Madison

Founding Documents

Click on the button to get the indicated file format:
Format HTML Text WP PDF RTF Word Image
Local HTML Version or Menu Text Version Zipped WordPerfect Adobe PDF RTF MS Word Version Graphic Image
Remote Remote Link - HTML Remote Link - Text Remote Link - Wordperfect Remote Link - PDF Remote Link - RTF Remote Link - Word Remote Link - Image
  1. HTML Version Constitution for the United States— Correct version, local to this site, with annotations and links to other pages on this and other sites.
  2. HTML Version Text Version Zipped WordPerfect Constitution for the United States — Correct version, local to this site, with minimal annotations and no local links other than among this document set, for portability across multiple platforms and browsers. This one can be downloaded and used at your site.
  3. MS Word Version Zipped WordPerfect Constitution for the United States — Formatted to print on two sides of one letter-size sheet of paper.
  4. HTML Version Text Version Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, by James Madison. These are the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia. an essential guide to interpreting the intent of the Framers. Also see the mirror site at TeamInfinity.
  5. Scanned imagesof the original pages of U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. See also the Charters of Freedom collection at the National Archives and Records Adminstration and the Emory archive.
    Grey Color Document
    Image Version Image Version U.S. Constitution, page 1
    Image Version Image Version U.S. Constitution, page 2
    Image Version Image Version U.S. Constitution, page 3
    Image Version Image Version U.S. Constitution, page 4

