Documents
America’s Founding Documents
Explore the writings, debates, and founding principles that shaped the United States. Choose a collection below to browse the original texts and related historical articles.
Declaration of Independence
Explore the Declaration, its historical setting, and related writings about the founding of the nation.
Explore the Declaration →Articles of Confederation
Read about America’s first national framework of government, which preceded the Constitution.
Explore the Articles →United States Constitution
Discover the Constitution, its articles, sections, and the structure of the federal government.
Explore the Constitution →Bill of Rights
Study the first ten amendments and the freedoms and protections they establish.
Explore the Bill of Rights →Additional Constitutional Amendments
Follow the constitutional changes adopted after the original Bill of Rights.
Explore the Amendments →The Federalist Papers
Read the essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay advocating ratification of the Constitution, with accompanying highlights and commentary.
Explore the Federalist Papers →Other Historical Documents
Browse additional primary sources, petitions, and writings from America’s early history.
Browse Historical Documents →This directory links to our existing historical collections. More detailed indexes will be added as we organize the library.