The American Revolution Reference: Documents

Documents found on this site
The Annapolis Convention Report
This is the letter sent to the Congress by the delegates to the Annapolis Convention that called for the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms July 6 1775
Read the reasons why the Colonists declared the need to take up arms against the British.
Articles of Confederation 15 November 1777
This was the first Constitution of the United States but it was replaced by the United States Constitution in 1787.
The Declaration of Independence
The document that formally declared that the 13 Colonies were independent from Britain.
Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress October 14, 1774
Read the resolves of the Continental Congress.
The Constitution Of The United States Of America, 1787
Read the United States Constitution as it was originally ratified in 1787.
Inaugural Addresses of George Washington
Read the two addresses that Washington gave when he was elected as the President of the United States.
The Paris Peace Treaty (Peace Treaty Of 1783)
Read the treaty that effectively ended the war in America. This treaty also acknowledged the Colonies as a separate country in British eyes.
Resolutions Of The Town Of Boston, November 5, 1773
Read what Boston citizen's thought about the Parliaments dealings with the East India Company.
Samuel Adams to Arthur Lee on the Boston Tea Party
Read this letter to Arthur Lee by from Samuel Adams, where he describes the Boston Tea party and its consequences.
The Virginia Declaration of Rights
This document spells out the rights of the Colonists and became the blueprints for the Bill of Rights found in the United States Constitution.
The United States Bill of Rights
The United States Bill of Rights are the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. They provide individual protection of United States citizens against unreasonable governmental power. You can read them here.
Letter Of The President Of The Federal Convention, To The President Of Congress, Transmitting The Constitution
This is the letter sent to the Continental Congress by the Constitutional convention about the new United States Constitution.
Mecklenburg Declaration 20 May 1775
Read the other Declaration of Independence.
Mecklenburg Resolves Charlotte Town, Mecklenburg County May 31, 1775
This page contains the resolves of Mecklenburg County.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
This law was passed by the Continental Congress in 1787. It dealt with the administration of the northwest territory.
James Otis Stamp Act Oration 1765
Read the oration by James Otis against the Stamp Act that he delivered before the Governor and Council In Boston, December 20, 1765.
James Otis Against the Writs of Assistance February 1761
Read the man's speech against the Writs of Assistance.
Resolutions of Congress on Lord North's Conciliatory Proposal
Read the response of the Continental Congress to North's proposal as written down by Thomas Jefferson. This is from his public papers.

Articles on this site

Spy Letters: A Site Review

Important Treaties of the 18th Century

Using Historical Documents

Research Tips Aides and Tips

The Declaratory Act 1766
Read the Act of Parliament that told the American Colonies that they were subordinate to Parliamentary Law.
The Townshend Duties
This is an essay about the Townshend duties located on the USA Project web site.
The Articles of Confederation
Here you will find the first constitution of the United States. The Articles of confederation would be replaced by the present U.S. constitution in 1789, because of the lack of governmental powers.
The Constitution of The United States
Here is the United States Constitution, starting with the preamble. This site is a part of the Avalon Project. It is broken down into the articles, Bill of rights, and the amendments. An excellent web resource.
Declaration of Independence Web Exhibit
Take a look at the history of the Declaration of Independence and the men who wrote it from the National Archives And Records Administration.
Declaration of Rights (1774)
From the Liberty On Line Mall, read the Declaration of Rights of 1774 by Congress. This document spells out the colonists rights and lists the grievances against Britain.
The Declaration of Rights of the Stamp Act Congress, October 19, 1765
Read about the resolves against the Stamp Act at this site.
First Continental Congress Resolves
Read the Congressional resolves, that came about during the American Revolution.
Proclamation of Rebellion, 1775
Read King George's III answer to the American colonies after the battles of Lexington and Concord.
Royal Proclamation, 1763
Read the proclamation of 1763, in which the colonies were limited in expansion to the Appellations. This is also the proclamation that describes the rights of the Canadians now under British rule.
Continental Army Papers 1775-1783
Take a look at the letter books of George Washington while he was commander in chief of the Continental Army during the Revolution to understand how it was really like during the hard times.
George Germain Papers
Information about the George Germain papers located at the Clements Library can be found on this page.
Charles Townshend Papers
The Clements Library has a collection of the Townshend Papers, this page describes the papers in the collection and gives a short background on the man.
Letter on the Loss of America
From The British Monarchy site you can read this letter by George III on the Loss of America. It was written in the 1780's, the exact date is unknown.
Revolutionary War Map
Here is a map showing where the major battles of the Revolution took place.
Rare Map Collection--Revolutionary Era
From the University of Georgia, these maps are copyrighted material so get the necessary permission before you download them for use other than viewing.