Historic Documents
Full texts of the documents and speeches that shaped the United States.
From the Articles of Confederation and the Bill of Rights to Sojourner Truth at Akron and Kennedy's inaugural. Each is the complete text, not an extract, so the words can be read as they were written and delivered.
In this section
- Bill of Rights and later Amendments to the United States Constitution
- Petition from the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery
- Ask not what your country can do for you (Kennedy's inuagural address)
- The Star-spangled Banner
- Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech
- We Hold These Truths
- Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges
- Shirley Chisholm's Speech Before Congress
- The Letter of Columbus to Luis De Sant Angel Announcing His Discovery
- Articles of Confederation
- United States Constitution
- The American's Creed
- Declaration of Independence
- Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Honoring Dr. DuBois" Speech
- The Economic Bill of Rights
- The Emancipation Proclamation
- Washington's Farewell Address
- The Gettysburg Address
- The Gettysburg Address (Bancroft Copy)
- The Gettysburg Address (Bliss Copy)
- The Gettysburg Address (Everett Copy)
- The Gettysburg Address (Hay Copy)
- The Gettysburg Address (Nicolay Copy)
- Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" Speech
- George W. Harkins to the American People
- Lincoln's House Divided Speech
- Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech
- FDR's Infamy Speech
- Andrew Jackson's First Inaugural Address
- Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death
- Lincoln's First Inaugural Address
- Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
- Magna Carta
- Mayflower Compact
- The Monroe Doctrine
- The Pledge of Allegiance
- Charter to Sir Walter Raleigh (1584)
- To those who keep slaves, and approve the practice
- Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments
- Daniel Webster's Seventh of March Speech
- Jonathan Edward's Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Sermon
- Tear Down This Wall
- Henry David Thoreau: A Plea for Captain John Brown
- Ain't I a woman?
- Letter from George Washington to Henry Knox
- George Washington's First State of the Union Address.