A TREASURY OF PRIMARY
DOCUMENTS Primary Source Documents Pertaining to Early
American History
this
book .
ARRANGED IN CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE (500 B.C.-1800 A.D.)
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this Library)
Classical Literature Having Significant
Influence Upon the American Colonists
Ancient
Philosophers , Aristotle, Plato, and others. Most of the founding fathers
in America were thorougly familiar with the Greco-Roman philosophers.
The Latin Library ,
(Cicero, Livy, Horace, etc.) Familiarity with these sources was mandatory
at colonial schools such as Harvard.
The
Vulgate , The Holy Bible in Latin.
St. Augustine ,
The church father of choice among American Puritans.
St. Augustine ,
English translations of his works on predestination which greatly influenced
the Puritans.
Major Medieval Sources Having Significant
Influence Upon the American Colonists
Gregorian
Reforms Instituted by William the Conqueror Sowing the seeds of separation
of Church and State in the English world.
Laws
of William the Conqueror
Constitutions
of Clarendon (1164) Established rights of laymen and the church in
England.
Assize of Clarendon
(1166) Defined rights and duties of courts and people in criminal cases.
Foundation of the principle of "due process."
Assize of Arms
(1181) Defined rights and duties of people and militias.
Magna Carta
(1215) One of the American colonists' most revered documents, the Magna
Carta established the principle that no one, not even the king or a lawmaker,
is above the law.
De Legibus
Et Consuetudinibus Angliæ , Henry de Bracton (1268) This text
was the most important legal treatise written in England in the medieval
period as it organized, systematized, and explicated the principles of
English Common Law later embraced by the American colonists.
Summa Theologica , St.
Thomas Aquinas (1265-1273) Pinnacle of Scholasticism. Covering a wide range
of topics, by the colonial times, most educated people in the Western world
were thoroughly familiar with this important text.
Marco Polo's
Travels [excerpt] (@1300), the description of the South Pacific which
inspired Columbus to attempt to go to India by way of the Atlantic.
The
First Manual of Parliamentary Procedure (@ 1350)
An
English Law Library , The sources studied by many of the lawyers who
founded the U.S.
The Declaration
of Arbroath (1320) Scotland's declaration of independence from England.
An early model for the U.S. Declaration, this document ends with a phrase
parallel to that of the U.S. Declaration: "and to Him as the Supreme King
and Judge we commit the maintenance of our cause, casting our cares upon
Him and firmly trusting that He will inspire us with courage and bring
our enemies to nought."
Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century Sources
Profoundly Impacting the History of America
Malleus
Maleficarum , Directions for witch hunting (1486)
Journal ,
Christopher Columbus, (1492). This document begins with Columbus' statement
that the reason why Isabella sponsored his voyage was for the sake of going
to India to convert Khan to Roman Catholicism.
Epistola
De Insulis Nuper Inventis , Christopher Columbus (1493)
Letter
to the King and Queen of Spain , Christopher Columbus (1494)
Prince Henry
VII's Commission to John Cabot (1497) Cabot was the first Englishman
to discover New England.
The Prince ,
Machiavelli (1513) Practical advice on governance and statecraft, with
thoughts on the kinds of problems any government must be able to solve
to endure.
Works
of Martin Luther , The father of the Protestant Reformation, his principles
were a major part of the American colonists' worldview.
On Secular Authority ,
Luther (1523). This document started the political discussion about religious
liberty which led to the American Revolution. In this document Luther sets
forth the idea of "two kingdoms," one is political and the other is spiritual,
and the two ought be separate. President James Madison commended this "due
distinction, to which the genius and courage of Luther led the way, between
what is due to Caesar and what is due to God." (Madison to F.L. Schaeffer,
December 3, 1821).
The Bondage
of the Will , Luther (1524). Luther claimed that this particular document
was the cornerstone of the Protestant Reformation; it argues the idea of
predestination and God's sovereignty, two principles which were paramount
to many of the American colonists.
The
Act of Supremacy , Henry VIII (1534). By this act, the English Reformation
began, and the pope was stripped of his jurisdiction over the English Church.
This allowed Lutheran principles to make their way into the English church,
and led to the birth of Puritanism.
Institutes
of the Christian Religion , John Calvin (1540). Calvin's magnum opus.
The most celebrated American historian, George Bancroft, called Calvin
"the father of America," and added: "He who will not honor the memory and
respect the influence of Calvin knows but little of the origin of American
liberty." To John Calvin and the Genevan theologians, President John Adams
credited a great deal of the impetus for religious liberty (Adams, WORKS,
VI:313). This document includes a justification for rebellion to tyrants
by subordinate government officials; this particular justification was
at the root of the Dutch, English, and American Revolutions.
The
Journey of Alvar Nuñez Cabeza De Vaca (1542)
On
the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies , Copernicus (1543). This document
touched off the Scientific Revolution as it repudiated the Geocentric theory
and asserted a Heliocentric theory of the solar system.
The Council of
Trent (1545) The Roman Catholic responses to the Protestant Reformation.
A Short Treatise
on Political Power , John Ponet, D.D. (1556) President John Adams credited
the Short Treatise as being at the root of the theory of government
adopted by the the Americans. According to Adams, Ponet's work contained
"all the essential principles of liberty, which were afterward dilated
on by Sidney and Locke" including the idea of a three-branched government.
(Adams, Works, vol. 6, pg. 4). Published in Strassbourg in 1556,
it is one of the first works out of the Reformation to advocate active
resistance to tyrannical magistrates, with the exception of the Magdeburg
Bekkentis (the Magdeburg Confession).
How Superior
Powers Ought to Be Obeyed by Their Subjects , Christopher Goodman (1558).
Justifying a Christian's right to resist a tyrannical ruler. Goodman indicated
that he had presented the thesis of this book to John Calvin, and Calvin
admitted to the truth of it.
The
First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women ,
John Knox (1558). A vigorous critique of the tyranny of "Bloody Mary's"
reign in England, and a call to resist.
Act of Supremacy ,
Elizabeth I (1559). After the brief and bloody reign of her sister, Mary
I, who executed numerous Protestants for the cause of Roman Catholicism,
this document states Elizabeth's intention to reaffirm the English Church's
independence from Rome. Her beloved status among her subjects caused the
first settlers of America to name their colony "Virginia" in honor of this
virgin queen.
Complete Works
of Elizabeth I , Including her letters and her poems.
Writings
and Speeches of Elizabeth I
Foxe's Book of Martyrs
(1563). Detailing the bloody persecutions of Puritans during the reign
of Mary I, this book was second only to the Bible in its popularity in
the American colonies.
Supralapsarian
Calvinism , Theodore Beza (1570) Laying out the principle that God willed
and predestined the fall of Adam and the existence of sin and evil. This
assertion became the most controversial philosophical conflict among American
colonists up through the 19th century.
The Scholemaster
(1570) Philosophy of Education among English people, particularly with
respect to the importance of learning Latin.
The Thirty-Nine
Articles of Religion (1571) The official statement of faith of the
Church of England; this document formally adopts the Calvinistic doctrine
of predestination and repudiates common notion of "free will."
Treasons
Act (1571) Forbidding criticism of Queen Elizabeth.
The St. Bartholomew's
Day Massacre (1572)
The Right of Magistrates
Over Their Subjects , Theodore Beza (1574). Expanding upon Calvin's
political resistance theory set forth in the final chapters of his Institutes,
this work by Calvin's successor in Geneva, Theodore Beza, was published
in response to the growing tensions between Protestant and Catholic in
France, which culminated in the St. Bartholomew Day Massacre in 1572. This
text suggests that it is the right of a Christian to revolt against a tyrannical
King: a principle central to the American colonists' cause.
Of the Tabaco
and of His Greate Vertues , Nicholas Monardes (1577)
The Works of
Sir Walter Raleigh , Sponsor of the First Settlements in Virginia
Vindiciae
Contra Tyrannos , or, A Vindication Against Tyrants (1579). This Calvinist
document is one of the first to set forth the theory of "social contract"
upon which the United States was founded. The idea was disseminated through
the English Calvinists to the pen of John Locke, and eventually into the
Declaration of Independence. John Adams reported the relevance of this
document to the American struggle.
