A collection of one hundred documents that are significant in shaping the history of the United States, beginning with the Lee Resolution of June 7, 1776, and ending with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Take a look at an image of the constitutional amendment that put an end to slavery in the United States. Interactive image is accompanied by an overview of the amendment's inception and adoption, as well as document transcript.

This web page from the National Archives and Records Administration has a link to a copy of the actual Treaty of 1868, when the United States recognized Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation.

Wonderful NARA site that provides pictures of the original treaty and agreements of the Louisiana Purchase. Brief introduction discusses the amount of land purchased and the cost per acre described by the Purchase.

The Our Documents group presents information on the Articles of Confederation, including its history, an enlarged image of the document, and a printer-friendly version of the text. Includes PDFs (require Adobe Reader).

An interactive experience with the Bill of Rights. The Our Documents group allows you to view a copy of the original Bill of Rights. There is a brief information section along with links to larger images, a typed transcript, and downloadable PDF (Adobe) files.

This site contains a complete transcription of The Bill of Rights, along with zoomable graphics of the original handwritten text. It also includes information about the historical context of the document, links to more constitutional amendments, and much more.

Check here to read the three amendments passed during the Progressive Era, the 16th, 17th, & 18th amendments. Fron the National Archives and Records Adminstration.

Find an image of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964. Read a brief description of how this life-changing legislation came to be.

Comprehensive overview of the U.S. Constitution. Places the Constitution in context with two other founding charters of American democracy and government, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Includes access to digital facsimiles of the Constitution and to all amendments (with transcripts).

The complete text of the U.S. Constitution as adopted by the U.S. Congress on September 17, 1787, with information about changes made.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) provides an extensive overview of the Declaration of Independence. View the actual document, explore the history of the document as well as it's "stylistic artistry," and much more.

The Our Documents group provides a look at the original, signed Declaration of Independence as well as a print version distributed soon after the original was signed. View and learn about the document and its history. RI.9-10.9 US Documents

On this National Archives and Records Administration web site, Stephen E. Lucas describes how the Declaration of Independence is a persuasive piece of literature. Lucus goes into details of the Declaration of Independence studying, at the level of the sentence, phrase, word, and syllable of the entire Declaration.

This activity presents students with two versions of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous speech following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor-an earlier typewritten draft and his final reading copy. Students will read, analyze, and contrast these two versions to see the impact of his changes to the overall message and tone of the speech. W.11-12.9b US Doc Analysis

How can you actually bring history to life? Here are some tools from the National Archives that allow students to create their own projects using primary-source based activities that develop historical thinking skills. Special historical eras are offered as well as different types of activities. You can create your own, but must register with the National Archives site first.

In this activity, students will analyze documents that span the course of American history to see examples of 'checks and balances' between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches in action. Students will then match the documents they have examined with an appropriate description of the branches of government involved in the action.

In this activity, students will analyze documents that illustrate the relationship between the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Using the scale in Weighing the Evidence, students will decide whether the United States government more appropriately fits the concept of 'separation of powers' or 'shared powers.'

In this activity students will analyze documents that span the course of American history to determine their connection to the U.S. Constitution. Students will then make connections between the documents they have examined and the big ideas found within the Constitution.

Original footage [20:04] published in 1943 from the U.S. Navy and the March of Times discusses Shintoism and the Samurai Code effect on the Japanese psyche.