US Founding Documents

U.S. Declaration of Independence

Jefferson’s Original Draft of the Declaration of Independence

Articles of Association

Articles of Confederation

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The Debates in the Several Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, Jonathan Elliot (1836) — A collection of documents, including proceedings of the ratifying state conventions.

Documentary History of the Bill of Rights — From the English Bill of Rights through the proposed amendments of the state ratifying conventions to the drafts debated in Congress before adopting the final version.

Magna Carta

Principles of Constitutional Interpretation

U.S. Constitutional Law — Cornell archive.

U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates — Library of Congress collection.

Letters of Delegates to Congress — Library of Congress collection.

Journals of the Continental Congress — Library of Congress collection.

U.S. Government — Starting point for U.S. Government Hypertexts.

U.S. Historical Documents — Collection at the University of Oklahoma.

Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England - The Avalon Project at Yale University

John Locke –  Two Treatises on Government

An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery – Pennsylvania; March 1, 1780

An Act Repealing the Stamp Act; March 18, 1766

The Administration of Justice Act; May 20, 1774

Albany Plan of Union 1754

Alexander Hamilton’s Opinion as to the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States, 1791

Algeria : Treaty of Peace and Amity September 5, 1795

The Alien Act – An Act Respecting Alien Enemies : July 6, 1798

The Alien and Sedition Acts : 1798

The American Constitution – A Documentary Record

The Annapolis Convention; September 11, 1786

Annual Messages of the Presidents of the United States

Articles of Capitulation; October 18, 1781

Articles of Confederation; March 1, 1781

Articles of Convention Between Lieutenant-General Burgoyne and Major General Gates; October 16, 1777

Association of the Sons of Liberty in New York; December 15, 1773

The Association of the Virginia Convention; August 1-6, 1774

The Barbary Treaties 1786-1836

Boston Non-Importation Agreement, August 1, 1768

The Boston Port Act : March 31, 1774

British-American Diplomacy

Charles II’s Grant of New England to the Duke of York, 1676 – Exemplified by Queen Anne; 1712

Charleston Non-Importation Agreement; July 22, 1769

The Charlotte Town Resolves; May 31, 1775

Charter of Delaware – October 28, 1701

Charter of Georgia : June 9, 1732

Charter of Privileges Granted by William Penn, esq. to the Inhabitants of Pennsylvania and Territories, October 28, 1701

Circular Letter of the Boston Committee of Correspondence; May 13, 1774

Circular Letter to the Governors in America; April 21, 1768

Circular Letter of the Secretary of Congress, Dated September 28, 1787, Transmitting Copy of the Constitution to the Several Governors.

Colonial Charters, Grants and Related Documents

Connecticut Resolutions on the Stamp Act: December 10, 1765

Constitution of Delaware; September 21, 1776

Constitution of Georgia; February 5, 1777

Constitution of Maryland; November 11, 1776

Constitution of New Hampshire – January 5, 1776

Constitution of New Jersey; July 2, 1776

Constitution of New York : April 20, 1777

Constitution of North Carolina : December 18, 1776

Constitution of Pennsylvania – September 28, 1776

Constitution of South Carolina – March 26, 1776

Constitution of South Carolina – March 19, 1778

Constitution of the United States – 1787

Constitution of Vermont – July 8, 1777

Constitution of Vermont – July 4, 1786

The Constitution of Virginia; June 29, 1776

Contract Between the King and the Thirteen United States of North America, signed at Versailles July 16, 1782

Contract between the King and the Thirteen United States of North America February 25, 1783

Convention Defining and Establishing the Functions and Privileges of Consuls and Vice Consuls, signed at Versailles November 14, 1788.