The Dutch
Declaration of Independence (1581); This Calvinistic document served
as a model for the U.S. Declaration of Independence. In his Autobiography,
Jefferson indicated that the "Dutch Revolution" gave evidence and confidence
to the Second Continental Congress that the American Revolution could likewise
commence and succeed. Recent scholarship
has has suggested that Jefferson may have consciously drawn on this document.
John Adams said that the Dutch charters had "been particularly studied,
admired, and imitated in every State" in America, and he stated that "the
analogy between the means by which the two republics [Holland and U.S.A.]
arrived at independency... will infallibly draw them together."
A
Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia , Thomas Hariot.
Discourse
of Western Planting , Richard Hakluyt, (1584)
Adam Winthrop's
Commonplace Book (1586) Early diary of a Puritan whose family eventually
settled in America.
The Colony
of Roanoke , Ralph Lane (1586). The first English attempt at colonizing
the New World
Return
To Roanoake , John White (1590) Relating the surprise of the loss of
the Roanoake colony and the few clues left regarding their fate.
An Act Against
Papists (1593) Parliament's tough words against those who would attempt
to depose Elizabeth for her Protestantism.
Works of Richard
Hooker (1593) Anglican political commentator and major influence upon
John Locke.
A Trew
Law of Free Monarchs , James I Stuart (1598). Championed the doctrine
of "Divine Right of Kings." This oppressive political theory contributed
to the exodus of the Puritans to America in 1630, and resistance to it
was the ultimate goal of three revolutions: 1) the Puritan Revolution of
the 1640s, 2) the Glorious Revolution, and 3) the American Revolution.
The Dutie
of A King , Sir Walter Raleigh (1599) Promoting the doctrine of "Divine
Right of Kings."
The Geneva Bible ,
1599 update of the translation made by the Puritans in Geneva 1560. This
was the Bible of choice in New England. These are the footnotes which provide
a Calvinistic theological interpretation of the Bible
Seventeenth Century Sources Relating
to American History
Colonial
Maps
Charters
of all the Colonies
Original
Dictionaries of the 16th & 17th Centuries , six bilingual dictionaries
-- John Palsgrave (1530; English-French), Sir Thomas Elyot (1538; Latin-
English), William Thomas (1550; Italian-English), Thomas Thomas (1587;
Latin-English), John Florio (1598; Italian-English), and Randle Cotgrave
(1611; French-English) -- these give pairs of French, Italian, and Latin
dictionaries, each pair separated by 50-80 years; four English hard-word
dictionaries -- Edmund Coote (1596), Robert Cawdrey (1604; courtesy of
Raymond Siemens), John Bullokar (1616), and Henry Cockeram (1623) -- and
one English word-list by Richard Mulcaster (1582); the first full English-only
dictionary -- Thomas Blount (1656).
Queen Elizabeth's
Farewell (1601)
The Works of King James
I
Voyages ,
Samuel de Champlain (1604)
Primary
Sources Pertaining to the Gunpowder Plot (1605)
The First
Virginia Charter (1606)
Instructions
for the Virginia Colony (1606)
Works
of Francis Bacon , Identified by Jefferson as one of his three most
profound influences.
Works
of Shakespeare
The
Settlement at Jamestown , John Smith (1607)
The
Foundation of Quebec , Samuel de Champlain (1608)
Full Text of
Robert Juet's Journal (1609)
The
Second Virginia Charter (1609)
John Smyth's Confession
(1609)
the religion of a Baptist.
The
Church At Jamestown , William Strachey (1610)
The
Third Virginia Charter (1612)
Good
News From Virginia , Alexander Whitaker (1613)
An
Ordinance and Constitution of the Virginia Company in England for a Council
Pocahontas ,
John Smith (1616)
The
Starving Time , John Smith.
Laws
of Virginia (1610)
Laws
in Virginia (1619)
Jamestown
Laws
Indentured
Servant's Contract (1619)
Works of Arminius
Arminius was a Dutchman who dared to challenge Luther and Calvin on the
predestination issue. His writings led to a major controversy in Holland
while the "Pilgrims" were residing there. Arminius's views were adopted
by Archbishop Laud of England, which greatly contributed to the English
Calvinists' desire to leave England in 1630.
Canons of Dort
(1619). The Synod at Dort in the Netherlands was called to respond to the
views of the Arminians. Participating in this Synod moderated by Gomarus
was the leader of the Pilgrims, as well as William Ames (the leading Puritan
theologian of the day). As a result of this synod, the "five points of
Calvinism" were developed. The "five points," also called TULIP, became
a centerpiece of Puritanism and were ardently defended by American Calvinists
such as Jonathan Edwards. The conflict between Calvinists and Arminians
was perhaps the most explosive debate in America in the early 18th century.
On the Calvinist side, Americans such as Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan
Edwards wrote philosophical defenses; on the Arminian side, John Wesley
was the premiere mouthpiece. While Madison wrote in defense of Calvinism,
Thomas Jefferson utterly repudiated it.
Charter
of New England (1620)
Mayflower
Compact (1620). The first political covenant of the New England migration.
Of
State and General Assembly , 24 July 1621.
Of Plymouth
Plantation (Written 1630-1654, first published 1854). This is Governor
William Bradford's history of Plymouth, the most comprehensive primary
source available on early Plymouth.
Of Plymouth
Plantation , William Bradford. An eyewitness history of the first English
settlers of New England.
Mourt's Relation:
A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth . (London, 1622). This journal,
written by several Pilgrims--namely William Bradford and Edward Winslow--records
events at Plymouth from the Mayflower's arrival in November 1620 through
the First Thanksgiving in October 1621, and everything in between.
The Sin and Danger
of Self-Love (1621) There were no clergymen among the pilgrims at Plymouth
when they first settled. This sermon was written and given by a layman,
Robert Cushman, to the Plymouth congregation in December 1621. Robert Cushman
was a member of the Pilgrims church in Leyden, Holland, and came on (and
returned in) the ship Fortune.
Letters of
the Plymouth Settlers
Letter
of an Indentured Servant (1623)
Last Wills and
Testaments of the Settlers at Plymouth
Good Newes
from New England (London, 1624). This book, authored by Edward Winslow,
continues the journal in Mourt's Relation, covering the years 1622 and
1623 at Plymouth.
An Appeal for
War Against Spain (1624)
Of the
Law of War and Peace , Hugo Grotius (1625, Latin) One of the first works
on international law.
Account of
the Purchase of Manhattan (1626) The source of the $24 dollar legend.
The
First Part of the Institutes of the Laws of England , Sir Edward Coke
(1628) Written by a Puritan leader of Parliament, this document was almost
the only textbook for lawyers (e.g., Jefferson) during the American Colonial
Period. Coke's influence over the minds of American politicians is inestimable.
Clear traces between Coke and the U.S. Constitution are apparent in this
work.
The Petition
of Right , Sir Edward Coke (1628). This document set forth complaints
of the members of Parliament to King Charles I regarding rights of due
process. Charles did not receive this complaint warmly. As a result, Charles
I shut down Parliament, which ultimately culminated in the English Civil
War, and contributed to the exodus of 20,000 Puritans to New England.
Protests
of the House of Commons , Documents showing the growth of Parliament's
hatred for King Charles I, first complaining against his closet Catholicism,
his Arminianism, and his presumptuousness in levying taxes without the
consent of Parliament.
Experiencia ,
John Winthrop. A Journal of Religious Experiences.
The
Salem Covenant (1629)
Charter of Massachusetts
Bay (1629). This document sets forth the Puritans' commission in New
England.
The Library of
John Winthrop's Father , A catalogue of the books available for the
Puritan Laywer who founded Boston.
