1215 A.D.
English liberty charter decreed by King John.
November 11, 1620
Agreement drafted by the settlers of the first New England colony.
Adopted June 12, 1776
Drafted by George Mason, this declaration of rights later became a model for other state constitutions and the Bill of Rights.
Adopted July 4, 1776
Framed in 1777, adopted in 1781
Charter or first "Constitution" adopted by the 13 states following the American Revolution.
October 1787 - August 1788
A series of newspaper articles drafted by Alexander Hamilton along with collaborators John Jay and James Madison, urging ratification of the new Constitution.
Approved by delegates in 1787, ratified in 1788
Learn more in the Interactive Constitution
Adopted in 1791
The first ten Amendments to the Constitution.
Learn more about the Bill of Rights in the Interactive Constitution
Emancipation Proclamation, Leland-Boker Edition, 1864
Enacted in 1862, this edition of the Emancipation Proclamation was auctioned to raise money for Union troops during the Civil War. It is signed by Pres. Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward.
Download the full color, two-sided, 11"x17" mini-poster and discussion guide here.
Thirteenth Amendment, Congressional Copy
This handwritten, Congressional Copy of the amendment that banned slavery is signed by President Lincoln, Vice-President Hamlin and over 150 members of Congress. This full color, two sided, 11"x17" mini-poster and discussion guide encourages students to examine this primary source and its impact on American society.
Download the full color, two-sided, 11"x17" mini-poster and discussion guide here.
Ratified in 1865 (13th Amendment), 1868 (14th Amendment), 1870 (15th Amendment).
Also known as the Civil War Amendments.
Amendments abolished slavery and guaranteed equal protection of the laws and the right to vote.
Learn more about the Reconstruction Amendments in the Interactive Constitution