Links to Related Sites
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The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson drafted The Declaration of Independence between June 11 and June 28, 1776 -- our nation's most cherished symbol of liberty.
The Bill of Rights
On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution.
Constitution of the United States
Recounts how the Constitution was created & ratified. Read biographies of the Founding Fathers -- the 55 delegates who gathered in Philadelphia (May 1787) to revise the Articles of Confederation but ended up drafting an entirely new plan of government.
Public Law 108-447 Sec. 111 Division J - SEC. 111(b)
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To Form a More Perfect Union
Examines the role of the Continental Congress -- how it managed the war for independence, served as a symbol of national unity, incorporated the western territories, managed relations with Native Americans, identified defects in the Articles of Confederation, & created the Constitution.
America's Founding Documents
Features tools for learning about the U.S. Constitution. Meet the 55 delegates who gathered in Philadelphia in May 1787 to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. Learn what issues they faced. Discover the sources that inspired them. Read the essays printed in NYC papers urging ratification of their proposal. Explore a 200-year timeline showing the impact of their work, the Constitution, on our history. Search the Constitution & see explanations of 300 topics.
U.S. Historical Societies
A 50-state directory of Historical Societies and Archives Directories
Interactive Constitution
Lets you search the Constitution & find relevant passages & explanations. Discover how the Constitution relates to more than 300 topics, from civil rights to school prayer, including Supreme Court decisions.
Centuries of Citizenship A Constitutional Timeline
An interactive timeline of events marking more than 200 years of our constitutional history. These events tell the evolving story of our Constitution & the role it continues to play in our lives. See headlines, hear debates, explore maps & graphs.
United States Constitution
Includes notes Washington wrote on his copy of the Constitution, his diary at the Constitutional Convention, an essay on Madison's role in the Constitutional Convention, Madison's notes on the debates, Jefferson's letter to Madison expressing his opinions on the new Constitution & his belief that a Bill of Rights was needed, & more.
Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789
100 milestone documents of American history
U.S. Elected Officials
Find elected officials, including the president, members of Congress, governors, state legislators, local officials, and more.