Pratt's
Memoir the Wessagussett
Plantation, (1622/23) Reasons lantation in New England (circa
1628). This document states clearly and forcefully that the motivations
of the Puritans who came to New England @ 1630 were fundamentally religious. Adventurers
who founded the Massachusetts Bay Commonwealth (1628-1630)A
Short and True Description of New England, by the Rev. Francis Higginson
(1629)The
Cambridge Agreement among the leaders of the settlement (1629)History
of the First Settlements as told by Capt. John Smith, Admiral of New
England (1629)The
Constitution of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay (1629)Medulla
Theologica (The Marrow of Theology) , William Ames (1629). The Medulla
was the principal required textbook in the Ivy League in the American Colonial
Period. One cannot adequately grasp the intellectual climate of New England
without understanding the concepts in this book. The following two sections
on the Decrees of God and Predestination highlight the central peculiarities
of Puritan theology. Ames was unequivocal in stating that God controls
the universe and that humans do not "change" or "determine" God's behavior
in any way.The
Marrow of Theology , William Ames (1629), Excerpts.A
Model of Christian Charity by John Winthrop (1630). A sermon preached
aboard one of the ships carrying the Puritans to New England.The
Boston Covenant (1630)The
Watertown Covenant (1630)The
Humble Request of the Puritan emigrants (1630)The
Oath of a Freeman , including a list of men who took this oath (1630-36)Advertisements
to Planters of New England, by Capt. John Smith (1631)Advertisements ,
continued, by Capt. John Smith (1631)Letter
to William Pond (1631) The
Indictment of Galileo (1633) The height of the conflict between religion
and science.The
Glorious Work in Maryland , Andrew White, S.J. (1633)Excerpts From
Lion Gardiner's Journal (1635)
The
Constitution of Plymouth Colony (1636)The
Salem Covenant (1636)The
Dedham Covenant (1636)Winthrop's
Testimony (1636), the Boston Governor's account of his Christian experience.John
Cotton Condemns Democracy (1636)Transcript
of The Trial of Anne Hutchinson (1636)
Revels
in New Canaan , Thomas Morton (1637)Description
of Indians , Thomas Morton (1637)Officers
of the Commonwealth from 1630 to 1686.Freemen
of the Commonwealth: the complete rolls from 1630 to 1636.Sermons
of Thomas Shephard Letter
of Thomas Shephard to his son at Harvard College
Residents
of New Towne, (later called Cambridge) from the original town Court
records, 1632-1635, alphabetized.The
Memoir of Capt. Roger Clapp (1609 -1691) Events in Massachusetts Bay
Colony to about the year 1640.The National
Covenant (1639) Scotland's declaration of resistance to Charles I.
Fundamental Orders
of Connecticut (1639) The first written constitution in America.
The New
Hampshire Compact (1639)
The
Exeter Covenant (1639)
Description
of New England Indians , William Wood (1639)
John
Winthrop's Journal , John Winthrop (excerpts), Tremendous and valuable
insights into the mind of the Puritan leader.
The Wicked
Capitalism of Robert Keayne , John Winthrop (1639) A merchant named
Robert Keayne was practicing capitalistic economics in Boston and was squarely
rebuked for it by John Cotton and Governor Winthrop.
Laws
Regulating the Price of Tobacco in Virginia (1639-40)
A
Brief Discourse Concerning the Power of Peers , John Selden (1640)
The
Bay Psalm Book (1640) With an Introduction written by Richard Mather.
New
England's First Fruits , The first written history regarding the founding
of Harvard College (@1640)
Court
Records of Springfield, Massachusetts , Including information about
crimes and punishments.
Massachusetts
Body of Liberties (1641) Early written expression of the liberties
asserted by the colonists in reaction to the oppressions of European governments.
The Citizen ,
Thomas Hobbes (1641-47) Discussion of the natural law foundations of government.
Protestation
(1641) An oath taken by British citizens loyal to the Puritan interests
in Parliament.
Declaration
to Justify Their Proceedings and Resolutions to Take Up Arms (1642)
Thomas Jefferson, in his Autobiography, said that this Puritan "precedent"
was an inspiration to the American cause.
The True Constitution
of a Particular Visible Church , by John Cotton (1642)
Massachusetts
Bay School Laws (1642) Requiring that every father teach his children
the Catechism; if not, the children shall be taken from the home.
Harvard
College Admission and Graduation Requirements (1642-1700)
The Establishment
of the United Colonies of New England (1643) The first attempt at a
union of colonies, foreshadowing the United States. This document combines
several colonies together for the primary purpose of national defense.
This is the first document resembling a federal constitution in America.
Religio
Medici , Thomas Browne (1643) The Religion of a Physician; showing the
link between religion and Enlightenment science in the 17th century.
The Bloody Tenet
of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience , Roger Williams
A Plea for Religious
Liberty , Roger Williams (1644) Early expression of the principle of
religious tolerance by the founder of the colony of Rhode Island.
The Solemn
League and Covenant (1643-44) The document which allied the Scotch
Presbyterians and the Puritans in their struggle against Charles I.
First-Hand
Military Accounts of the English Civil War
Lex
Rex , Samuel Rutherford (1644). This treatise systematized the Calvinistic
political theories which had developed over the previous century. Rutherford
was a colleague of John Locke's parents. Most of John Locke's Second
Treatise on Government is reflective of Lex Rex. From Rutherford
and other Commonwealthmen such as George Lawson, through Locke, these theorists
provided the roots of the Declaration of Independence. This page provides
the list of questions Lex Rex addresses.
Lex,
Rex , Samuel Rutherford (1644). This excerpt shows Rutherford's social
contract theory and includes the Puritan theory of resistance to a tyrant.
Areopagitica ,
John Milton (1644). A treatise arguing that true Christianity can win its
own arguments, and does not need to worry about challenges from other points
of view, and therefore, the Government should not prevent the publication
of any ideas. This idea was later articulated by Locke in his Letters Concerning
Toleration, and picked up by Madison and Jefferson in their establishment
of religious liberty in the U.S.
A Description
of New Amsterdam by Isaac Joques (1644)
On Liberty ,
John Winthrop (1645) Discusses liberties demanded by the colonists.
Hypocricie
Unmasked (London, 1646). This is a religious treatise written by Edward
Winslow.
The Character of A
Puritan , John Geree (1646)
The Westminster
Confession of Faith (1646) In addition to being the decree of Parliament
as the standard for Christian doctrine in the British Kingdom, it was adopted
as the official statement of belief for the colonies of Massachusetts and
Connecticut. Although slighlty altered and called by different names, it
was the creed of Congregationalist, Baptist, and Presbyterian Churches
throughout the English speaking world. Assent to the Westminster Confession
was officially required at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.Princeton scholar,
Benjamin Warfield wrote: "It was impossible for any body of Christians
in the [English] Kingdoms to avoid attending to it."
The
Westminster Catechism (1646) Second only to the Bible, the "Shorter
Catechism" of the Westminster Confession was the most widely published
piece of literature in the pre-revolutionary era in America. It is estimated
that some five million copies were available in the colonies. With a total
population of only four million people in America at the time of the Revolution,
the number is staggering. The Westminster Catechism was not only a central
part of the colonial educational curriculum, learning it was required by
law. Each town employed an officer whose duty was to visit homes to hear
the children recite the Catechism. The primary schoolbook for children,
the New England Primer, included the Catechism. Daily recitations
of it were required at these schools. Their curriculum included memorization
of the Westminster Confession and the Westminster Larger Catechism. There
was not a person at Independence Hall in 1776 who had not been exposed
to it, and most of them had it spoon fed to them before they could walk.
A
Petition to Establish the Laws of England in America (1646)
New England's
Salamander Discovered . (London, 1647). This is another religious treatise
written by Edward Winslow.
The Old
Deluder Act (1647)
The
Simple Cobbler of Aggawamm in America , Nathaniel Ward (1647).
An
Agreement of the People (1647) A proposal for a republican government
in England.
The
Laws of Massachusetts (1648)
Blue
Laws , New Haven
The Cambridge
Platform (1649)
The
Maryland Toleration Act (1649)
King Charles
I's Speech at His Trial (1649); Including Judge Bradshaw's response
appealing to social contract theory.
The Execution
of Charles I Stuart (1649)
King Charles I's Speech
Just Before His Execution (1649)
Of the
Non-Compelling of Heathens , Samuel Rutherford (1649) Exploring the
extent to which a government can coerce religious conformity.
