AP Required Documents Unit One

Founding Documents of the United States

1. Declaration of Independence

   • Adopted on July 4, 1776, it announced the thirteen American colonies' separation from British rule.

   • Uses popular sovereignty and enlightenment ideas to support American Independence

   • Authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson

     • Individual rights

     • popular sovereignty

     • the moral justification for revolution.

   • Notable for its assertion that all men are created equal

   • endowed with unalienable rights, including Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

2. Articles of Confederation

   • Ratified in 1781, it served as the first constitution of the United States, structuring the national government during the Revolutionary War.

   • Featured a weak central government

     • limited powers

     • challenges included tax collection and interstate commerce regulation.

   • Ultimately deemed ineffective, it was replaced by the current U.S. Constitution in 1789.

3. Constitution of the United States

   • Drafted in 1787 and ratified in 1788

     • this document established the framework for the federal government

     • creating a system of checks and balances among three branches

       • legislative

       • executive

       • judicial.

   • Includes the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments that guarantee individual freedoms and protections against governmental abuse.

   • Elastic and Supremacy Clause

4. Brutus No. 1

   • An anti-Federalist essay published in 1787, warning against the dangers of a strong central government.

   • Critiques the proposed Constitution as creating a federal power that would be too expansive and threatening to individual liberties.

   • Advocates for a decentralized governmental structure

   • emphasizes the importance of maintaining state sovereignty.

5. Federalist No. 10

   • Written by James Madison in 1787, it addresses the dangers of factionalism and advocates for a large republic to mitigate their effects.

   • Argues that a diverse society will help prevent any single faction from dominating government decision-making.

   • Introduces the concept of a republic where elected representatives speak for the will of the people while balancing competing interests.

6. Federalist No. 51

   • Also authored by James Madison, it discusses the necessity of checks and balances within government to protect against tyranny.

   • Emphasizes the importance of structure in government to ensure that each branch remains independent and can act against encroachments by the others.

   • Proposes that the ambition of one branch should counteract the ambition of another, thus providing a foundation for the operation of the government.