Our Governing Documents

BRYCE ON GOVERNMENT

– The written instruments used to govern and shape America.

NOTE: You may want to “bookmark” this column and pass the web address on to others, particularly young people.

I have many pamphlets describing the country’s governing documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, but I wanted something more comprehensive where I could quickly access the various documents by computer. What follows is a listing of the documents which shaped our nation. In addition to governing documents, the list includes treaties, acts, and landmark Supreme Court rulings. The Magna Carta and Mayflower Compact are included as they greatly influenced our need for government. I did not include presidential farewell addresses or speeches, except for the Gettysburg Address.

I’ve organized this into three sections:

* CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
* ALPHABETIC ORDER
* OTHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS that had a bearing on our country.

It is hoped this will become an important research repository for you. For each document, I am including background information as provided by Wikipedia as well as the actual text of the document itself. I hope you find it useful.

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

Magna Carta – 1297
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Mayflower Compact – 1620
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Declaration of Independence – 1776
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Articles of Confederation – 1777
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Northwest Ordinance of 1787
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Federalist Papers – 1787-1788
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Constitution – 1789
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Bill of Rights – 1791
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Jay’s Treaty – 1794
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Alien and Sedition Act – 1798
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Louisiana Purchase – 1803
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Supreme Court Decision – Marbury v. Madison – 1803
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Treaty of Ghent – 1814
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Supreme Court Decision – McCulloch v. Maryland – 1819
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Missouri Compromise – 1820
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Monroe Doctrine – 1823
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Supreme Court Decision – Gibbons v. Ogden – 1824
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Compromise of 1850
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Kansas-Nebraska Act – 1854
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Supreme Court Decision – Dred Scott v. Sanford – 1857
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Ordinance of Secession – 1860-1861
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Confederate States of America (CSA) Constitution – 1861
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Writ of Habeas Corpus, Lincoln suspends – 1862
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Emancipation Proclamation – 1863
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Gettysburg Address – 1863
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Appomattox Surrender – 1865
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Sherman Anti-Trust Act – 1890
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Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty (Panama) – 1903
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Peace Treaty of Versailes – 1919
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Social Security Act – 1935
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Lend/Lease Act – 1941
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United Nations Charter – 1945
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North Atlantic Treaty – 1949
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Peace Treaty of San Francisco – 1951
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Supreme Court Decision – Brown v. Board of Education – 1954
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Supreme Court Decision – Gideon v. Wainwright – 1963
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Civil Rights Act – 1964
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Supreme Court Decision – Miranda v. Arizona – 1966
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Supreme Court Decision – Roe v. Wade – 1973
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Torrijos–Carter Treaties (Panama) – 1977
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Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) – 2010
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ALPHABETIC ORDER