An Agreement
of the Free People of England (1649) The manifesto of the Levellers,
the leaders of the 1649 English Civil War that deposed Charles I and brought
a period of parliamentary rule. It expresses many of the ideals that later
inspired the American Revolution.
The Tenure of Kings
and Magistrates (1650) by John Milton in defense of the execution of
Charles I by the British Parliament a few days after its occurance. It
includes an excellent evaluation and summation of the political literature
produced on the Continent in the 16th Century. Charles I was the first
monarch executed in Europe by his subjects, setting the stage for a religious
struggle which would grip Britain for several decades to come. The language
and spelling of this edition has been done directly from the 1650 edition.
Leviathan ,
Thomas Hobbes (1651) Laid basis for social contract theory, providing branching
point for the theories of constitutionalism and fascism.
Salem
Residents ,
to the year 1651The
Gospel Covenant , Rev. Peter Bulkely (1651)Sumptuary
Laws in New England (1651) Laws regarding what one may and may not
wear.The
Instrument of Government , 1653; The Constitution of the English Commonwealth
under Oliver Cromwell. Many of the founders, such as Samuel Adams, considered
Oliver Cromwell their hero, and considered the Commonwealth as the glory
years of England.
Healing
Question , Sir Henry Vane, 1656, published the following tract, expounding
the principles of civil and religious liberty, and proposed that method
of forming a constitution, through a convention called for the purpose,
which was actually followed in America after the Revolution.
The
Commonwealth of Oceana , James Harrington (1656) Outline of a plan for
republican government.
The Flushing
Remonstrance (1657) Proclamation granting liberty to "Jews, Muslims,
and Quakers" on Long Island, New York, on the grounds of New Testament
graciousness. Extremely progressive for the American colonies.
Goody Garlick
Testimony in Witchcraft Trial (1657)
Forward
to the Revision of the New Plymouth Laws (1658)
A
Treatise of Civil Power in Ecclesiastical Causes; Showing That it Is Not
Lawful For Any Power on Earth to Compel in Matters of Religion , John
Milton (1659). A formative influence upon the ideals of religious toleration
adopted by John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.
The Declaration
of Breda , King Charles II Stuart (1660), As the Stuart King was to
be restored to the throne after the end of the reign of the Puritan Protectorates,
one of his first decisions was to attempt to avoid another religious war,
by granting religious liberty to "tender consciences," so long as they
did not disturb the peace.
The
Restoration of Charles II to the Throne of England (1660); A Declaration
of Both Houses of Parliament.
Excerpts
from the Navigation Acts , 1660-1696, The first Parliamentary legislation
toward the colonies which would lead to the colonial rebellion of the eighteenth
century.
Institutes
of Elenctic Theology , [excerpt on predestination] Francis Turretin
(1660) The principle textbook used by students in American colleges in
the 18th century (used at Princeton into the late 19th century).
Institutes of Elenctic
Theology , Francis Turretin (1660). Excerpts.
Narrative
of the Pequot War , Lion Gardiner (1660)
Narrative
of the Pequot War , John Mason
The
Status of Religion in Virginia (1661)
Court
Records Dealing with Runaway Slaves in Virginia
Virginia
Fornication Laws
The
Book of Common Prayer (1662) As the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell
came to an end and Charles II was restored to the throne of England, the
Church of England once again introduced a new Book of Common Prayer. This
was the guiding document for many throughout the American colonies, particularly
in Virginia
The
Anglican Catechism (1662) The document which provided the religious
training for many of the founding fathers of the U.S. (e.g., Washington,
Madison, Henry, Wythe, Mason).
Connecticut Colony
Charter (1662)
Deposition of Phineas
Pratt (1662) Recounting the settlement at Plymouth
The
Day of Doom and other Poems , Michael Wigglesworth (1662)
Death
Penalties in Maryland (1664)
Fines
and Punishments in Massachusetts (1664-1682)
Witchcraft Trials
in New York (1665)
Excerpts From
The Duke of York's Laws (1665-75)
A
Description of Carolina , Robert Horne (1666)
Paradise
Lost , John Milton (1667)
Fundamental
Constitutions of Carolina , John Locke (1669)
Theologico-Political
Treatise , Baruch de Spinoza (1670) Discussed the ultimate source of
legitimate political power.
Groton
in Witchcraft Times , Samuel Green, ed. (c.1671)
Account
of a Degredation of Gold , Robert Boyle (1672) A formative influence
upon Benjamin Franklin.
Experiments
with Fire , Robert Boyle (1672)
De Jure Naturae ,
Samuel Puffendorf (1672, tr. Basil Kennett 1703)
De Officio
Hominis Et Civis Juxta Legem Naturalem Libri Duo ,
Samuel
Pufendorf (1673). The political theorist of choice among American Puritans
in the early 18th century.
Works
of John Bunyan , According to Ben Franklin's Autobiography, Bunyan was
his "favorite author."
Barclay's Apology ,
Robert Barclay (1675). A Quaker treatise later used in favor of American
Independence.
First Thanksgiving
Proclamation (1676)
A Compleat
Body of Divinity , Samuel Willard. The primary textbook used at Harvard
College.
The New England Primer ,
The best-selling textbook used by children in the colonial period. Millions
of copies were in print. Filled with Calvinist principles, the influence
of this little document is inestimable.
Memoir...
Dangers That Threaten Canada and the Means to Remedy Them , January
1687
Bacon's
Declaration in the Name of the People , 30 July 1676
On
Bacon's Rebellion , Governor William Berkely, 19 May 1676
The
Captivity of Mary Rowlandson (1676)
Political Treatise ,
Baruch de Spinoza (1677) Constitutional considerations of various forms
of government, including ideas that later influenced the Founders.
Anne Bradstreet's
Poems for her Husband (1678)
Edward Taylor's
Poems
Habeas Corpus
Act (1679) English Parliament established key right which was embraced
in America.
Findings
of the New England Synod (1679), a "Jeremiad."
Patriarcha ,
Robert Filmer. A treatise defending the "divine right of Kings." This was
the document which Locke and Sydney both had in mind as they wrote their
political tracts which formed the American founders' political theory.
Although this was written around 1640 in defense of Charles I's divine
right, it was not published until 1680.
Bill
to Exclude the Duke of York (1680), Attempts by the Whig Party to keep
James II off the throne.
Proposals
for the Carrying on the Negro's Christianity , Morgan Goodwyn (1681).
Frame of Government
of Pennsylvania , William Penn (1682) Early model for written constitutions.
Some
Fruits of Solitude In Reflections And Maxims , William Penn (1682)
Condemnation
of the Massachussetts Bay Company , Edward Randolph, 12 June 1683
Causes
of King Phillip's War , Edward Randolph (1685)
Instructions
to Sir Edmund Andros (1686)
Commercial
Orders to Governor Andros (1686-1687)
Principia ,
Isaac Newton (1687) One of the three most significant influences upon Jefferson.
On the Duty of Man and Citizen
According to Natural Law , Samuel Pufendorf (1688) Based law and right
on natural law.
James
II Creates the Dominion of New England , April 7, 1688
Parliament
Invites William of Orange to England (1688)
Declaration
of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal (1688) Parliament pledges its loyalty
to William and Mary.
The Huntington
Patent of 1666 Issued by Richard Nicolls (1688-1775)
The Full Text
of Huntington's Declaration of Rights
Orders For
Sending Sir Edmund Andros To England (1689)
The King's
Oath (1689) Established the requirement that the monarch uphold "the
Protestant reformed religion"
English Bill
of Rights (1689) Early model for recognizing natural rights in writing.
Much of its language appeared later in the Declaration of Independence
and U.S. Constitution.
Second Treatise
on Government John Locke (1689) Principal proponent of the social contract
theory which forms the basis for modern constitutional republican government.
A Letter Concerning
Toleration , John Locke (1689) Classic statement of the case for toleration
of those holding different views.
The
Reasonableness of Christianity , John Locke.
