American Founding Documents
Prepared by Augustine, February 11, 2026
The primary sources of American liberty: the documents that founded the republic, the antecedents that shaped the Founders' thinking, and the speeches that extended the promise of freedom. Each entry links to the full text online.
Founding Documents
| Title | Year | Author(s) | Description | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Declaration of Independence | 1776 | Thomas Jefferson (principal author) | Announced the separation of the thirteen colonies from Great Britain and articulated the natural rights philosophy that underlies American government. | archives.gov |
| Articles of Confederation | 1781 | Continental Congress | The first constitution of the United States, establishing a loose confederation of sovereign states. Its weaknesses led to the Constitutional Convention. | archives.gov |
| Constitution of the United States | 1787 | Constitutional Convention (James Madison, principal architect) | The supreme law of the United States, establishing the framework of federal government with separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism. | constitution.congress.gov |
| Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10) | 1791 | James Madison (principal author) | The first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing fundamental liberties including freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and the rights of the accused. | archives.gov |
Constitutional Amendments (11-27)
| Amendment | Year | Summary | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11th Amendment | 1795 | Limits suits against states in federal court by citizens of other states or foreign nations. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 12th Amendment | 1804 | Revises the Electoral College procedure so that President and Vice President are elected on separate ballots. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 13th Amendment | 1865 | Abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 14th Amendment | 1868 | Grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., guarantees due process and equal protection of the laws. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 15th Amendment | 1870 | Prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 16th Amendment | 1913 | Authorizes Congress to levy a federal income tax. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 17th Amendment | 1913 | Establishes direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 18th Amendment | 1919 | Prohibits the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. Later repealed by the 21st Amendment. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 19th Amendment | 1920 | Guarantees women the right to vote. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 20th Amendment | 1933 | Moves the start of presidential and congressional terms, eliminates the "lame duck" session. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 21st Amendment | 1933 | Repeals the 18th Amendment, ending Prohibition. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 22nd Amendment | 1951 | Limits the President to two terms in office. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 23rd Amendment | 1961 | Grants residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 24th Amendment | 1964 | Prohibits poll taxes in federal elections. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 25th Amendment | 1967 | Establishes procedures for presidential succession and disability. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 26th Amendment | 1971 | Lowers the voting age to eighteen. | constitution.congress.gov |
| 27th Amendment | 1992 | Delays congressional pay raises until after the next election of Representatives. Originally proposed in 1789. | constitution.congress.gov |
Constitutional Convention
| Title | Year | Author(s) | Description | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Plan | 1787 | Edmund Randolph (presented); James Madison (principal author) | Proposed a strong national government with representation based on population. Served as the working draft for the Constitution. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| New Jersey Plan | 1787 | William Paterson | Counter-proposal favoring equal representation for each state regardless of size, preserving the structure of the Articles of Confederation. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Hamilton's Plan | 1787 | Alexander Hamilton | Proposed a powerful central government with a president and senators serving for life on good behavior. Never adopted but influenced debate. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise) | 1787 | Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth | Resolved the dispute between large and small states by creating a bicameral legislature: proportional representation in the House, equal representation in the Senate. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Committee of Detail Report | 1787 | John Rutledge (chair), Edmund Randolph, others | First full draft of the Constitution, produced by the Committee of Detail from the Convention's resolutions. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Committee of Style Report | 1787 | Gouverneur Morris (principal drafter) | The near-final draft of the Constitution, polished by the Committee of Style. Morris wrote the famous Preamble. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
Formative Documents
| Title | Year | Author(s) | Description | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magna Carta | 1215 | English barons; King John (compelled signatory) | The foundation of English liberty. Established that the king is subject to law and guaranteed rights including due process. Directly influenced the American Founders. | archives.gov |
