Contents

NUMBER

PAGE

I

9

14

19

20

.

22

26

31

36

39

43

45

50

53

55

.

60

1

1. First Charter of Virginia. April 10/20, 1606.

2. Second Charter of Virginia. May 23/ June 2, 1609

3. Third Charter of Virginia. March 12/22, 1611/12

4. Mayflower Compact. Nov. 11/21, 1620.

5. Ordinance for Virginia. July 24/ Aug. 3, 1621

6. First Charter of Massachusetts. March 4/14, 1628/9

7. Charter of Privileges to Patroons. June 7/17, 1629

8. Charter of Maryland. June 20/30, 1632

9. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. Jan. 14/24, 1638/9

10. Fundamental Articles of New Haven. June 4/14, 1639

11. Patent of Providence Plantations. March 14/24, 1643 .

12. New England Confederation. May 19/29, 1643

13. Government of New Haven. Oct. 27/Nov. 6, 1643

14. Maryland Toleration Act. April, 1649

15. First Navigation Act. 1660

16. Charter of Connecticut. April 23/ May 3, 1662

17. First Charter of Carolina. March 24/ April 3, 1662/3

18. Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. July 8/18,

1663.

19. Second Navigation Act. 1663

20. Grant to the Duke of York. March 12/22, 1663/4

21. Second Charter of Carolina. June 30/July 10, 1665

22. Third Navigation Act. 1672 .

23. Charter of Pennsylvania. March 4/14, 1680/81

24. Second Charter of Massachusetts. Oct. 7/17, 1691

25. Navigation Act. April 10/20, 1696

26. Treaty of Utrecht. March 31 / April 11, 1713

27. Charter of Georgia. June 9/20, 1732

28. Molasses Act. May 17/ 28, 1733

29. Writ of Assistance. Dec. 2, 1762

30. Treaty of Paris. Feb. 10, 1763

31. Royal Proclamation concerning America. Oct. 7, 1763 .

32. Sugar Act. April 5, 1764

vii

63

NUMBER

PAGE

I 22

.

131

136

139

141

143

146

150

155

159

.

162

166

171

172

.

.

176

184

.

188

33. Stamp

Tarch 22, 1765

34. Quartering ...'. April, 1765

35. Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress. Oct. 19, 1765

36. Declaratory Act. March 18, 1766 .

37. Act suspending the New York Assembly. June 15, 1767

38. Townshend Revenue Act. June 29, 1767

39. Massachusetts Circular Letter. Feb. 11, 1768

40. Boston Port Act. March 31, 1774 ·

41. Massachusetts Government Act. May 20, 1774

42. Administration of Justice Act. May 20, 1774

43. Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress. Oct. 14,

1774 .

44. The Association. Oct. 20, 1774

45. Lord North’s Conciliatory Resolution. Feb. 27, 1775

46. New England Restraining Act. March 30, 1775

47. Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms. july 6,

1775

48. Report on Lord North’s Conciliatory Resolution.

July 31, 1775

49. Proclamation of Rebellion. Aug. 23, 1775

50. Declaration of Independence. July 4, 1776

51. Articles of Confederation. Nov. 15, 1777

52. Treaty of Paris. Sept. 3, 1783

53. Ordinance of 1787. July 13, 1787 .

54. Constitution of the United States. Sept. 17, 1787 ·

55. Hamilton's First Report on Public Credit. Jan. 9, 1790

56. Proclamation of Neutrality. April 22, 1793

57. Treaty with Great Britain. Nov. 19, 1794

Alien and Sedition Acts. 1798

58. Naturalization Act. June 18, 1798 .

59. Alien Act. June 25, 1798

60. Alien Enemies Act. July 6, 1798

61. Sedition Act. July 14, 1798

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. 1798, 1799

62. Kentucky Resolutions. Nov. 16, 1798

63. Virginia Resolutions. Dec. 24, 1798

64. Kentucky Resolutions. Nov. 22, 1799

65. Treaty with France for the Cession of Louisiana. April 30, 1803

66. Embargo Act. Dec. 22, 1807.

67. Non-Intercourse Act. March 1, 1809

68. Declaration of War. June 18, 1812

69. Treaty of Ghent. Dec. 24, 1814

70. Report of the Hartford Convention. Jan. 4, 1815

190

195

204

209

216

233

243

NUMBER

PAGE

306

.

