1. Declaration of Independence
1.1. 1.What is the general purpose of this document?
1.1.1. To give America independence from England.
1.2. 2.Who was responsible for writing it?
1.2.1. Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman, John Adams, and Robert R. Livingston.
1.3. 3.What time frame was/is the document significant?
1.3.1. This document was significant when it was made, 1776, and it is still significant today.
1.4. 4.How is the document structured?
1.4.1. It is structured in a main idea and details form.
1.5. 5.What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
1.5.1. 1) It gave America independence from England. 2) Gave Americans their basic rights. 3) Didn't take away slavery. 4) It wasn't signed on July 4th, 1776. 5) More than one copy was made.
2. Northwest Ordinance
2.1. 1.What is the general purpose of this document?
2.1.1. To "make" the Northwest Territory.
2.2. 2.Who was responsible for writing it?
2.2.1. Most likely Nathan Dane and Rufus King wrote the Ordinance.
2.3. 3.What time frame was/is the document significant?
2.3.1. This document was most important in the early expansion of the U.S.
2.4. 4.How is the document structured?
2.4.1. It was structured into paragraphs.
2.5. 5.What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
2.5.1. 1) Granted religious freedom to all residents of the Northwest Territory. 2) Forbidden the holding of slaves in the territory. 3) Also encouraged school and means of education. 4) That the territory will be split up into states and be equal with the original 13. 5) It is where we live.
3. Articles of Confediration
3.1. 1.What is the general purpose of this document?
3.1.1. The document's purpose was the provide a general government for the newly independent 13 colonies.
3.2. 2.Who was responsible for writing it?
3.2.1. John Dickinson wrote the Articles.
3.3. 3.What time frame was/is the document significant?
3.3.1. It was important in the early times of America's independence.
3.4. 4.How is the document structured?
3.4.1. The Articles of Confederation are split into parts based of different topics.
3.5. 5.What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
3.5.1. 1) Was first try 2) 3) 4) 5)
4. Bill of Rights
4.1. 1.What is the general purpose of this document?
4.1.1. Its purpose is to give Americans certain freedoms and rights that can't be taken away from them.
4.2. 2.Who was responsible for writing it?
4.2.1. James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights.
4.3. 3.What time frame was/is the document significant?
4.3.1. This document was very important when it was ratified in 1791, but it is also equally important in the present day.
4.4. 4.How is the document structured?
4.4.1. The Bill of Rights is in a numerical topic structure.
4.5. 5.What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
4.5.1. 1) Gave us several things, like freedom of religion, press, etc., and though things can't be taken away. 2) A later amendment, 15, stopped slavery. 3) This document was added to the Constitution after the debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. 4) When the Bill of Rights said "the people", it was referring to land-owning white men. 5) Originally the Bill of Rights had 12 amendments, but only 10 were ratified.
5. Federalist Papers
5.1. 1.What is the general purpose of this document?
5.1.1. Its general purpose is to outline certain points to support the Constitution.
5.2. 2.Who was responsible for writing it?
5.2.1. James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers.
5.3. 3.What time frame was/is the document significant?
5.3.1. They were significant in the late 1780s.
5.4. 4.How is the document structured?
5.4.1. The Papers are in a series of paragraphs.
5.5. 5.What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
5.5.1. 1) Were in several newspapers in New York. 2) Were meant to persuade New Yorkers to ratify the Constitution. 3) Most of the paragraphs were written by Alexander Hamilton. 4) The authorship of the papers were secret until his death. 5) Hamilton was somewhat forced to write the papers.
6. Anti-Federalist Papers
6.1. 1.What is the general purpose of this document?
6.1.1. The papers' purpose was to show why the Anti-Federalists didn't want the Constitution ratified.
6.2. 2.Who was responsible for writing it?
6.2.1. George Clinton, Robert Yates, and Samuel Bryan were most likely responsible for writing it.
6.3. 3.What time frame was/is the document significant?
6.3.1. These documents were most important in the late 1780s.
6.4. 4.How is the document structured?
6.4.1. The were in paragraph format.
6.5. 5.What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
6.5.1. 1) There were 85 topics talked about in the papers. 2) 3) 4) 5)
7. Constitution
7.1. 1.What is the general purpose of this document?
7.1.1. Its purpose is the same as the Articles of Confederation, but in addition it was also meant to separate the powers of government.
7.2. 2.Who was responsible for writing it?
7.2.1. The Constitution was not made by one person; the Philadelphia Convention did such a thing.
7.3. 3.What time frame was/is the document significant?
7.3.1. This document was important when it was first made, but it is also very significant up to this day.
7.4. 4.How is the document structured?
7.4.1. It is structured into paragraphs.
7.5. 5.What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
7.5.1. 1) Includes the Bill of Rights. 2) Amendments have still been recently added. 3) Was the second try at an American government. 4) To change the original writing of the Constitution is not allowed. 5) The Constitution was "penned" by Jacob Shallus.