Shortly after the destruction of the Twin Towers at New York’s World Trade Center in September 2001, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Library chose to commemorate the tragedy by publishing a pamphlet containing the Declaration of …
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A Most Important “Non-English” Document in American History: Vergennes’ Considerations, Versailles, France, 12 March 1776
A year after the shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, heralding the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, French Foreign Minister Vergennes submitted a report to King Louis XVI and his council on the …
Adams and Jefferson: “The North and South Poles of the American Revolution”
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson occupy the top tier in the American pantheon of Revolutionary Era giants. They knew each other for fifty years—from 1775 when they first met during the Second Continental Congress until …
Answering the Call: The Election and Inauguration of George Washington as President
With the adoption of the Constitution, Americans faced the arduous task of implementing a new government. One thing was certain—George Washington had to be the country’s first President. Preferring to remain retired at Mount Vernon, …
“The Times that Tried Men’s Souls”—Thomas Paine and American Independence
The declaration and achievement of independence and the establishment of state and federal constitutions were pivotal events not only in American history but also “in the course of human events.” No one better assisted and …
“Auxiliary Precautions”— James Madison’s Structural Protections in the Constitution
Antifederalists throughout the country voiced a wide range of objections to the Constitution, some times even disagreeing among themselves on these criticisms. Yet they shared four core criticisms: (1) the omission of a bill of …
“Expressly”—The Most Important Word Not in the Constitution
On 7 June 1776 Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee presented a resolution to the Second Continental Congress that called for the American colonies’ independence. In response, Congress formed three committees: to draft a declaration of …
George Washington Surrenders His Commission to Congress, 23 December 1783*
The British finally evacuated New York City on 25 November 1783. General George Washington and New York Governor George Clinton rode into the city together, marking the end of nearly seven years of British occupation. …
Presidential Qualifications: The Natural-Born Citizen Requirement
When the Constitutional Convention considered the office of the President of the United States, all of the delegates naturally presumed that George Washington would be the only logical choice to fill the position. Because of …
The Antifederalists’ Victory: Implementing Their Constitution
Historians have long described the differences between Federalists and Antifederalists, often attributing the latter’s failure to their inability to offer a single viable alternative to the proposed Constitution. Yet, from a broader perspective, many …