Toleration
Act of William and Mary (1689)
The London
Confession of Faith (1689) Drawn from the Westminster Confession, this
document set for the beliefs of English Baptists during this era.
The Re-Establishment
of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland (1690)
Memorable
Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions , Cotton Mather
(1698)
Discourses Concerning
Government , Table of Contents. Algernon Sidney (1698) Built principles
of popular government from foundation of natural law and the social contract.
This book has been considered by scholars the "textbook of the American
Revolution."
Discourses Concerning
Government , Algernon Sidney, excerpts.
Journal
of George Fox , Founder of the Quakers.
Complete
Verbatim Transcripts of the Legal Documents of the Salem Witchcraft Outbreak
of 1692 , Perhaps the most valuable primary source collection on the
internet.
Transcripts of the
Salem Witch Trials (1692)
Documents
Concerning The Salem Witch Crisis
Salem Witch
Trials: Other Primary Sources
The
Confession of Anne Foster at Salem (1692)
Wonders
of the Invisible World (excerpts), Cotton Mather (1693)
Cases
of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits , Increase Mather (1693)
The
Character of a Good Ruler , Samuel Willard (1694)
Penn's
Plan for a Union (1697)
Judge Samuel
Sewall Repents His Participation in the Salem Witch Trials (1697)
The Story
of Squanto , Cotton Mather (1698)
The
Execution of Hugh Stone , Cotton Mather (1698)
An
Account of West Jersey and Pennsylvania , Gabriel Thomas (1698)
Eighteenth Century Sources Which Profoundly Impacted
American History
One Hundred
Documents Pertaining to Africans and Slavery in America Massive collection
of primary sources regarding slavery in America.
The Selling
of Joseph , Samuel Sewall (1700) An argument against the slave trade.
A Memorial
Representing the Present State of Religion on the Continent of North America ,
Thomas Bray, D.D. (1700) Documenting the Anglican view of the colonists
and appended with a proposition to found the SPG (Society for Progating
the Gospel).
King
William Addresses Parliament on the French Question , 31 December 1701
A Christian
At His Calling , Cotton Mather (1701)
Magnalia Christi
Americana , Cotton Mather (1702)
Robert
Beverley on Bacon's Rebellion (1704)
Money and Trade
Considered With a Proposal for Supplying the Nation with Money , by
John Law (1705)
Slave
Laws in Virginia (1642-1705)
The Repentance
of a Salem Witchcraft Accuser , Ann Putnam (1706)
Philosophical
Commentary , Pierre Bayle (1708) A writer recommended by Thomas Jefferson,
Bayle criticised French Catholic persecution of Protestants; and argued
for toleration as a matter of Biblical principle.
William
Byrd's Diary [excerpt] (1709)
William
Byrd's Diary [excerpts regarding slave punishments] (1709)
Theopolis
Americana ("God's City: America") , Cotton Mather (1709) This excerpt
from Mather's sermon shows how Mather, with other Puritans, believed that
America was truly the "Promised Land." This thinking led ultimately to
the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, whereby Anglo-Americans believed that
it was their divine commission to spread their culture from Atlantic to
Pacific.
Awakening
Truths Tending to Conversion , Increase Mather (1710). A sermon wrestling
with the paradox between predestination and man's effort toward salvation.
Mather appears nearly contradictory throughout.
About
the Duties of Husbands and Wives , Benjamin Wadsworth (1712)
Curriculum
of the Boston Latin Grammar School (1712)
The
History of the Common Law of England , Matthew Hale (1713)
Documents
Concerning the Jacobite Rebellion
The
North Carolina Biennal Act (1715)
Vindication
of the Government of New England Churches , John Wise (1717) A Puritan
political sermon which included most of the principles of government embraced
by the founders of the U.S.
The
Angel of Bethesda , Cotton Mather. Here, as a watershed in the history
of medical science in America, Mather takes a position in favor of inoculation.
Selections from
Cato's Letters , John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon (1720-23) English
newspaper articles advocating Whig principles, which much influenced the
American colonists.
Constitution
of the Iroquois Confederacy A model for a federal system of government
for several Native American nations, it influenced Franklin's proposed
Albany Plan of Union.
Statutes
of the College of William and Mary (1727) The rules governing the college
where Thomas Jefferson received his training.
Massachusetts
House of Representatives on the Governor's Salary , 11 September 1728
Governor
Burnet of Massachusetts on the Governor's Salary , 17 September 1728
A
Modest Proposal For Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from
Being a Burden , Jonathan Swift (1729)
The Story of
Venture Smith (1729-1809)
Plain
Reasons for Presbyterians Dissenting , Andrew Clarkson (1731); arguing
against unconditional submission to the National Church and magistrates.
Dissertation
Upon Parties , Henry St. John Bolingbroke (1733). A heavy influence
upon Jefferson.
Founding
Vision for Georgia , General James Oglethorpe (1733)
Negotiations
Regarding the Settlement of the Georgia Colony , Count Zinzendorf (1733)
Transcript
of the Trial of Peter Zenger (1735)
Defense of Peter
Zenger , Andrew Hamilton (1735)
Letters
on the Study and Use of History , Henry St. John Bolingbroke (1735)
On
Patriotism , Bolingbroke (1736)
Governor
Gabriel Johnston's request to repeal the Biennal act , 18 October 1736
Disposition
of the North Carolina Biennal Act (1737)
The Idea
of a Patriot King , Bolingbroke (1738)
Discourse
on the Five Points [Of Calvinism], Daniel Whitby. The text which incited
Jonathan Edwards to write his most important book, The Freedom of the
Will.
On Efficacious
Grace , John Gill (1738) Defense of Calvinism by a celebrated English
Calvinist.
Intentions
of the SPG (Society for the Propagation of the Gospel) (1740) The desire
of this group to land an Anglican Bishop in the American colonies ignited
the American Revolution.
The
True Scripture-Doctrine Concerning Some Important Points of the Christian
Faith , Jonathan Dickinson (1741) Jonathan Dickinson was the first President
of the College at Princeton, New Jersey. In this excerpt, Dickinson states
that atheism is pure "stupidity" and "madness." Dickinson's opinion in
this regard represented the consensus in America. Subsequently all of the
founders of the United States were certain of the existence of a Deity.
On the other hand, Dickinson here emphasizes the doctrine of Predestination,
which was the central controversy of the eighteenth century in the Colonies.
Colonists' opinions were divided in this regard. Earlier in the century
predestination was the majority view, but by the end of the century a belief
in "free-will" had become prevalent among many such as Methodists.
The Works
Of Jonathan Edwards , Enlightenment Philosopher, Theologian, Orator,
Scientist; Edwards was the most important American-born Great Awakening
preacher and defender of orthodox Calvinism.
Sermons
of George Whitefield , Known for his supreme oratory skills, Whitefield
was the most famous inter-colonial celebrity during the Great Awakening.
The inter-colonial nature of Whitefield's ministry was an important step
in the development of the intercolonial union which commenced in the 1760's
and 70's. A strong advocate of predestination, Whitefield entered into
a bitter dispute with his Methodist colleague, John Wesley over the issue,
and the movement was split.
The Works
of John Wesley , An English preacher, Wesley developed the practice
of itinerant preaching: out of doors, traveling long distances on horseback.
Wesley was a strong opponent of the Calvinism which was prevalent in America.
Letters of John Wesley
The Essential
Rights and Liberties of Protestants , Elisha Williams (1744) An excerpt
explaining what makes something a person's property, from a Boston minister
who vigorously promoted liberty of conscience.
Regulations
at Yale College (1745) Showing the centrality of Calvinism and the
Westminster Confession in colonial higher education.
The Presence
of Great God in the Assembly of Political Rulers , John Barnard (1746)
A early warning against tyranny from one of Boston's ministers.
Narrative
of the Deliverance of Briton Hammond , An account of an African-American
taken captive by Native Americans (1747)
The
Principles of Natural Law , J. Burlamaqui, tr. Thomas Nugent (1748,
tr. Thomas Nugent 1752) This was the textbook on political theory used
at Harvard. It was this book that gave James Otis, John Hancock, Samuel
Adams, Joseph Warren, and John Adams their understanding of political science.
