1. Declaration of Independence
1.1. 1.) What is the general purpose of this document?
1.1.1. The Declaration of Independence announced American freedom from Britain. It showed the colonies' reasons for rejecting British rule.
1.2. 2.) Who is responsible for writing it?
1.2.1. Thomas Jefferson and other members of the Continental Congress, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams wrote it.
1.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
1.3.1. 1776- Present
1.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
1.4.1. The document is broken down into 4 parts: The Preamble, A Declaration of Rights, A Bill of Indictment, and A Statement of Independence.
1.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
1.5.1. 1. It formally declared that the thirteen colonies of North America were free and independent from British control. 2. It was the basis for the American Revolution. 3. It was the basis for the establishment of the federal government and a new United States of America. 4. It states that "all men are created equal," so everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 5. The Declaration explained our right to rebel against a government that no longer guaranteed us our natural rights.
2. Northwest Ordinance
2.1. 1.) What is the general purpose of this document?
2.1.1. The Northwest Ordinance's purpose was to provide for the government of the area of the Ohio River and west of Pennsylvania.
2.2. 2.) Who is responsible for writing it?
2.2.1. General Nathan Dane and political leaders Rufus King and Manasseh Cutler are responsible for writing the Northwest Ordinance.
2.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
2.3.1. 1787- Present
2.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
2.4.1. It was broken into 6 articles and 14 sections.
2.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
2.5.1. 1. Under this document each district was to be governed by a governor and judges appointed by Congress until it reached a population of 5,000 free males, where it would then become a territory. 2. Slavery was outlawed from the lands of the Northwest Territory. 3. Included a Bill of Rights: Freedom of worship, trial by jury, free speech, habeas corpus and proportional representation. 4. It outlined a way to survey and indicate new lands so they could be sold to settlers. 5. It created a procedure for the addition of new states to the nation.
3. Articles of Confederation
3.1. 1.) What is the general purpose of this document?
3.1.1. The purpose was to provide a governing structure for the nation and the first rules. It organized and set up the form of the United States government.
3.2. 2.) Who is responsible for writing it?
3.2.1. John Dickinson, who was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress from Pennsylvania wrote it.
3.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
3.3.1. The time frame that the Articles of Confederation was significant was 1781-1789. This is because the Constitution replaced the Articles in 1789.
3.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
3.4.1. The Articles of Confederation are broken into a preamble and 13 articles.
3.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
3.5.1. 1. It kept the new U.S. together through the Revolutionary War and the early years of the country. 2. The Northwest Ordinance was created under the Articles of Confederation. 3. Provided Congress with the abilities to conduct foreign affairs and declare war or peace. 4. Denied Congress the ability to collect taxes and enforce laws. 5. It gave us our name, The United States of America and created the president of the United States' office.
4. Constitution
4.1. 1.) What is the general purpose of this document?
4.1.1. The Constitution sets forth the nation's basic laws and the form of the national government. It states all of people's rights.
4.2. 2.) Who is responsible for writing it?
4.2.1. James Madison is responsible for writing it and is known as "The Father of the Constitution."
4.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
4.3.1. 1789- Present
4.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
4.4.1. The document was broken down into a preamble, 7 articles, and 27 amendments.
4.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
4.5.1. 1. It outlines our rights as citizens. 2. It established America's national goverment. 3. The Constitution divides the government into three branches: legislative, judiciary, and executive. It describes the different powers assigned to each of the branches. It made sure that no single branch could have too much power (checks and balances). 4. It outlines the procedures for going to war. 5. Without it, America might have become a monarchy, gone back to the British Empire, or broke into multiple regional confederacies.
5. Bill of Rights
5.1. 1.) What is the general purpose of this document?
5.1.1. The Bill of Rights guarantees everyone to freedom of speech, religion, press, and the right of assembly.
5.2. 2.) Who is responsible for writing it?
5.2.1. James Madison is responsible for writing it.
5.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
5.3.1. 1789- Present
5.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
5.4.1. The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
5.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
5.5.1. 1. It forbids the government to violate people's liberties. 2. Amendments 1-8 contain the basic rights and freedoms of every citizen. 3. Amendment 9 forbids the government to limit freedoms and rights that are not listed in the Constitution. 4. Amendment 10 limits the powers of the federal government to those that are awarded to it in the Constitution. 5. December 15th is Bill of Right's Day to celebrate the Bill of Rights as amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
6. Federalist Papers
6.1. 1.) What is the general purpose of this document?
6.1.1. The general purpose was to urge ratification of the United States Constitution.
6.2. 2.) Who is responsible for writing it?
6.2.1. These were written to newspapers by American statesmen, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison.
6.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
6.3.1. 1787- Present
6.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
6.4.1. The document has 85 articles and essays.
6.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
6.5.1. 1. The authors did not defend every point in the proposed Constitution, but they argued that it was the best document. 2. It outlined the form of government preferred by the Federalists. 3. It helps us to understand more clearly what the authors of the Constitution had in mind when they drafted the Constitution. 4. The Federalist Papers convinced New York (and other states) to ratify the Constitution by explaining the benefits of being apart of the Union. 5. The papers show change, progress, and the stable development of the American society.
7. Anti-Federalist Papers
7.1. 1.) What is the general purpose of this document?
7.1.1. The general purpose was to oppose ratification of the United States Constitution.
7.2. 2.) Who is responsible for writing it?
7.2.1. The Anti-Federalist writers have never been identified, but historians have some theories about the men behind some of the pen names such as, Cato (likely George Clinton), Brutus (likely Robert Yates), Centinel (Samuel Bryan), and the Federal Farmer (likely Melancton Smith, Richard Henry Lee, or Mercy Otis Warren). Speeches by Patrick Henry and Melancton Smith are included as well.
7.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
7.3.1. 1787- Present
7.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
7.4.1. The document includes scattered writings. The work is vast and, mostly unorganized.
7.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
7.5.1. 1. The Anti-Federalists warned that weaknesses in the Constitution could allow creation of a strict government. 2. They were not as widely read as many independent local speeches and articles. 3. The Anti-Federalists saw threats to their rights and liberties in the Constitution that were so recently won from England. 4. The Anti- Federalist Papers included the issues of the Constitution and numerous basic problems of politics. 5. The papers weren't part of a unified group, but they were put together in a single form.