| Mayflower Compact | 1620 | Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony | The first governing document of Plymouth Colony. Established self-government by consent of the governed in the New World. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Fundamental Orders of Connecticut | 1639 | Thomas Hooker and the settlers of Connecticut | Often called the first written constitution in the Western tradition. Established a representative government based on the will of the people. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| English Bill of Rights | 1689 | Parliament of England | Limited the power of the monarchy and established parliamentary supremacy, freedom from cruel punishment, and the right to petition. A direct ancestor of the American Bill of Rights. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Virginia Declaration of Rights | 1776 | George Mason | Proclaimed inherent natural rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Directly influenced the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. | archives.gov |
| Common Sense | 1776 | Thomas Paine | The pamphlet that convinced ordinary Americans to support independence. Argued in plain language that monarchy was absurd and self-government was both possible and necessary. | gutenberg.org |
| Northwest Ordinance | 1787 | Continental Congress | Established governance for the Northwest Territory and prohibited slavery there. Set the precedent for admitting new states on equal footing with the original thirteen. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Washington's Farewell Address | 1796 | George Washington (with Alexander Hamilton) | Washington's parting counsel to the nation, warning against political factions, foreign entanglements, and sectionalism. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Jefferson's First Inaugural Address | 1801 | Thomas Jefferson | A call for national unity after a bitterly contested election. Articulated the principles of limited government and individual rights. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Monroe Doctrine | 1823 | James Monroe (with John Quincy Adams) | Declared the Western Hemisphere closed to further European colonization and established a cornerstone of American foreign policy for two centuries. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
The Federalist Papers (Key Selections)
| Number | Author | Subject | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federalist No. 1 | Alexander Hamilton | Introduction: the importance of the decision before the nation. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Federalist No. 10 | James Madison | The problem of faction and how a large republic controls it. The most cited of all the papers. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Federalist No. 39 | James Madison | Defines the republican character of the proposed government. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Federalist No. 47 | James Madison | Separation of powers: why concentrating all power in one branch is tyranny. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Federalist No. 51 | James Madison | Checks and balances. "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Federalist No. 70 | Alexander Hamilton | The case for a single, energetic executive. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Federalist No. 78 | Alexander Hamilton | The judiciary as the "least dangerous branch" and the foundation for judicial review. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Federalist No. 84 | Alexander Hamilton | Argues against a Bill of Rights, claiming the Constitution itself protects liberty. History proved him partly wrong. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Complete Federalist Papers | Hamilton, Madison, Jay | All 85 papers collected. | gutenberg.org |
Anti-Federalist Papers (Key Selections)
| Title | Author (Pseudonym) | Subject | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brutus No. 1 | Brutus (likely Robert Yates) | Argues a republic cannot govern so large a territory without becoming tyrannical. The most important Anti-Federalist essay. | constitution.org |
| Brutus No. 2 | Brutus | Warns that the "necessary and proper" clause gives Congress unlimited power. | constitution.org |
| Federal Farmer No. 1 | Federal Farmer (possibly Melancton Smith) | Critiques the Constitution for consolidating too much power and lacking adequate representation. | constitution.org |
| Centinel No. 1 | Centinel (Samuel Bryan) | Argues the Constitution lacks sufficient checks on power and will lead to aristocracy. | constitution.org |
| Cato No. 5 | Cato (likely George Clinton) | Warns about the dangers of a powerful presidency becoming monarchical. | constitution.org |
Freedom and Liberty
| Title | Year | Author(s) | Description | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emancipation Proclamation | 1863 | Abraham Lincoln | Executive order declaring slaves in Confederate states to be free. Transformed the Civil War into a war for human freedom and changed the course of American history. | archives.gov |
| Gettysburg Address | 1863 | Abraham Lincoln | In 272 words, Lincoln redefined the meaning of the Civil War and rededicated the nation to the proposition that all men are created equal. | archives.gov |
| Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address | 1865 | Abraham Lincoln | A meditation on the war's divine meaning, calling for reconciliation "with malice toward none, with charity for all." | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| "I Have a Dream" Speech | 1963 | Martin Luther King Jr. | Delivered at the March on Washington, King's vision of racial justice rooted in the Declaration's promise that all men are created equal. One of the greatest speeches in American history. | avalon.law.yale.edu |
| Letter from Birmingham Jail | 1963 | Martin Luther King Jr. | King's defense of nonviolent civil disobedience, written from a jail cell. Argues that unjust laws are no laws at all, drawing on Augustine, Aquinas, and the natural law tradition. | upenn.edu |
Summary
- Founding Documents: 4
- Constitutional Amendments (11-27): 17
- Constitutional Convention: 6
- Formative Documents: 10
- Federalist Papers (key selections): 9
- Anti-Federalist Papers (key selections): 5
- Freedom and Liberty: 5
- Total entries: 56
Links verified February 2026. Prefer archives.gov, constitution.congress.gov, avalon.law.yale.edu, and gutenberg.org for stable full-text sources.
Sic semper tyrannis.