The Principles of Politic
Law , J. Burlamaqui, tr. Thomas Nugent (1748, tr. Thomas Nugent 1752)
Sequel to The Principles of Natural Law carrying natural law into
constitutional law. Commentary on the ideas of Grotius, Hobbes, Puffendorf,
Barbeyrac, Locke, Clarke, and Hutchinson.
The Spirit of Laws ,
Charles de Montesquieu, (1748, tr. Thomas Nugent 1752) Laid the foundations
for the theory of republican government, particularly the concepts of the
separation of powers into legislative, executive, and judicial, a federal
republic, representatives elected from political subdivisions, a bicameral
legislature, and a system of checks and balances. Montesquieu was the most
frequently cited political theorist during the founding of the U.S.
An Inquiry
into the Principles of Political Economy , James Steuart. Recommended
by Jefferson as one of the best books on political science.
Remarks
on the Fable of the Bees , Frances Hutcheson (1750)
Journal
of John Woolman , An American Quaker who was vigorously opposed to slavery.
A
Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher
Powers , Jonathan Mayhew (1750) About this document, John Adams wrote,
"It was read by everybody; celebrated by friends, and abused by enemies...
It spread an universal alarm against the authority of Parliament. It excited
a general and just apprehension, that bishops, and dioceses, and churches,
and priests, and tithes, were to be imposed on us by Parliament." This
sermon has been called the spark which ignited the American Revolution.
This illustrates that the Revolution was not only about stamps and taxes
but also about religious liberty.
Petition
to Parliament: Reasons for Making Bar, as well as Pig or Sow-iron (ca.
1750)
Petition
to Parliament: Reason Against a General Prohibition of the Iron Manufacture
in Plantations
Memoir
on the English Aggression , October 1750
Memoir
on the French Colonies in North America , December 1750
Adams,
Franklin, and Madison: Accounts of Their Original Plans to be Christian
Clergymen
Of
Party Divisions , William Livingston (1753)
A Discourse on the
Origin of Inequality , Jean Jacques Rousseau (1754) Discussion on political
inequality, its origins and implications.
A Discourse on
Political Economy , Jean Jacques Rousseau (1755) Discussion on the economic
principles affecting the politics of a society.
Dictionary ,
Samuel Johnson (1755) This was the standard dictionary of the late 18th
century.
The
Value and Purpose of Princeton College , Samuel Davies and Gilbert Tennent
(1754); an appeal to British citizens to support the seminary which became
Princeton University.
Religion
and Patriotism the Constituents of a Good Soldier , Samuel Davies (1755).
Davies, a Presbyterian preacher and president of the College at Princeton,
here interprets the French and Indian war as a religious war. In this excerpt
from a sermon preached in Virginia, Davies rouses the anti-Catholic sentiment
of his hearers to rally them to arms against the French in the Ohio country.
Military
Documents of the French and Indian War
Primary Sources
Pertaining to the French and Indian War
A Complete Poem
by Jupiter Hammon (1760)
The Social Contract ,
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1762) Discussed legitimate government as the expression
of the general will.
The
Curse of Cowardice , Samuel Davies (1758)
Against the Writs
of Assistance , James Otis (1761)
The
Role of the Indians in the Rivalry Between France, Spain, and England ,
Governor Glen (1761)
Elements
of Criticism , Lord Kaims [Henry Homes] (1762), Highly recommended by
Jefferson, in this excerpt Kaims discusses the problems with fiction.
Treaty of
Paris (1763) Ended the French and Indian War and gave the English control
of all the land east of the Mississippi River.
Acts of Parliament concerning the American Colonies
The
Royal Proclamation of 1763 Forbid colonists from crossing the Appalachians.
The
Currency Act, 1764
The
Sugar Act, 1764
The
Quartering Act, 1765
The
Stamp Act, 1765 Precipitated the "Stamp Act Crisis" which fomented
rebellion throughout the colonies
The
Declaratory Act, 1766 The English Parliament repealed the Stamp Act,
but couldn't leave well enough alone, and adopted this statement of parliamentary
supremacy over the British colonies.
The
Townshend Act, 1767
The
Tea Act, 1773
The
Administration of Justice Act, 1774
The
Boston Port Act, 1774
The
Massachusetts Government Act, 1774
The
Quebec Act, 1774
The
Quartering Act, 1774
The Rights
of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved , James Otis (1764)
Blackstone's
Commentaries (1765) Considered the book that "lost the colonies" for
England. This text delineates the legal principles of common law which
ensure the fundamental rights of Englishmen. Blackstone was quoted by the
colonists twice as often as they quoted Locke.
Blackstone's
Contents (1765)
"Offenses
Against God and Religion," William Blackstone (1765). Showing the common
understanding that the integrity of the judicial system depends upon the
participants' belief in God.
"Offenses
Against the Public Peace" William Blackstone (1765)
"On
Husband And Wife" , William Blackstone (1765)
Considerations ,
Daniel Dulany, October 1765
The
Objections to the Taxation Consider'd , Soame Jenyns (1765)
The
Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress , October 19, 1765
The Declaration
of Rights of the Stamp Act Congress (1765) Developed the concept that
people could not legitimately be taxed except by their elected representatives.
William
Pitt's Speech on the Stamp Act , January 14, 1766
Examination
of Benjamin Franklin in the House of Commons (1766)
On Crimes
and Punishments , Cesare Beccaria (1766) Set out rights of the accused
in criminal proceedings. Argues for crime prevention over punishment, and
against the death penalty and torture.
On the History
of Civil Society , Adam Ferguson
John
Dickinson's Letter 2, from Letters from a Farmer , 1767-1768
John
Dickinson's Letter 4, from Letters from a Farmer , 1767-1768
On the
Misfortune of Indentured Servants , Gottlieb Mittelberger
An Election
Sermon , Daniel Shute; Delivered in Boston, Massachusetts-Bay, 26 May
1768.
Charter
of Dartmouth College (1769)
Virginia
Nonimportation Resolutions (1769)
Excerpts From
Mary Cooper's Diary (1769)
Daniel
Boone's Journal
Anna Bergen Rapelje's
Full Manuscript (1770-1797)
The Boston
Massacre , The Boston Gazette, 12 March 1770
Anonymous
Account of the Boston Massacre , 5 March, 1770
Captain
Thomas Preston's account of the Boston Massacre , 13 March 1770
The Hymnbook
of Isaac Watts , After the Bible and the Catechism, this was the third
most commonly used book in colonial New England.
The Rights
of the Colonists , Samuel Adams (1772) John Adams indicated that all
the concepts which Jefferson later set forth in the Declaration of Independence
were first introduced here.
An Oration
on the Beauties of Liberty , Reverend John Allen (1772)
Oration
Deliverd at Boston , Joseph Warren (1772)
Second
Oration Delivered at Boston , Joseph Warren (1772)
An Election
Sermon , Simeon Howard (1773) Demonstrating that an armed war against
a tyrant was a Christian's duty.
The
Sovereign Decrees of God , Isaac Backus (1773)
Eyewitness
Account of the Boston Tea Party , George Hewes (1773)
Resolution
of the Virginia House of Burgesses for Establishing an Intercolonial Committee
of Correspondence (1773)
Early
Virginia Religious Petitions (1774-1802)
Boston Massacre
Oration , John Hancock (1774)
A Plea
Before the Massachusetts Legislature , Isaac Backus (1774)
Considerations
on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament ,
James Wilson (1774)
To the
Inhabitants of the Several Anglo-American Colonies , William Livingston
(1774)
Declaration of Colonial
Rights of the Continental Congress (1774) John Adams said that the
Declaration of Independence was not much more than a recapitulation of
this document.
First Prayer
given in the Continental Congress , Rev. Jacob Duche (1774)
Journals
of the Continental Congress , 34 Volumes. This invaluable collection
of documents tells what took place in Philadelphia as the United States
was being birthed.
Resolution
of the House of Burgesses in Virginia (1774) This resolution was inspired
by similar resolutions made in the Puritan Revolution of 1641; the Burgesses
resolved to commit their crisis to prayer and fasting.
