Documents needed to know and what they are

Mayflower Compact

An early example of self-government established in 1620.

Declaration of Independence

The document that broke the American colonies from Britain in 1776, based on Enlightenment ideals.

Articles of Confederation

The first (weak) U.S. government, ratified in 1781.

U.S. Constitution

The current framework of the U.S. government, adopted in 1787.

Federalist Papers

A series of essays published in 1787–88 arguing for the ratification of the Constitution, especially Federalist #10 & #51.

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791, protecting individual liberties.

Washington’s Farewell Address

George Washington's 1796 speech that warned against political parties and foreign alliances.

Monroe Doctrine

A 1823 policy warning European nations to stay out of the Western Hemisphere.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued in 1863 declaring all slaves in rebelling states to be free.

Maryland Toleration Act

A 1649 law granting religious freedom to Christians in Maryland.

Albany Plan of Union

Benjamin Franklin’s 1754 plan to unite the colonies, which ultimately failed.

Common Sense

A 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine urging American independence from Britain.

Treaty of Paris

The agreement that ended the Revolutionary War in 1783.

Marbury v. Madison

A landmark 1803 case that established the principle of judicial review.

Louisiana Purchase Treaty

The 1803 agreement in which the U.S. acquired territory from France.

Seneca Falls Declaration

The 1848 document advocating for women's rights, modeled after the Declaration of Independence.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws that included the Fugitive Slave Act.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

The 1854 law that led to violent conflict known as 'Bleeding Kansas'.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

The 1857 Supreme Court case ruling that African Americans were not U.S. citizens.

Lincoln’s House Divided Speech

A speech given by Abraham Lincoln in 1858 addressing the division over slavery.

13th Amendment

The amendment ratified in 1865 that abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

The amendment ratified in 1868 that granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S.

15th Amendment

The amendment ratified in 1870 that granted Black men the right to vote.

Gospel of Wealth

An essay written by Andrew Carnegie in 1889 stating that the rich had a moral duty to use their wealth to help improve society

Interstate Commerce Act

A law passed in 1887 to regulate railroad rates and practices.

Dawes Act

A 1887 law aimed at assimilating Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land.

Platt Amendment

A 1901 amendment that limited Cuban sovereignty and allowed U.S. intervention.

Roosevelt Corollary

A 1904 extension of the Monroe Doctrine stating that the US had the right to intervene in Latin American countries to stabilize their economies or governments if they were unable to maintain order or pay international debts.

Zimmermann Telegram

A secret message from Germany in 1917 proposing a military alliance with Mexico, which led to U.S. entry into WWI.

Wilson’s Fourteen Points

President Wilson's 1918 proposal for peace following World War I.

Treaty of Versailles

The 1919 treaty that formally ended WWI, which the U.S. did not ratify.

FDR’s First Inaugural Address

Franklin D. Roosevelt's speech in 1933 that aimed to reassure the nation during the Great Depression.

Atlantic Charter

A statement of goals for the post-WWII world agreed upon by the U.S. and Britain in 1941.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. policy established in 1947 to provide support for countries resisting communism.

Marshall Plan

The American initiative from 1948 to aid Western Europe economically after WWII.

Brown v. Board of Education

The 1954 Supreme Court case that declared school segregation unconstitutional.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

A 1963 letter by Martin Luther King Jr. defending the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism.

Civil Rights Act

The landmark 1964 legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Voting Rights Act

The 1965 law that aimed to eliminate various forms of voting discrimination.

Great Society speeches

The speeches delivered by Lyndon B. Johnson from 1964 to 1965 outlining his domestic agenda.

Reagan’s First Inaugural Address

Ronald Reagan's 1981 address focusing on a return to traditional values.

USA PATRIOT Act

The 2001 law that expanded surveillance capabilities in the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks.

Bush Doctrine

The 2002 U.S. policy advocating for preemptive military action against threats.

Gettysburg’s Address

A speech by Abraham Lincoln delivered in 1863, emphasizing the principles of human equality and the sacrifices made at the Battle of Gettysburg.