Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)
The Articles of Confederation served as a constitution for the 13 independent states after the Revolution. It was in effect from March 1, 1781 until 1789 when the Constitution was adopted.
- Articles of Confederation: Digital ArchiveFrom the website of the Library of Congress. The Articles of Confederation plus supporting documentation such as writings of James Madison and articles from the popular press.
- Articles of Confederation: March 1, 1781From the Avalon Project (Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy) at the Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School.
Historical Background & Narrative
- American Founders Online: An Annotated Guide to Their Papers and PublicationsThe Library of Congress provides this guide to digital resources related to the personal papers and/or publications of the major founders of the American Republic—that is, those men who served in roles of national political leadership between 1765 and 1815—and members of their families. Some official compilations of government documents are included for prominent founders.
- Journals of the Continential CongressThe First Continental Congress met from September 5 to October 26, 1774. The Second Continental Congress ran from May 10, 1775, to March 2, 1789. The Journals of the Continental Congress are the records of the daily proceedings of the Congress.
Federalist Papers & Related Publications
"The Federalist, commonly referred to as the Federalist Papers, is a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison between October 1787 and May 1788. The essays were published anonymously, under the pen name "Publius," in various New York state newspapers of the time. The Federalist Papers were written and published to urge New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution, which was drafted in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. In lobbying for adoption of the Constitution over the existing Articles of Confederation, the essays explain particular provisions of the Constitution in detail. For this reason, and because Hamilton and Madison were each members of the Constitutional Convention, the Federalist Papers are often used today to help interpret the intentions of those drafting the Constitution." ~ Text from the Library of Congress.
- The Federalist PapersFrom Congress.gov. Full text of the Federalist Papers in order, including author, publication, and date.
Alexander Hamilton by Call Number: E302.6.H2 C48 2004 (Shelf 1st Floor - Main)ISBN: 1594200092Publication Date: 2004-04-26The #1 New York Times bestseller, and the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Hamilton! Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow presents a landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father who galvanized, inspired, scandalized, and shaped the newborn nation. Few figures in American history have been more hotly debated or more grossly misunderstood than Alexander Hamilton. Chernow's biography gives Hamilton his due and sets the record straight, deftly illustrating that the political and economic greatness of today's America is the result of Hamilton's countless sacrifices to champion ideas that were often wildly disputed during his time.
Constitutional Convention & Ratification (1787-1788)
"The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia met between May and September of 1787 to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The United States Constitution that emerged from the convention established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments." ~ Text from the U.S. State Department, Office of the Historian.
- Constitutional ConventionThis site details the Constitutional Convention with a daily timeline of events, major themes, Madison's Notes of Debates, and more.
- Creating the United States: Convention & RatificationFrom the Library of Congress. Includes maps and documents relevant to the creation and ratification of the Constitution.
- The debates in several State Conventions on the adoption of the Federal ConstitutionFrom the Library of Congress, American Memory project.
- Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention"Items include extracts of the journals of Congress, resolutions, proclamations, committee reports, treaties, and early printed versions of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence." From the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.
- The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787From the Library of Congress. Farrand's Records remains the single best source for discussions of the Constitutional Convention. The notes taken at that time by James Madison, and later revised by him, form the largest single block of material other than the official proceedings.
- United States Constitution: Primary Documents in American HistoryFrom the Library of Congress. Includes documents, exhibitions, and teaching aids relevant to the ratification of the Constitution.