    Image Version Letter of Transmittal
    Image Version
    Bill of Rights
  6. Remote Link - HTML U.S. Constitution — Official but incorrect version you will often see.
  7. Remote Link - HTML The Annotated Constitution — GPO, CRS [ASCII, PDF], 2444p. Project of the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and Government Printing Office (GPO). Annotated references to Supreme Court decisions arranged by provision and amendment. Acrobat reader needed for PDF files can be downloaded from here. Some very large files.
  8. Remote Link - HTML The U.S. Constitution Annotated — Findlaw rendition. Links to case files on their site.
  9. Remote Link - HTML The Founders' Constitution — Online documentation from the University of Chicago.
  10. HTML Version Text Version Adobe PDF Image Version U.S. Declaration of Independence — Original capitalization.
  11. HTML Version Text Version U.S. Declaration of Independence — Modernized capitalization.
  12. HTML version Text version Original Rough Draught of the Declaration of Independence
  13. HTML Version Text Version The Federalist Papers, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay. Also see the versions from Rob Knautz, Liberty Online, Perfect Union Project, and the gopher site: Wiretap.
  14. HTML Version Anti-Federalist Papers — Various essays criticizing the proposed Constitution and urging changes. See the collections at Iahushua and Logoplex.
  15. Submenu The Debates in the Several Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, Jonathan Elliot (1836) — A collection of documents, including proceedings of the ratifying state conventions.
  16. Submenu Documentary History of the Bill of Rights — From the English Bill of Rights through the proposed amendments of the state ratifying conventions to the drafts debated in Congress before adopting the final version.
  17. HTML Version Remote Link - HTML Primary Sources — Extensive collection of links and documents from Rick Gardiner.
  18. HTML Version Text Version Constitutional Quotes — Some quotes that enlighten understanding of the Constitution.
  19. HTML Version History & Economics Related to Constitutional Matters — Articles on facts and conjectures.
  20. HTML Version The Athenian Constitution, Aristotle (350 BC). Also see the site at MIT.
  21. HTML Version Text Version Constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy.
  22. HTML Version Text Version Image Version Magna Carta.
  23. HTML Version Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson, 1789) — Manifesto of the French Revolution, expressing its ideals.
  24. HTML Version Text Version Principles of Constitutional Interpretation, Jon Roland
  25. HTML Version Text Version Intent of the Fourteenth Amendment was to Protect All Rights, Jon Roland
  26. HTML Version Text Version How to render documents — Short manual on scanning printed documents and converting them into web pages.
  27. HTML Version Text Version Only half would vote for Constitution — Why it is so important to support efforts like this site.
  28. HTML Version Bouvier Law Dictionary. Also available as two self-extracting executables: Part 1 and Part 2.
  29. HTML Version Landmark Court Decisions — Local archive, with commentaries on the rulings and the opinions.
  30. Remote Link - HTML Supreme Court Decisions — Findlaw collection.
  31. Remote Link - HTML Supreme Court Decisions — Cornell collection. Only has recent ones.
  32. Remote Link - HTML U.S. Constitutional Law — Cornell archive.
  33. Remote Link - HTML Avalon Project at Yale Law School — Documents in law, history and diplomacy.
  34. Remote Link - HTML Farrand's Records — Library of Congress collection.
  35. Remote Link - HTML Elliot's Debates — Library of Congress collection.
  36. Remote Link - HTML U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates — Library of Congress collection.
  37. Remote Link - HTML Letters of Delegates to Congress — Library of Congress collection.
  38. Remote Link - HTML Journals of the Continental Congress — Library of Congress collection.
  39. Remote Link - HTML R. Carter Pittman — Constitutionalist, and scholar of George Mason, a major contributor to the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights. Collection of his writings.
  40. Remote Link - HTML National Constitution Center — Mainly a bricks and mortar museum, but has online materials.
  41. Remote Link - HTML Vindicating the Founders, Thomas G. West — Defense of the Founders' views and actions on slavery, women's rights, property rights, voting rights, and other controversial issues.
  42. Remote Link - HTML U.S. Government — Starting point for U.S. Government Hypertexts.
  43. Remote Link - HTML Thomas Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress
  44. Remote Link - HTML University of Virginia, Electronic Text Center — Have writings of Thomas Jefferson.
  45. Remote Link - HTML Jeffersonian Perspective — Archives and links related to Thomas Jefferson.
  46. Remote Link - HTML Thomas Jefferson on Politics and Government — Things Thomas Jefferson wrote.
  47. Remote Link - HTML Ask Thomas Jefferson — Comprehensive archive of quotes, providing important guidance for constitutional interpretation.
  48. Remote Link - HTML James Madison Legacy — Archive of James Madison University.
  49. Remote Link - HTML Franklin Institute Benjamin Franklin archive — The Founder who contributed most to the concepts of federalism.
  50. Remote Link - HTML George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress — Complete collection
  51. Remote Link - HTML The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745-1799 — Complete collection at the University of Virginia.
  52. Remote Link - HTML Foundation documents
  53. Remote Link - HTML U.S. Historical Documents Archive — Maintained by Matthew Weiler.
  54. Remote Link - HTML Readings for Students of the Constitution — Collection by Bill Boyle.
  55. Remote Link - HTML Citizen's Guide to U.S. Constitution — Collection of discussions on constitutional issues.
  56. Remote Link - HTML U.S. Historical Documents — Collection at the University of Oklahoma.
  57. Remote Link - HTML Ancient Legal Sourcebook — Collection of documents and links at Fordham University.
  58. Remote Link - HTML Medieval Legal Sourcebook — Collection of documents and links at Fordham University.
  59. Remote Link - HTML Historical Documents
  60. Remote Link - HTML UUNET 18th Century archive
  61. Remote Link - HTML UUNET Founding Fathers archive

Sources for pocket editions of the U.S. Constitution and other documents

Other nations

Student Government — The principles of constitutional republican government also apply, with some adaptations, to this formative experience of future constitutionalists.

Constitutionalism — Sometimes equated with the "Rule of Law", holds that government can and should be legally limited in its powers, and that its authority depends on enforcing those limitations.

Also see our links to Books and Publishers for things like prints of documents.

Home
Original URL: http://www.constitution.org/cs_found.htm
Maintained: Jon Roland of the Constitution Society
Original date: 1995 September 25 — Updated: 2005 September 6
What you can do to help