26 March 2009
Foundations of U.S. Democracy
The full text of documents of special significance to the American people
U.S. Constitution
This document establishes the U.S. federal government and creates a system of checks and-balances between the legislative, executive and judicial branches and between the federal and state governments.
Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
The Constitution is a dynamic, evolving document that has been amended many times. The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution make explicit the rights, privileges and freedoms that the U.S. federal government may not abridge.
Declaration of Independence
This statement asserted U.S. independence from Great Britain as remedy for British King George III’s repeated violations of the rights of the American colonists.
The Gettysburg Address
In a speech given in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln reminded Americans that the Founding Fathers conceived of the United States as a place of liberty where “all men are created equal.”
