1. Declaration of Independence
1.1. 1. What is the general purpose of the document?
1.1.1. The purpose of The Declaration of independence was to gain freedom from Great Britain, to gain and protect the rights of a US citizen, and a new theory for government.
1.2. 2. Who was responsible for writing it?
1.2.1. John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson.
1.3. 3. What time frame was/is the document significant?
1.3.1. This document is significant from 1776 all the way up to now.
1.4. 4 .How is the document structured?
1.4.1. By a starting section called the preamble and then in smaller sections each having there own topic.
1.5. 5. What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
1.5.1. 1.Gave us separation from Britain 2. It gives us sovereignty, rule by the people 3.Gives us the Inalienable Rights, The rights of Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness 4. Gives us the Natural Law, laws of nature and God, not men 5. Finally it gives us equality or the idea that all men are created equal
2. Northwest Ordinance
2.1. 1. What is the general purpose of the document?
2.1.1. The purpose of the Northwest Ordinance was the creation of the Northwest territory.
2.2. 2. Who was responsible for writing it?
2.2.1. Nathan Dane and Thomas Jefferson
2.3. 3. What time frame was/is the document significant?
2.3.1. This document was significant from 1787-till now
2.4. 4 .How is the document structured?
2.4.1. into articles
2.5. 5. What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
2.5.1. 1. Created the Northwest territory 2. Allowed admission for 60,000 residents 3. Gave us the Natural Rights it was a precursor to the Bill of Rights 4. Also developed an organized government 5. Under the Northwest Ordinance slavery was not permited
3. Articles of Confederation
3.1. 1. What is the general purpose of the document?
3.1.1. The purpose of the Articles of Confederation is to provide a general government for the 13 colonies and to bring out the "perpetual union" of these new states.
3.2. 2. Who was responsible for writing it?
3.2.1. John Dickinson
3.3. 3. What time frame was/is the document significant?
3.3.1. 1781-1789
3.4. 4 .How is the document structured?
3.4.1. into articles
3.5. 5. What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
3.5.1. 1.Practically the first version of our constitution 2.Written to govern the 13 colonies during The Revolutionary War 3. Created a one branch government (legislative branch) 4.Had limited powers over the states 5.Very difficult to amend causing it to fail
4. Constitution
4.1. 1. What is the general purpose of the document?
4.1.1. The purpose of the Constitution is to establish the basic rights of all American citizens and to put the Judicial, Executive, and Legislative branches of government into affect.
4.2. 2. Who was responsible for writing it?
4.2.1. Govenor Morris and 55 delegates
4.3. 3. What time frame was/is the document significant?
4.3.1. 1787-now
4.4. 4 .How is the document structured?
4.4.1. preamble, the articles, and the amendmnats
4.5. 5. What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
4.5.1. 1.Protects the rights of the people 2. Separation of Powers 3. Division of Federal and State Powers 4.It establishes a basic structure for the US government 5.The constitution is basically an outline of how are country is ran
5. Bill of Rights
5.1. 1. What is the general purpose of the document?
5.1.1. The purpose of the Bill of Rights is for greater constitutional protection for individual liberties.
5.2. 2. Who was responsible for writing it?
5.2.1. James Madison
5.3. 3. What time frame was/is the document significant?
5.3.1. 1791-now
5.4. 4 .How is the document structured?
5.4.1. 10 amendmants
5.5. 5. What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
5.5.1. 1.Bill of Rights is another name given to the first 10 amendments given to the constitution 2.Based on several earlier documents throughout history such as the Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights 3. It lists a collection of our most important protections against a government that would abuse them 4. Gives us freedom of speech, right to bear arms, speedy trial, and unreasonable searches and seizures 5.The rest of the rights it gives us are in the hands of the people
6. Federalist Papers
6.1. 1. What is the general purpose of the document?
6.1.1. The purpose for the Federalist Papers was to persuade the New Yorkers to ratify the Constitution
6.2. 2. Who was responsible for writing it?
6.2.1. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
6.3. 3. What time frame was/is the document significant?
6.3.1. 1787-now
6.4. 4 .How is the document structured?
6.4.1. 85 essays
6.5. 5. What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
6.5.1. 1. Can teach us more abut the constitution 2.One of the strongest arguments of the constitution 3. 9 states had to ratify the document before it could become a law of the land 4.Brought the idea of a republican government 5.people in favor of the ratification were known as federalists
7. Anti-Federalist Papers
7.1. 1. What is the general purpose of the document?
7.1.1. The purpose for the Anti-Federalist Papers was to give reasons against the ratification of the Constitution.
7.2. 2. Who was responsible for writing it?
7.2.1. no official writer but many people contributed in making the Anti-Federalist Papers
7.3. 3. What time frame was/is the document significant?
7.3.1. 1787-1789
7.4. 4 .How is the document structured?
7.4.1. various forms of different writings of anti-federalists
7.5. 5. What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
7.5.1. 1.The people who supported the anti-federalist papers insisted that the bill of rights must be included in the constitution 2.people against the ratification of the constitution were known as the anti-federalists 3.There was no official authors of this document but several different forms of writing were put together to form the anti-federalist papers 4.The anti-federalist papers give warnings about what will happen if the constitution is ratified 5. The main argument in the anti-federalist papers was the adoption of The Bill of Rights