1. Articles of Confederation
1.1. 1.) What is the general purpose for this document?
1.1.1. The purpose of the Articles was to provide a general government for the 13 colonies that had won their freedom from British rule and to bring about "perpetual union" of these new states.
1.2. 2.) Who was responsible for writing it?
1.2.1. John Dickinson
1.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
1.3.1. During the years of 1777 through 1781
1.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
1.4.1. The articles listed all of the powers given to each state. It established the first governmental structure unifying the thirteen states that had fought in the American Revolution.
1.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
1.5.1. The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of The United States, it made the union of the thirteen colonies legal and identified them as sovereign states.They set up America's laws when it first began as a country but it was found to be a big failure. so the founding fathers got together again and wrote the Constitution Under the Articles, the states were held together until a new government under the Constitution was created. The most important aspect of the Articles of Confederation was, simply put, its weakness. The fact that it provided an almost powerless central government to the fledgling United States is an important part of this.
2. Constitution
2.1. 1.) What is the general purpose for this document?
2.1.1. The primary purpose of the Constitution is to provide a sense of direction to the organization of the three branches of the U.S. Government.
2.2. 2.) Who was responsible for writing it?
2.2.1. James Madison, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton. They are called the founding fathers
2.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
2.3.1. September 17, 1787 and its still important today
2.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
2.4.1. preamble, twenty-two parts containing three hundred and ninety five articles, twelve schedules, ninety-four amendments, and five appendices.
2.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
2.5.1. protects us, founded our government, protects us from incriminating ourselves, freedom of speech and religion
3. Bill of Rights
3.1. 1.) What is the general purpose for this document?
3.1.1. The purpose of the Bill of Rights was to guarantee the individual rights of citizens under the Constitution.
3.2. 2.) Who was responsible for writing it?
3.2.1. George Mason and James Madison
3.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
3.3.1. December 15, 1791 and it is still important today
3.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
3.4.1. In 10 Amendments before the constitution
3.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
3.5.1. Freedom of Speech, Right to keep and bear arms, Right of search and seizure regulated, Right to a trial by jury, Excessive bail, cruel punishment
4. Federalists Papers
4.1. 1.) What is the general purpose for this document?
4.1.1. The entire purpose of The Federalist Papers was to gain popular support for the then-proposed Constitution.They outlined the need for a stronger central government.
4.2. 2.) Who was responsible for writing it?
4.2.1. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay
4.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
4.3.1. 1787-1788 and is still important today
4.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
4.4.1. Consist of 85 essays outlining how this new government would operate and why this type of government was the best choice for the United States of America.
4.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
4.5.1. They convinced the State of New York (and other states) to ratify the Constitution by explaining the benefits of belonging to the Union.They served as a guide to understanding the founders' intent for each Article of the Constitution. They made a preservation of the public peace as well as against internal convulsions as external attacks.They persuaded many people to support ratification who might otherwise have opposed it. The Federalist Papers remain the most excellent, argument for the Constitution, and republican government in general.
5. Anti- Federalists papers
5.1. 1.) What is the general purpose for this document?
5.1.1. to outline key ideas in support of the constitution.
5.2. 2.) Who was responsible for writing it?
5.2.1. Alexander Hamilton
5.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
5.3.1. 1787-1789 and it is still important today
5.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
5.4.1. Morton Borden collected some the best of the anti-federalist papers together, editied all or parts of them into 85 sections
5.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
5.5.1. Was responsible for the Bill of Rights being added to our Constitution, set up the Continental Congress at the federal level. The Articles set the Congress, as the highest power in the nation because of the fear of a monarchy. Congress was given the power to declare war, assign treaties, entertain foreign relations, and operate post offices. Disputes between states and territorial issues were to be brought to Congress. The document also stipulated that Canada was allowed to enter the Union if they desired.
6. Declaration of independence
6.1. 1.) What is the general purpose for this document?
6.1.1. The general purposes are getting reluctant colonists to realize that loyalty to Britain was a lost cause, explaining the Congress' position on the purpose of human government, and to encourage foreign nations to help them.
6.2. 2.) Who was responsible for writing it?
6.2.1. Thomas Jefferson wrote the document.
6.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
6.3.1. It is significant from 1776 and it is still significant today.
6.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
6.4.1. It is divided into four parts, purpose, government, greivences, and sovereignty
6.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
6.5.1. declared independence from Great Britain, created the united states, formed 13 colonies, it is what led to our independence from King George III, The Declaration of Independence justified our right to revolt against a government that no longer guaranteed us our natural rights.
7. Northwest Ordinance
7.1. 1.) What is the general purpose for this document?
7.1.1. The most significant intended purpose of this legislation was its mandate for the creation of new states from the region, the United States would admit new states to the Union on an equal basis with the original states.
7.2. 2.) Who was responsible for writing it?
7.2.1. Thomas Jefferson
7.3. 3.) What time frame was/is the document significant?
7.3.1. July 13, 1787 and is important today
7.4. 4.) How is the document structured?
7.4.1. Located within the text of the Northwest Ordinance was a section entitled “Articles of Compact”, consisting of 6 procedural requirements to which settlers were obligated to adhere. They included an outline of processes and regulations, which ensured that the guidelines set forth in the Articles of Confederation were upheld in every territory included in the western expansion effort. -
7.5. 5.) What are the top 5 most important things we need to know about this document?
7.5.1. established the Northwest Territory, It outlawed slavery in the territory, made provisions for public education, outlined a bill of rights, and established rules for the admission of new states that would be created out of its territory and laid out a process by which the territory would be divided into states which could then enter the union.