laid the groundwork for principles that continue to shape modern governance. Understanding its historical context and enduring influence helps us appreciate the foundational ideas that underpin our...

During the late 1780s, the United States faced significant challenges with its initial governing framework, the Articles of Confederation. These issues prompted the creation of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays aimed at advocating for a stronger central government under the newly proposed...

The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, articulates the colonies' reasons for seeking independence from Great Britain. Jefferson presents the philosophical foundation that all men are created equal , endowed with inalienable rights such as life, liberty, and the...

The Albany Plan In late 1753, the London Board of Trade wrote to New York Governor James DeLancey. The Board supervised provincial affairs in the Americas. It was concerned about the French courting of the Iroquois (the Six Nations) and with the actions of some colonies which were antagonizing the...

The Report of the Annapolis Conference In September 1786, a conference was called in Annapolis, Maryland to discuss the state of commerce in the fledgling nation. The national government had no authority to regulate trade between and among the states. The conference was called to discuss ways to...

Also see the Constitutional Topics Page for this document, a comparison of the Articles and the Constitution , and a table with demographic data for the signers of the Articles . Images of the Articles are available . Contents Preamble Article I – Style Article II – States Rights Article III...

The Administration of Justice Act Advertisement Worried by the courts that convened in America and in Massachusetts in particular, and their bias toward the colonists over their British governors, on May 20, 1774, the Parliament passed the Administration of Justice Act. It provided that the...

Virginia Joint Resolution 728 Advertisement In the 1850 census, Virginia listed 472,528 slaves within its borders, the most of any state in the United States. Slavery was the backbone of the state’s economy, as it was in most of the other Southern agrarian states, states that would eventually...

The Virginia Declaration of Rights Advertisement After the Committee of Style finished with the final draft of the Constitution at the Constitutional Convention, George Mason stood up and noted that the new Constitution contained no declaration of the rights of the people, a glaring error in his...

James Wilson’s 4th of July Address James Wilson came to America from Scotland in 1765 and quickly learned the law and began to practice in Pennsylvania. By the time of the Revolution, he was well-known and trusted, and was elected to represent Pennsylvania in the Continental Congress. After the...

Issue Guide for “The Court” Advertisement Note: As of the third episode, The Court has been placed on hiatus. The Issue Guide will be updated if any further episodes air. The Court is a television show that airs on the ABC television network. It began airing in March, 2002. This page is not an...

Letter of Transmittal The Convention , upon completing its work on the Constitution, wrote a letter to the Congress. The letter, known as The Letter of Transmittal , laid out for Congress that which the Convention felt should happen next: that the Constitution should be presented to the states and...

Treaty Between the United States and Tripoli It is not often that an obscure treaty from the late 18th century becomes a touch point in a 21st century philosophical debate, but such is the case with the 1796 treaty between the United States and Tripoli. At issue is not the treaty itself — it...

The Declaration of Sentiments In 1840, Lucretia Mott attended the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London, England. Mott, a Quaker minister, was a strong abolitionist. She and the Hicksite Quakers refused to use materials produced with slave labor, including cotton and cane sugar. She worked as a...

The Declaration of Rights (Stamp Act) Advertisement In 1764, the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which placed tariffs on sugar, coffee, and other goods imported into the New World. These taxes increased the burden on ordinary citizens at a time of recession in America. It was thought that...

List of Presidential Vetoes The Senate Library maintains a list of all bills vetoed by presidents over time. This list is published from time to time. The source for the information presented on this page was published in three documents, Presidential Vetoes, 1789 – 1988, Presidential Vetoes,...

Washington’s Letter In addition to the official Letter of Transmittal that accompanied the freshly signed Constitution, the President of the Convention , George Washington, wrote his own personal letter to the President of Congress, Arthur St. Clair. The text of this letter can be found in the...

The Quartering Act Advertisement In 1765, Parliament passed a quartering act that stated that British troops in America would be housed in barracks and in public houses unless and until the number of troops overwhelmed the facilities, at which time, the troops could be housed in private commercial...

The Quebec Act Following the British victory over France in the Seven Years’ War, the territories of France in northern North America, known as Canada, were granted to Britain in the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The British renamed the territory Quebec. The British Parliament passed the Quebec Act on...

The Treaty of Paris The American Revolutionary War began in April of 1775, and though the outcome was never certain, the Americans had the force of will to carry them through the conflict. That, and the skill and good luck of the American military commanders. In 1781, the Continental Army, under...