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40 Documents that Shaped America, 1776 - 1882
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1. Lee Resolution 1776
Acting under the instruction of the Virginia Convention, Richard Henry Lee on June 7, 1776, introduced a resolution in the Second Continental Congress proposing independence for the colonies.
2. Declaration of Independence 1776
The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It was engrossed on parchment and on Aug. 2, 1776, delegates began signing it.
3. Articles of Confederation 1777
Adopted by the Continental Congress on Nov. 15, 1777, this document served as the United States' first constitution. It was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789 when the present-day Constitution went into effect.
4. Treaty of Alliance with France 1778
The American Colonies and France signed this military treaty on Feb. 6, 1778.
5. Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States 1782
After undergoing numerous changes, on June 20, 1782, the United States seal was officially adopted by the Continental Congress.
6.Treaty of Paris 1783
This treaty, signed on Sept. 3, 1783, between the American colonies and Great Britain, ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.
7. Virginia Plan 1787
Drafted by James Madison and presented by Edmund Randolph on May 29, 1787, the Virginia Plan proposed a strong central government composed of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
8. Northwest Ordinance 1787
Lays the groundwork for westward expansion; establishes U.S. control over the territory north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi.
9. U.S. Constitution
Drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787, this four-page document, signed on Sept. 17, 1787, established the government of the United States.
10. Federalist Papers
No. 10 & No. 51 1787-88 The Federalist Papers were a series of essays published in newspapers in 1787 and 1788 by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay to promote the ratification of the Constitution.
11.President George Washington's First Inaugural Speech 1789
Although it was not required by the Constitution, George Washington presented the first Presidential inaugural address on April 30, 1789.
12. Federal Judiciary Act 1789
One of the first acts of the new Congress was to establish a federal court system through the Judiciary Act signed by President Washington on Sept. 24, 1789.
13. Bill of Rights 1791
Although 12 amendments were originally proposed, the 10 that were ratified became the Bill of Rights in 1791. They defined citizens' rights in relation to the newly established government under the Constitution.
14. Patent for Cotton Gin 1794
Separating cotton fiber from seed, Eli Whitney's invention makes cotton a profitable crop for the first time.
15. Alien and Sedition Acts 1798
Passed in preparation for an anticipated war with France, the Alien and Sedition Acts tightened restrictions on foreign-born Americans and limited speech critical of the government.
16. Jefferson's Secret Message to Congress Regarding the Lewis & Clark Expedition
In this secret message of Jan. 18, 1803, President Jefferson asked Congress for $2,500 to explore the West. Congress agreed to fund the expedition that would be led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
17. Louisiana Purchase Treaty 1803
In this transaction with France, signed on April 30, 1803, the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million. For roughly 4 cents an acre, the United States doubled its size and expanded westward.
18. Marbury v. Madison 1803
The decision in this Supreme Court Case established the right of the courts to determine the constitutionality of the actions of the other two branches of government.
19. Treaty of Ghent, 1814
This treaty, signed on Dec. 24, 1814, ended the War of 1812, fought between Great Britain and the United States.
20. Missouri Compromise 1820
This legislation admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a nonslave state, maintaining the balance between slave and free states in the nation. It also outlawed slavery above the 36 30 latitude line in the remainder of the Louisiana Territory.
21. President Andrew Jackson's Message to Congress On Indian Removal, 1830
On Dec. 6, 1830, President Andrew Jackson called for the relocation of eastern Native American tribes to land west of the Mississippi River, in order to open new land for settlement by citizens of the United States.
22. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848
This treaty, signed on Feb. 2, 1848, ended the war between the United States and Mexico. By its terms, Mexico ceded 55 percent of its territory to the United States, parts of present day Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah.
23. Compromise of 1850
By 1850 sectional disagreements centering on slavery were straining the bonds of union between the North and South. These tensions became especially acute when Congress began to consider whether western lands acquired after the Mexican War would permit slavery. In 1849 California requested permission to enter the Union as a free state. Adding more free state senators to Congress would destroy the balance between slave and free states that had existed since the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The Compromise was actually a series of bills proposed by Kentucky Sen. Henry Clay designed to "adjust amicably all existing questions of controversy . . . arising out of the institution of slavery." It provides for slavery to be decided by popular sovereignty in new states; prohibits slaves in the District of Columbia.
24. Kansas-Nebraska Act
Officially titled "An Act to Organize the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas" this act repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had outlawed slavery above the 36 30' latitude in the Louisiana territories. In January 1854, Senator Stephen Douglas introduced a bill that divided the land west of Missouri into two territories, Kansas and Nebraska. He argued for popular sovereignty, which would allow the settlers of the new territories to decide if slavery would be legal there. Antislavery supporters were outraged because, under the terms of the Missouri Compromise of 1820, slavery would have been outlawed in both territories. Opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act helped found the Republican Party, which opposed the spread of slavery into the territories. As a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the United States moved closer to Civil War.
25. Dred Scott v. Sanford, 1857
In this ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that slaves were not citizens of the United States and, therefore, could not expect any protection from the federal government or the courts. The Supreme Court rules that no slave or descendant of a slave could ever be a U.S. citizen.
26. Telegram Announcing the Surrender of Fort Sumter
The first engagement of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter on April 12 and 13, 1861. After 34 hours of fighting, the Union surrendered the fort to the Confederates.
27. Homestead Act, 1862
Passed on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act granted adult heads of families 160 acres of surveyed public land for a minimal filing fee and five years of continuous residence on that land.
28. Pacific Railway Act, 1862
This act, passed on July 1, 1862, provided federal subsidies in land and loans for the construction of a transcontinental railroad across the United States.
29. Morrill Act, 1862
Passed on July 2, 1862, this act made it possible for new western states to establish land-grant colleges for their citizens. It also marked the first federal aid to higher education.
30. Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, announcing, "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious areas "are, and henceforward shall be free."
31. General Order 143, Creation of the U.S. Colored Troops, 1863
Lincoln approves the recruitment of slaves and free blacks for military service. The War Department issued General Order 143 on May 22, 1863, creating the U.S. Colored Troops. By the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men served as soldiers in the U.S. Army, and additional 19,000 served in the Navy.
32. Gettysburg Address, 1863
Perhaps the most famous battle of the Civil War took place at Gettysburg, Pa., on July 1-3, 1863. Several months later, President Lincoln went to Gettysburg and delivered one of the most memorable speeches in U.S. history.
33. Wade-Davis Bill, 1864
At the end of the Civil War, this bill created a framework for Reconstruction and the readmittance of the Confederate states to the Union.
34. 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery, 1865
Passed by Congress on Jan. 31, 1865, and ratified on Dec. 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States
35. Check for the Purchase of Alaska, 1868
With this check, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million.
36. Treaty of Fort Laramie, 1868
In this treaty, signed on April 29, 1868, the United States recognized the Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation, set aside for exclusive use by the Sioux people.
37. 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights, 1868
Passed by Congress on June 13, 1866 and ratified on July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment extended liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to former slaves.
38. 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Voting Rights, 1870
Passed by Congress on Feb. 26, 1869 and ratified on Feb. 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment granted African-American men the right to vote.
39. Thomas Edison's Patent Application for the Light Bulb, 1880
On Jan. 27, 1880, Thomas Edison received a patent for the principles of his incandescent lamp, which paved the way for the universal domestic use of electric light.
40. Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882
The Chinese Exclusion Act was approved on May 6, 1882. It was the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States.
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