316

71. Act for a National Bank. April 10, 1816

302

72. Treaty with Spain for the Floridas. Feb. 22, 1819

. A gr

Missouri Compromise. 1820–21

311

73. Tallmadge's Amendment. Feb. 13, 1819

313

74. Taylor's Amendment. Jan. 26, 1820

313

75. Thomas's Amendment. Feb. 17, 1820 .

314

76. Report of the Conference Committee. March 1, 1820 .

314

77. Missouri Enabling Act. March 6, 1820

315

78. Constitution of Missouri. July 19, 1820

79. Resolution for the Admission of Missouri. March 2, 1821

317

80. Monroe's Message enunciating the Monroe Doctrine. Dec. 2, 1823 318

81. The Bank Controversy: Jackson's First Annual Message. Dec. 8,

1829.

320

82. The Bank Controversy: Jackson's Second An Message.

Dec. 7, 1830

322

83. The Bank Controversy: Jackson's Third Annual Message. Dec. 6,

1831.

323

84. Jackson's Bank Veto. July 10, 1832

324

85. South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification. Nov. 24, 1832

329

86. Jackson's Proclamation to the People of South Carolina. Dec. 10,

1832 .

333

87. Act for Enforcing the Tariff. March 2, 1833

341

Removal of the Deposits. September, 1833 .

344

88. Jackson's Paper read to the Cabinet. Sept. 18, 1833

344

89. Taney's Instructions to the Collector at Philadelphia. Sept. 26, 1833 349

90. Taney to the Girard Bank. Sept. 26, 1833

350

91. Taney to the Bank of the United States. Sept. 26, 1833

351

92. Contract between the Girard Bank and the United States. Sept. 28,

1833 .

352

93. Constitution of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Dec. 4, 1833 353

94. Act to Regulate the Deposits. June 23, 1836

· 355

95. Specie Circular. July 11, 1836

· 359

96. Treaty with Great Britain. Aug. 9, 1842

97. Joint Resolution for the Annexation of Texas. March 1, 1845

98. Act for the Prosecution of the Mexican War. May 13, 1846 371

99. Treaty with Great Britain. June 15, 1846

372

100. Independent Treasury Act. Aug. 6, 1846

374

101. Treaty with Mexico. Feb. 2, 1848

377

Compromise of 1850

383

102. Clay's Resolutions. Jan. 29, 1850

384

103. Extract from the Report of the Committee of Thirteen. May 8, 1850 386

104. Extract from the Utah Act. Sept. 9, 1850

· 387

.

.

361

368

NUMBER

PAGE

388

.

.

.

105. Extract from the Texas and New Mexico Act. Sept. 9, 1850

106. Fugitive Slave Act. Sept. 18, 1850

390

107. Act abolishing the Slave Trade in the District of Columbia.

Sept. 20, 1850

394

108. Treaty with Mexico. Dec. 30, 1853

394

Kansas-Nebraska Act. 1854

397

109. Douglas's Report. Jan. 4, 1854

399

110. Dixon's Proposed Amendment. Jan. 16, 1854

402

III. Sumner's Proposed Amendment. Jan. 17, 1854

403

112. Extract from the Act to Organize the Territories of Nebraska

and Kansas. May 30, 1854

403

113. Dred Scott Decision. March 6, 1857

405

114. Lecompton Constitution. Nov. 7, 1857

420

115. South Carolina Ordinance of Secession. Dec. 20, 1860

423

116. Constitution of the Confederate States of America.

March 11,

1861.

424

117. Call for 75,000 Volunteers. April 15, 1861

433

118. Proclamation declaring a Blockade of Southern Ports. April 19,

1861 .

434

119. Act for a National Loan. July 17, 1861

120. Act authorizing the Employment of Volunteers. July 22, 1861

121. Resolution on the Nature and Object of the War. July 22, 1861

439

122. Act for calling out the Militia. July 29, 1861

440

123. Act to define and punish certain Conspiracies. July 31, 1861 441

124. Confiscation Act. Aug. 6, 1861

442

125. Act authorizing the Seizure of Railroad and Telegraph Lines.

Jan. 31, 1862

444

126. Act authorizing the Issue of Legal Tender Notes. Feb. 25, 1862

127. Act for an Additional Article of War. March 13, 1862

128. Joint Resolution on Compensated Emancipation. April 10, 1862. 449

129. Act abolishing Slavery in the District of Columbia. April 16, 1862 450

130. Abolition of Slavery in the Territories. June 19, 1862 .

452

131. Oath of Office. July 2, 1862.

452

132. Confiscation Act. July 17, 1862

454

133. Emancipation Proclamation. Jan. I, 1863

457

134. Enrolment Act. March 3, 1863

459

135. Act relating to Habeas Corpus. March 3, 1863

463

136. Resolution against Foreign Mediation. March 3, 1863

467

Proclamation of Amnesty. Dec. 8, 1863

470

138. National Bank Act. June 3, 1864

473

139. Proclamation regarding Reconstruction. July 8, 1864

482

140. Electoral Count. Feb. 8, 1865

487