Sermon on
Civil Liberty , Nathaniel Niles (1774) An example of how clergymen stoked
the revolutionary spirit.
The Olive Branch
Petition (1774). This document is a last-ditch attempt to mend the
tears between Britain and America. But George III never read this petition.
A Plan
for the Union of Great Britain and the Colonies , Joseph Galloway (1774)
The Suffolk
Resolves , Joseph Warren (1774)
Phyllis
Wheatley to Samson Occam (1774)
Works
of Henry Laurens , President of the Continental Congress
Authors
Most Frequently Cited by the Founders
John Adams
Discusses the Historic Sources Which Provided the Intellectual Foundations
of American Political Theory
Works of Benjamin Franklin
A Dissertation
on Liberty and Necessity (1725), A little known theological work in
which Franklin made a metaphysical argument for predestination and against
free-will. Franklin concluded that all things are ultimately good, because
God is in total control and God is good.
Franklin's
Advice Concerning His Friend's Sexual Affairs (1745), Illustrating
a side of Franklin's character which is seldom exposed.
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1733)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1734)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1735)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1736)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1737)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1738)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1739)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1740)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1741)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1742)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1743)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1744)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1745)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1746)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard (1747)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard Improved (1748)
Franklin,
Benjamin: Poor Richard Improved (1752)
Observations
and Suppositions Towards Forming a New Hypothesis for Explaining the Several
Phenomena of Thunder Gusts , (1749) The insights which led to Franklin's
famous Kite experimentation, which, in turn, gave Franklin his international
reputation which mattered greatly as the U.S. was being birthed.
Observations
on the Increase of Mankind (1751)
Autobiography
of Benjamin Franklin
Albany
Plan for a Union (1754) Ben Franklin's first attempt to Unite the States.
In Defense of a
Plan for Colonial Union , Benjamin Franklin (1754) Arguments in favor
of the Albany Plan of Union, which was rejected as too democratic.
Benjamin
Franklin, How I Became a Printer in Philadelphia
Franklin's
Motion for Prayer at the Constitutional Convention
Franklin's
Advice to Thomas Paine Regarding the Age of Reason , In this letter,
Franklin advises Paine to burn his manuscript of the Age of Reason,
because it undermines religious ideals.
Franklin's
Tentative Approval of the Constitution
Franklin's
last Letter to Ezra Stiles , Detailing Franklin's religious opinions
Ben Franklin's
Will
Works of Sam Adams
Writings of
Samuel Adams One of the most thorough internet sites of its kind including
numerous letters and newspaper articles.
Works of George Washington
Prayer Journal
Rules
for Civility (1744)
Journal
(1754)
Braddock's
Defeat (1755)
Letter
to Presbyterians
Letter
to State Governments
General
Orders , July 2, 1776
Letter
to John Hancock , September 24, 1776
The Battle of Trenton
(1776)
Address
to the Members of the Volunteer Association and Other Inhabitants... ,
December 2, 1783
Letter
to George Chapman , December 15, 1784 (On importance of education)
Letter
to Robert Morris , April 12, 1786 (On the abolition of slavery)
Letter
to the President of the Continental Congress , September 17, 1787
First
Inaugural Address , April 30, 1789
Letter
to the United Baptist Churches in Virginia , May 10, 1789
Excerpts
from Drafts of the First Inaugural Address (1789)
Thanksgiving Proclamation
(1789)
First
Annual Message , January 8, 1790 (Order of business for a young Union)
Excerpts of Washington's
Diaries (1790)
Letter
to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport , August, 1790 (On what is a just
and good government)
Proclamation
of Neutrality , 1793
The Diary
of George Washington 30 September-19 October 1794
Letter
to the Vice President , November 15, 1794
Letter
to the Commissioners of the District of Columbia , January 28, 1795
(On education and establishment of a university)
Farewell
Address , September 19, 1796 (Public opinion should be enlightened)
Papers
of George Washington (Yale Library)
Papers of George Washington
(Library of Congress)
Last Will
And Testament of George Washington excerpt about slaves (1799)
Several
Obituaries of George Washington
George Washington's
Adopted Daughter Discusses Washington's Religious Character Nelly Custis
lived with the Washingtons at Mt. Vernon for twenty years (1779 until 1799).
As a daily observer of his life, she was qualified perhaps more than any
other to assess George Washington's religion (even perhaps more than George
himself, who was reluctant to speak about his own religious affections).
Works of John Adams
Diary of
John Adams , excerpts illustrating Adams' sentiments regarding religion.
Letter
to James Sullivan , May 26, 1776 (On women and voting rights)
Letter
to Zabdiel Adams , June 21, 1776 (On reason, honor, and love of liberty)
Correspondence
between John and Abigail Adams , March-April 1776 (On nature and liberty)
Abigail
Adams' Correspondence
"Discourse
on Davila--XV," 1776 (Contrast of natural equality and inequalities)
"Thoughts
on Government" , 1776 (On republican government)
Novanglus
A
Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law
Defense of the
American Constitutions , An important excerpt in which Adams recommends
various writings of Protestant political theorists
Appendix
to the Defence of the Constitutions , 1787 (On the good effects of local
institutions)
John Adams
Inaugural Address (1797)
Message
to the Senate on the Death of George Washington , December 23, 1799
Letters
to Benjamin Rush and Samuel Miller , illustrating Adams' hatred for
Thomas Paine and his admiration for Calvinists.
American
Independence Achieved Upon the Principles of Christianity (1813)
Letter
to Evans , June 8, 1819 (The founding's opposition to slavery)
Letter
to H. Niles , February 13, 1818 (On the Revolution as a religious revolution
of ideas and principles)
Letter to
Timothy Pickering , August 6, 1822. Detailing Adams' recollection of
the production of the Declaration of Independence. Adams here states that
there is not an idea in the Declaration of Independence except what had
been hackneyed in Congress for two years before. According to Adams, the
substance of the Declaration is contained in the Declaration
of Rights and the Violations of those Rights in the Journals of Congress,
in 1774, and the essence of it is contained in a pamphlet,
voted and printed by the town of Boston , before the first Congress
met, by Samuel Adams.
Works of Thomas Jefferson
Famous Works
Annual and Special messages to Congress
Inaugural Addresses
Messages to Congress
Indian Addresses
Miscellaneous Papers
Letters
Works of James Madison
Debates in the Federal
Convention of 1787 , James Madison. These are the proceedings of the
Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia, an essential guide to interpreting
the intent of the Framers.
James Madison,
First Inaugural (1809)
James Madison,
Second Inaugural (1813)
The Federalist Papers ,
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay (1787-88) Arguments for ratification
of the proposed Constitution.
Memorial
and Remonstrance (Virginia, 1785)
James Madison,
speech proposing the Bill of Rights , June 8, 1789
Detached Memoranda
( 1817), detailing Madison's views of the importance of no religious establishments
Letter
to F.L. Schaeffer (1821) in which Madison credits Luther with leading
the way for the appropriate distinction between church and state.