The Currency Act; April 19, 1764

Declarations for Suspension of Arms and Cessation of Hostilities; January 20, 1783

Declaration of Independence; July 4, 1776

Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms : July 6, 1775

Declaration of the Commissioners under Article 5 of the Jay Treaty October 25, 1798

Declaration of the Rights of Man; 1789

Declarations and Resolves of the First Continental Congress; October 14, 1774

The Declaratory Act; March 18, 1766

Draft Constitution for Virginia; June 1776

Exchange of Notes Referring to Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France of February 6, 1778

Explanatory Article to Article 3 of the Jay Treaty May 5, 1796

Explanatory Article to Article 5 of the Jay Treaty March 15, 1798

Explanatory Charter of Massachusetts Bay – August 26, 1725

France : Treaties of 1778 and Associated Documents

Franco-American Diplomacy

George Washington : Papers

Gervaise, Isaac; The System or Theory of the Trade of the World : 1720

Greenville, Treaty of; August 3, 1795

Hamilton’s Opinion as to the Constitutionality of the Bank of the United States, 1791

Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States

 

 

The Jay Treaty 1794 and Associated Documents

The Jefferson Papers

Jefferson’s Opinion on the Constitutionality of a National Bank, 1791

Journals of the Continental Congress 1774-1789 : Selected Documents

The Judiciary Act; September 24, 1789

Kentucky Resolutions : Draft – October 1798

Kentucky Resolution – 1799

Lee’s Resolution; June 7, 1776

Letter from Lieutenant-Governor Colden to the Earl of Dartmouth; June 1, 1774

Letter from the New York Committee of Fifty-One to the Boston Committee of Correspondence; May 23, 1774

Letter of the President of the Federal Convention, Dated September 17, 1787, to the President of Congress, Transmitting the Constitution.

Letters From an American Farmer

Maryland Toleration Act; September 21, 1649

The Massachusetts Government Act; May 20, 1774

The Mecklenburgh Resolutions : May 20, 1775

Madison’s Notes on Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787

Massachusetts Circular Letter to the Colonial Legislatures; February 11, 1768

Money and Trade Considered With a Proposal for Supplying the Nation with Money by John Law 1705

Morocco – Treaty of Treaty of Peace and Friendship : 1786

Native Americans : Statutes of the United States

Native Americans : Treaties with the United States

New Hampshire Constitution – January 5, 1776

New York Merchants Non-importation Agreement; October 31, 1765

Northwest Ordinance; July 13, 1787

Notes of Alexander Hamilton in the Federal Convention of 1787

Notes of Major William Pierce (Georgia) in the Federal Convention of 1787

Notes of Rufus King in the Federal Convention of 1787

Notes of William Paterson in the Federal Convention of 1787

Notes on Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 Reported by James Madison

Notes of the Secret Debates of the Federal Convention of 1787, Taken by the Late Hon Robert Yates, Chief Justice of the State of New York, and One of the Delegates from That State to the Said Convention

Papers of Dr. James McHenry on the Federal Convention of 1787

Papers of the Presidents of the United States

The Paris Peace Treaty 1783 and Associated Documents

Patrick Henry – Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death; March 23, 1775

Petition from the Massachusetts House of Representatives to the House of Commons; November 3, 1764

Petition of the Virginia House of Burgesses to the House of Commons: December 18, 1764

The Philadelphia Resolutions; October 16, 1773

The Plan of Charles Pinckney (South Carolina), Presented to the Federal Convention, May 29, 1787

Plan of the Treaties with France of 1778

Preamble and Resolution of the Virginia Convention, May 15, 1776

Preliminary Articles of Peace; November 30, 1782

Proceedings of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government; September 11, 1786

Proceedings of Farmington, Connecticut, on the Boston Port Act; May 19, 1774

Proceedings of the Inhabitants of Philadelphia; June 18, 1774

Proclamation Declaring the Cesssation of Arms : April 11, 1783

The Proclamation of Neutrality, April 22, 1793

A Project for Perpetual Peace; 1761 – PDF File -

The Quartering Act; May 15, 1765

The Quartering Act; June 2, 1774

Quasi War with France, 1791-1800 – Documents

The Quebec Act: October 7, 1774

The Queen’s Acceptance of the Surrender of Government; April 17, 1709

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Connecticut; January 8, 1788

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Delaware; December 7, 1787

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Georgia; January 2, 1788

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Maryland; April 28, 1788.

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Massachusetts; February 6, 1788

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New Hampshire; June 21, 1788

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New Jersey; December 18, 1787

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New York; July 26, 1788

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of North Carolina; November 21, 1789

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Pennsylvania; December 12, 1787

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Rhode Island; May 29, 1790.

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of South Carolina; May 23, 1788.

