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You are here: Home / Tim Bryce / Our Governing Documents

Our Governing Documents

January 29, 2014 by TimBryce

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
– Wiki background
– Text

Mayflower Compact – 1620
– Wiki background
– Text

Declaration of Independence – 1776
– Wiki background
– Text

Articles of Confederation – 1777
– Wiki background
– Text

Northwest Ordinance of 1787
– Wiki background
– Text

Federalist Papers – 1787-1788
– Wiki background
– Text

Constitution – 1789
– Wiki background
– Text

Bill of Rights – 1791
– Wiki background
– Text

Jay’s Treaty – 1794
– Wiki background
– Text

Alien and Sedition Act – 1798
– Wiki background
– Text

Louisiana Purchase – 1803
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Marbury v. Madison – 1803
– Wiki background
– Text

Treaty of Ghent – 1814
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – McCulloch v. Maryland – 1819
– Wiki background
– Text

Missouri Compromise – 1820
– Wiki background
– Text

Monroe Doctrine – 1823
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Gibbons v. Ogden – 1824
– Wiki background
– Text

Compromise of 1850
– Wiki background
– Text

Kansas-Nebraska Act – 1854
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Dred Scott v. Sanford – 1857
– Wiki background
– Text

Ordinance of Secession – 1860-1861
– Wiki background
– Text

Confederate States of America (CSA) Constitution – 1861
– Wiki background
– Text

Writ of Habeas Corpus, Lincoln suspends – 1862
– Wiki background
– Text

Emancipation Proclamation – 1863
– Wiki background
– Text

Gettysburg Address – 1863
– Wiki background
– Text

Appomattox Surrender – 1865
– Wiki background
– Text

Sherman Anti-Trust Act – 1890
– Wiki background
– Text

Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty (Panama) – 1903
– Wiki background
– Text

Peace Treaty of Versailes – 1919
– Wiki background
– Text

Social Security Act – 1935
– Wiki background
– Text

Lend/Lease Act – 1941
– Wiki background
– Text

United Nations Charter – 1945
– Wiki background
– Text

North Atlantic Treaty – 1949
– Wiki background
– Text

Peace Treaty of San Francisco – 1951
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Brown v. Board of Education – 1954
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Gideon v. Wainwright – 1963
– Wiki background
– Text

Civil Rights Act – 1964
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Miranda v. Arizona – 1966
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Roe v. Wade – 1973
– Wiki background
– Text

Torrijos–Carter Treaties (Panama) – 1977
– Wiki background
– Text

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) – 2010
– Wiki background
– Text

 ALPHABETIC ORDER

Alien and Sedition Act – 1798
– Wiki background
– Text

Appomattox Surrender – 1865
– Wiki background
– Text

Articles of Confederation – 1777
– Wiki background
– Text

Bill of Rights – 1791
– Wiki background
– Text

Civil Rights Act – 1964
– Wiki background
– Text

Compromise of 1850
– Wiki background
– Text

Confederate States of America (CSA) Constitution – 1861
– Wiki background
– Text

Constitution – 1789
– Wiki background
– Text

Declaration of Independence – 1776
– Wiki background
– Text

Emancipation Proclamation – 1863
– Wiki background
– Text

Federalist Papers – 1787-1788
– Wiki background
– Text

Gettysburg Address – 1863
– Wiki background
– Text

Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty (Panama) – 1903
– Wiki background
– Text

Jay’s Treaty – 1794
– Wiki background
– Text

Kansas-Nebraska Act – 1854
– Wiki background
– Text

Lend/Lease Act – 1941
– Wiki background
– Text

Louisiana Purchase – 1803
– Wiki background
– Text

Magna Carta – 1297
– Wiki background
– Text

Mayflower Compact – 1620
– Wiki background
– Text

Missouri Compromise – 1820
– Wiki background
– Text

Monroe Doctrine – 1823
– Wiki background
– Text

North Atlantic Treaty – 1949
– Wiki background
– Text

Northwest Ordinance of 1787
– Wiki background
– Text

Ordinance of Secession – 1860-1861
– Wiki background
– Text

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) – 2010
– Wiki background
– Text

Peace Treaty of San Francisco – 1951
– Wiki background
– Text

Peace Treaty of Versailes – 1919
– Wiki background
– Text

Sherman Anti-Trust Act – 1890
– Wiki background
– Text

Social Security Act – 1935
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Brown v. Board of Education – 1954
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Dred Scott v. Sanford – 1857
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Gibbons v. Ogden – 1824
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Gideon v. Wainwright – 1963
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Marbury v. Madison – 1803
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – McCulloch v. Maryland – 1819
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Miranda v. Arizona – 1966
– Wiki background
– Text

Supreme Court Decision – Roe v. Wade – 1973
– Wiki background
– Text

Torrijos–Carter Treaties (Panama) – 1977
– Wiki background
– Text

Treaty of Ghent – 1814
– Wiki background
– Text

United Nations Charter – 1945
– Wiki background
– Text

Writ of Habeas Corpus, Lincoln suspends – 1862
– Wiki background
– Text

Back to TOP

 OTHER IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

Bank Bill of 1791
– Wiki background

Napoleonic Law – 1804
– Wiki background

The New Deal – 1933-1936
– Wiki background

Kennedy Doctrine – 1963
– Wiki background

Indian Treaties
– Wiki background

Keep the Faith!

Freemasonry From the Edge

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

For Tim’s columns, see:
timbryce.com

Like the article? TELL A FRIEND.

Copyright © 2014 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

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Filed Under: Tim Bryce Tagged With: Politics, society, United States of America

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Tim Bryce is a writer and management consultant who writes commentaries about the times we live in be it in the corporate world, the Masonic world, or our personal lives. His writings are well known on the Internet and are humorous, educational, and at times controversial. You won’t always agree with him, but Tim will definitely get you thinking.

To read more of Tim’s columns, please visit: timbryce.com

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