The Works of Thomas Paine
American Revolution Military Documents
First-hand Account
of the Midnight Ride , Paul Revere (1775)
General
Gage's Account of Lexington and Concord
The
Royal Proclamation of Rebellion (1775)
First-Hand
Accounts of Revolutionary War Battles
Military Records
of the American Revolution
Military
Records of the American Revolution from upstate New York
Espionage Documents
of the American Revolution
The
Battle of Bunker Hill , Major-General Sir John Burgoyne to Lord Stanley,
June 1775
The
Battle of Bunker Hill , Lieutenant J. Waller, First Royal Marine Battalion,
to His Brother, Camp of Charlestown Heights, 22 June 1775
The Battle of Trenton ,
George Washington (1776)
The
Recruiting Service , Captain Alexander Graydon, 1776
Army
Life , Captain Georg Pausch, 8 September 1776
Christopher Vail's
Journal (1775-1782)
Nathan Hale's Capture
(1776)
The Battle of Saratoga ,
Hessian Account (1777)
Saratoga ,
Major-General Burgoyne to his nieces, Albany, 20 October 1777
Washington
at Brandywine , Captain Ferguson, 70th Foot, September 1777
From the
Diary of a Surgeon at Valley Forge , Albigence Waldo (1777)
Letters from
Valley Forge (1778)
Alliance with
France (1778)
Papers
of General Nathaniel Greene
US-France:
Treaty of Amity and Commerce February 6, 1778
Comments
on Hessian Troops , Lieutenant W. Hale, Philadelphia, 23 March 1778
Monmouth
Court House , Lieutenant Hale, Neversunk, 4 July 1778
Treaty
with the Delawares (1778)
Benedict Arnold's
Treason and other Spy Documents (1780)
Washington's
Headquarters , Francois Jean, Marquis de Chastellux, 1780
The Norfolk Chronicle ,
Saturday, February 17, 1781
The Surrender
of Cornwalis (1781)
From the
Diary of Ebenezer Denny (1781) describing the surrender of Cornwallis
at Yorktown
Contract
Between the King and the Thirteen United States of North America, signed
at Versailles July 16, 1782
Preliminary
Articles of Peace, U.S. and Great Britain, 30 November 1782
Declarations
for Suspension of Arms and Cessation of Hostilities, Signed at Versailles
January 20, 1783
Journal , John Paul
Jones; Naval Hero
Treaty
of Paris (1783)
George
III Laments the Loss of the Colonies
Works of
Ethan Allen , Revolutionary War hero and Deist.
John Newton
Criticizing Arminians (1775) A letter from the author of "Amazing Grace"
claiming that repentance is the not key to atonement.
Daniel
Leonard's Letter of January 9, 1775
Defensive War in
a Just Cause Sinless , David Jones (1775). Sermon justifying the revolution.
Speech on
Conciliation with America , Edmund Burke, March 22, 1775; Burke describes
the character of the American colonists and links their commitment to liberty
to their Protestantism.
Government Corrupted
by Vice, and Recovered by Righteousness , Samuel Langdon, May 31, 1775;
This sermon preached a year before Jefferson wrote his declaration, included
this phrase: "By the law of nature, any body of people, destitute of order
and government, may form themselves into a civil society, according to
their best prudence, and so provide for their common safety and advantage."
Experiments
and Observations on Different Kinds of Air , Joseph Priestly (1775)
A Scientific Treatise by a close associate of Franklin and Jefferson.
On Civil Liberty,
Passive Obedience, and Nonresistance , Jonathan Boucher (1775)
A
Calm Address To Our American Colonies , John Wesley (1775)
The American
Vine , Jacob Duche (1775)
The
Charlotte Town Resolves (1775) Resolutions of Presbyterians of Mecklenberg,
North Carolina.
Give
Me Liberty or Give Me Death , Patrick Henry (1775). Famous oration which
motivated Southerners to join in the battle already taking place in New
England.
Declaration of the
Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms , Jefferson and Dickinson, July
6, 1775. This document was inspired by the Puritan Declaration of August,
1642, "Declaration of the Lords and Commons to Justify Their Taking Up
Arms," available in John Rushworth, ed., Historical Collections of Private
Passages of State, Weighty Matters in Law, Remarkable Proceedings in Five
Parliaments (1680-1722), vol. 4, pp. 761-768.
Yankee
Doodle The Church's Flight
into the Wilderness , Samuel Sherwood, January 17, 1776; A sermon which
labels British tyranny Satanic.
The
Virginia Declaration of Rights , George Mason (1776) Unquestionably
a document which Jefferson had in mind when writing the Declaration of
Independence.
State
Constitutions A collection of the constitutions of each colony.
Religious
Clauses of State Constitutions Demonstrating that most states had establishments
of religion.
On the Right to Rebel
against Governors , Samuel West (1776)
The True
Interest of America Impartially Stated , Charles Inglis (1776). A statement
of an American loyal to the King.
Wealth
of Nations , Adam Smith (1776). The manual for capitalism, the economic
backbone of the United States.
Resolves
of the Continental Congress
Divine Judgements
Upon Tyrants , Jacob Cushing, April 20, 1778; a sermon on the three
year anniversary of the war.
Election
Sermon , Phillips Payson (1778)
Defensive Arms Vindicated
(1779) A sermon vindicating the activity of General George Washington.
A
Sermon on the Day of the Commencement of the Constitution , Samuel Cooper
(1780)
U.S.
Articles of Confederation The first Constitution of the United States.
The Origins
and Progress of the American Revolution Peter Oliver (1781). Oliver,
a tory, names the persons he feels are most responsible for the rebellion.
James Otis and the Calvinist clergy ("black regiment") were the chief culprits.
United States
Articles of Confederation (1781)
Letters
From an American Farmer , Crevecour (1782)
Essay
on Money , John Witherspoon, Presbyterian theologian and president of
Princeton University.
The Lord's Supper ,
Joseph Priestly (1783) Another author who Jefferson and Franklin commended.
Memorial
and Remonstrance , James Madison (1785). Championing the principal of
religious liberty.
Land
Ordinance of 1785 (Jefferson). Detailing the manner in which the Northwest
Territory shall be partitioned and sold.
Treaty
With the Cherokee (1785)
The
Annapolis Convention (1786), prelude to the Constitutional Convention
in Philadelphia.
The
Federalist Papers 1-85 , Madison, Jay, and Hamilton's defense of Federalism
Debates in the
Federal Convention of 1787 , James Madison. These are the proceedings
of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia, an essential guide
to interpreting the intent of the Framers.
Denominational
Affiliations of the Framers of the Constitution , contrary to the myth,
this chart shows that only 3 out of 55 of the framers classified themselves
as Deists.
Records of the
Constitutional Convention (Farrand's Records)
United
States Constitution (1787)
Elliot's
Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal
Constitution
Northwest
Ordinance (1787) Detailing the manner in which new states may be added
to the United States.
Northwest
Ordinance
Shay's
Rebellion (1787)
Letter
of Transmittal of U.S. Constitution
Debates in
the First Federal Congress Regarding A Religious Amendment to the Constitution
(1789), edited by Jim Allison. An important source for understanding the
intention of the framers concerning religious liberty. Mr. Allison has
collected together the debates in the House and the Senate on this most
important subject.
Bill
of Rights and the Amendments to The Constitution (1791) The concession
to the Anti-Federalists to win their acceptance of the Constitution.
Federal
Statutes
Statutory
Laws and Judicial Precedents in Early America
Federal Legislative
Documents
Records of
the First Sixteen Federal Congresses
Slave
Trade and the Middle Passage , Alexander Falconbridge (1788)
The
Life of Olaudah Equiano , A Slave's Autobiography (1789)
The
Virginia Chronicle , John Leland (1790). Champion of religious disestablishment.
Friend and influence upon James Madison.
On
Dissenting from the Episcopal Church , John Leland (1790)
On
the Equality of the Sexes , Judith Sargent Murray (1790)
The Funeral of Arminianism ,
William Huntington (1791)
The Rise
and Progress of the Young Ladies' Academy of Philadelphia , Molly Wallace
(1794)
Fugitive
Slave Law of 1793
Greenville
Treaty with a number of Indian Tribes (1795)
Enquiry
Concerning Political Justice , William Godwin (1793) Part of Jefferson's
library of political works.
William
Godwin's Works
Treaty
of Tripoli (1795)
Washington's
Farewell Address
The Sedition
Act (1798)
On the Mode
of Education Proper in a Republic (1798), Benjamin Rush, signer of
the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing the religious foundation and
goal of all education.
Four
Discourses On The General First Principles of Deism (1798), Samuel
E. McCorkle, D. D. The biggest intellectual controversy of the 1790's was
called the "deist controversy." On the one side were the followers of Thomas
Paine, on the other side were the orthodox Christians as represented here
by the Rev. McCorkle.
The Kentucky
Resolutions (1799)
Obituaries
of George Washington
Rick Gardiner.
Please send Rick Gardiner email
with your comments, questions, or feedback about this project. He enjoys
helping people understand the documents on this page and helping people
find the documents they need, so don't be afraid to email
him.
Rick's
new book which elucidates the religious context of these documents.
