Historic Document Table of Contents

The National Constitution Center’s Founders’ Library includes primary texts that span American history—from the philosophical works that influenced the Founding generation to the most important speeches, essays, books, pamphlets, petitions, letters, court cases, landmark statutes, and state constitutions that have shaped the American constitutional tradition. To ensure nonpartisan rigor and ideological diversity, we assembled a group of leading scholars from diverse perspectives to help choose the primary texts included in the Founders’ Library. We’ve also included sources curated by the National Constitution Center team. This Historic Document Index includes a list of every document contained in the Founders’ Library, organized by historical era. Read More.