America The Document Reader!1 (3)

Title and Artwork

• America: The Documents! Assembled and Excerpted for AP US History by Dr. Nic Hoffmann

• Figures:

  • A Gorge in the Mountains (Kauterskill Clove) 1862 by Sanford Robinson Gifford

  • Our Banner in the Sky by Frederic Edwin Church, 1861.

Table of Contents Overview

Key Documents and Authors

1. The Mayflower Compact by William Brewster (1620)

2. Model of Christian Charity by John Winthrop (1630)

3. The Maryland Toleration Act by the Colonial Assembly of Maryland (1649)

4. The Death Warrant of Bridget Bishop by George Corwin (1692)

5. Letter from a Farmer in Pennsylvania by John Dickinson (1763)

6. Ephraim Bowen's Account of the Burning of the Gaspee (1772)

7. The Boston Tea Party - Eyewitness Account by George Hewes (1773)

8. The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson et al. (1776)

9. Common Sense by Thomas Paine (1776)

10. Federalist 10 by James Madison (1787)

11. Federalist 51 by James Madison (1788)

12. The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription (1787)

    • Articles I to VII and the Bill of Rights

13. Selections from George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)

14. Suppression of the Rebellious Spirit by Nathanael Emmons (1798)

15. First Inaugural Address by Thomas Jefferson (1801)

16. Marbury v Madison (1803)

17. The Great Spirit Has Made Us All by Red Jacket (1805)

18. McCulloch v. Maryland (1816)

19. The Monroe Doctrine by John Q. Adams (1823)

20. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

21. Speech to Congress (on Indian Removal) by Andrew Jackson (1830)

22. First Editorial in the Liberator (1831) by William Lloyd Garrison

23. The American Scholar by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1837)

24. Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments (1848, this edition 1889)

25. Seventh of March Speech by Daniel Webster (1850)

26. Speech on the Compromise by John C. Calhoun (1850)

27. Defense of the Omnibus by Henry Clay (1850)

28. Ain't I A Woman? by Sojourner Truth (1851)

29. Meaning of the Fourth of July to a Negro by Frederick Douglass (1852)

30. Crimes Against Kansas Speech by Charles Sumner (1856)

31. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

32. First Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln (1861)

33. Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln (1862)

34. Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln (1863)

35. Second Inaugural Address by Abraham Lincoln (1865)

36. Total Illnesses of the Union Army (1870)

37. Tolstoy on Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Significant Historical Documents

The Mayflower Compact (1620)

• First governing document of Plymouth Colony.

• Established a form of self-governance and collective decision-making.

Model of Christian Charity (1630)

• Emphasized Christian unity and charity among settlers.

• Called for mutual support as a means to prosper.

The Maryland Toleration Act (1649)

• Allowed religious freedom in Maryland.

• Initially aimed to protect Catholic settlers from persecution.

The Declaration of Independence (1776)

• Announced the thirteen colonies' separation from Britain.

• Asserts rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

• Emphasizes that government derives its power from the consent of the governed.

Common Sense by Thomas Paine (1776)

• Argued for independence from Britain and criticized monarchy.

• Widely read and influential pamphlet promoting revolutionary sentiment.

Federalist Papers (1787-1788)

• Series of essays written to support ratification of the Constitution.

• Addresses concerns about central government and factionalism (Federalist 10).

The Constitution of the United States (1787)

• Framework for the United States government, establishing legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

• Includes the Bill of Rights protecting individual freedoms.

The Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

• Declared the freedom of slaves in Confederate states.

• Aimed to weaken the Confederate war effort and pave the way for abolition.

Notable Speeches and Influences

Gettysburg Address (1863)

• Lincoln's brief address honoring Union soldiers.

• Reaffirmed the principles of equality and the purpose of the Civil War.

Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1851)

• Emphasized women's rights and the plight of enslaved women.

• Challenges gender and racial stereotypes of the era.

Frederick Douglass's Speech on the Fourth of July (1852)

• Criticizes American hypocrisy regarding slavery.

• Exposes the stark contrast between celebrations of freedom and the reality of slavery.

The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments (1848)

• Early feminist document declaring men's oppression of women.

• Calls for equal rights and suffrage for women.

Summary of Influences and Themes

• The development of American democracy involved tensions between liberty and oppression.

• Key documents addressed rights, governance, and societal structure.

• Influential figures contributed diverse perspectives, shaping the nation's moral and political landscape.

• Themes of equality, justice, and liberty resonate through the documents and speeches, reflecting ongoing struggles for civil rights.