Letter from Christopher Columbus to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, March 14, 1493 -- The Mayflower Compact, November 21, 1620 -- A model of Christian Charity, sermon given to colonists on their departure to the New World, April, 1630 -- Death warrant of Bridget Bishop, the Salem Witch Trials, March-June, 1692 -- The Declaration of Independence, July 4,1776 -- The Great Seal of the United States of America, June 20, 1782 -- The Treaty of Paris, September 3, 1783 -- The Constitution of the United States, September 17, 1787 -- The first inaugural address of President George Washington, April 30, 1789 -- The Bill of Rights, December 15, 1791 -- The Harrison Land Act, May 10, 1800 -- The Louisiana Purchase, May 2, 1803 -- The Missouri Compromise, March 5-6, 1820 -- The Monroe Doctrine, December 2, 1823 -- President Andrew Jackson's address to Congress on Indian removal, December 6, 1830 -- The Compromise of 1850, September 9-20, 1850 -- The Pacific Railway Act, July 1, 1862 -- The Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863 -- The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the abolition of slavery, January 31, 1865 -- The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, voting rights, February 3, 1870 -- Act establishing Yellowstone National Park, March 1, 1872 -- Thomas Alva Edison's patent drawing for the electric lamp, January 27, 1879 -- The prototype for the first military submarine, April 11, 1900 -- Design of the Ford Model T, the Farmer's Car, October 1, 1908 -- Inquiry into the sinking of the RMS Titanic, April 19-May 25, 1912 -- The Zimmermann Telegram, January 9, 1917 -- The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, women's right to vote, August 18, 1920 -- The National Prohibition Act, January 16, 1920 -- The Wall Street Crash, October 24, 1929 -- The Social Security Act, August 14, 1935 -- The Einstein-Szil℗♭¿rd Letter, August 2, 1939 -- Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's address to Congress, December 8, 1941 -- The bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, telegram from Secretary of War Henry Stimson to President Harry S. Truman, August 6, 1945 -- The surrender of Germany in World War II, May 7, 1945 -- The surrender of Japan in World War II, September 2, 1945 -- The United Nations Charter, June 26, 1945 -- The Truman Doctrine, March 12, 1947 -- The Marshall Plan, April 3, 1948 -- State Resolution 301, censure of Senator Joseph McCarthy, December 2, 1954 -- Executive Order 10730, desegregation of Central High School, September 23, 1957 -- The inaugural address of President John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961-- The Cuban Missile Crisis, letter from Nikita Khrushchev to President John F.Kennedy, October 24, 1962 -- Assassination of President Kennedy, the Warren Commission report, 1964 -- The plaque commemorating the first manned lunar landing, July 20, 1969 -- The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, May 26, 1972 -- The Paris Peace Accords, January 27, 1973 -- The Watergate Scandal, the Smoking Gun tape, June 23, 1974 -- The Camp David Accords, September 17, 1978 -- Missing persons message board, September 11, 2001.
Summary:
Explores the documents that shaped American history. Presented in chronological order, this book faithfully reflects the historical development of the United States - from infant nation-state of 21st century global superpower--through 50 of its landmark documents. Each document is clearly set in context and its historical import assessed and analyzed. Wherever possible, the actual document is depicted. Where the wording of a document can only be made out with difficulty, a full or partial transcript is provided. Contains 75 images.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.