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Virginia; June 26, 1788.

Report of Proceedings in Congress; February 21, 1787

Report on Government for Western Territory; March 1, 1784

Resolution of Congress, Dated July 2, 1788, Submitting Ratifications of the Constitution to a Committee

Resolution of the Congress, of September 13, 1788, Fixing Date for Election of a President, and the Organization of the Government Under the Constitution, in the City of New York.

Resolution of Congress of September 28, 1787, Submitting the Constitution To the Several States.

Resolution of the First Congress Submitting Twelve Amendments to the Constitution; March 4, 1789

Resolution of Secrecy Adopted by the Continental Congress, November 9, 1775

Resolution of the Federal Convention Submitting the Constitution to Congress, September 17, 1787

Resolution of the General Assembly of Virginia, January 21, 1786

Resolutions of the Boston Town Meeting; September 13, 1768

Resolutions of the Congress of October 19, 1765

Resolutions of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Agreeing to the Virginia Proposal; May 28, 1773

Resolutions of the Provincial Congress of Virginia; March 23, 1775

Resolves of the Pennsylvania Assembly on the Stamp Act, September 21, 1765

The Royal Proclamation – October 7, 1763

Sedition Act – An Act in Addition to the Act, Entitled “An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes Against the United States.” : July 14, 1798

Spanish-American Diplomacy

The Stamp Act, March 22, 1765

The Statute of Anne; April 10, 1710

Statutes of the United States

Statutes of the United States Concerning Native Americans

Statutes of the United States Concerning Slavery

The Sugar Act; September 29, 1764

Surrender from the Proprietors of East and West New Jersey, of Their Pretended Right of Government to Her Majesty; 1702

The System or Theory of the Trade of the World by Isaac Gervaise : 1720

Thomas Jefferson : Papers

Thomas Jefferson’s Opinion on the Constitutionality of a National Bank, 1791

The Townshend Act, November 20, 1767

Treaty of 1790 Between the Creeks and the United States – Documents

A Treaty of Amity and Commerce between His Majesty the King of Prussia, and the United States of America; September 10, 1785

Treaty of Friendship, Limits, and Navigation Between Spain and The United States; October 27, 1795

The Treaty of Paris; February 10, 1763

The Treaty of Paris 1783 and Associated Documents

Treaty of Peace and Amity Between the United States and Algeria September 5, 1795

Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between the United States and Morroco: 1786

Tripoli : Treaty of Peace and Friendship November 4, 1796

Tunis : Treaty of Peace and Friendship August 28, 1797

United States Constitution

Variant Texts of the Plan Presented by Hamilton to the Federal Convention, June 18, 1787. Text. A

Variant Texts of the Plan Presented by Hamilton to the Federal Convention, June 18, 1787. Text. B

Variant Texts of the Plan Presented by Hamilton to the Federal Convention, June 18, 1787. Text. C

Variant Texts of the Plan Presented by Hamilton to the Federal Convention, June 18, 1787. Text. D

Variant Texts of the Plan Presented by Hamilton to the Federal Convention, June 18, 1787. Text. E

Variant Texts of the Plan Presented by William Patterson, ( N. J. ) to the Federal Convention, June 15, 1787. Text A

Variant Texts of the Plan Presented by William Patterson, ( N. J. ) to the Federal Convention, June 15, 1787. Text B

Variant Texts of the Plan Presented by William Patterson, ( N. J. ) to the Federal Convention, June 15, 1787. Text C

Variant Texts of the Virginia Plan, Presented by Edmund Randolph to the Federal Convention, May 29, 1787. Text A.

Variant Texts of the Virginia Plan, Presented by Edmund Randolph to the Federal Convention, May 29, 1787. Text B.

Variant Texts of the Virginia Plan, Presented by Edmund Randolph to the Federal Convention, May 29, 1787. Text C.

Virginia Declaration of Rights; June 12, 1776

Virginia Resolution; December 24, 1798

Virginia Resolutions Establishing A Committee of Correspondence; March 12, 1773

Washington’s Farewell Address; 1796

Washington, George : Papers

Wharton’s Revolutionary Diplomatic Correspondence Volume 6

The Whiskey Rebellion – August 7, 1794