Founding Documents

Your essay should reference an American Founding document that illustrates the civic value(s) you believe are most essential to Americans.  For the purposes of the Bill of Right's Institute's Being an American Essay Contest, the list of the Founding documents you may choose from is shown below. These are some of the more important Founding documents written between the years of 1760 and 1800.

The three Founding documents that first come to mind might be the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. But you don't have to limit yourself to the charters of freedom. You can choose any of the Founding documents on this list.

As you read your document, ask yourself: What ideals do these words proclaim? What civic values do they call upon Americans to practice? How does this document help you understand ways that you can put the value(s) into practice?

*note - some links contained on this page will take you off this Website.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Students MUST use one of the following documents in thier essay.

The Rights of the Colonists (1772)  

Common Sense (1776)

The Declaration of Independence (1776)

The American Crisis (1776-1783)

Madison's Memorial and Remonstrance (1785)

The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)

The Federalist Papers (1788)

The Constitution (1789)

George Washington's First Inaugural Address (1789)

The Bill of Rights (1791)

George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)

The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798)