Sources Of The U S Constitution U S Constitution Related Sources

Leo Migdal

-Dec 12, 2025, 1:22 PM

sources of the u s constitution u s constitution related sources

The collections of the Library of Congress contain a wide variety of primary and secondary source material associated with the U.S. Constitution, including government documents, reference tools, photographs, and prints. Provided below are links to primary and secondary research resources and materials within the Library as well as select external sources. Consult the Related Research Guides tab for additional Library research materials. Below are links to sources for primary documents relevant to constitutional law and history. For those interested in more deeply delving into the case law research that underpins much of the Constitution Annotated’s essays, below are resources for in-person and off-site researchers.

Government websites are increasingly offering free access to court decisions and legal documents online. Many U.S. almanacs, dictionaries, and encyclopedias also contain copies of the U.S. Constitution. Annotated versions of the Constitutions contain explanations and citations to court opinions (usually from the U.S. Supreme Court) applying or interpreting constitutional provisions.

© Copyright 2023, All Rights Reserved University of Washington School of Law 4293 Memorial Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98195 The U.S. Constitution ratified in 1788, serves as the supreme law of the United States, outlining the structure of the federal government and safeguarding fundamental rights. Its framework establishes a system of checks and balances among three branches—executive, legislative, and judicial—ensuring no single branch becomes too powerful. The Constitution's Bill of Rights, added in 1791, guarantees individual liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and assembly.

Enduring as a beacon of democracy, the Constitution adapts to societal changes through amendments while maintaining the principles of justice, equality, and the rule of law, shaping the course of American governance and identity. The U.S. Constitution Primary Source Subject Guide offers a curated selection of original documents, debates, and analyses surrounding the creation and interpretation of the foundational law of the United States. Through primary sources such as the Federalist Papers, congressional records, and Supreme Court decisions, readers explore the Constitution's historical context, principles, and ongoing significance in shaping American governance. Florida Atlantic University Libraries 777 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33431 (561) 297-6911 Kurland, Philip B, and Ralph Lerner.

The Founders' Constitution. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. KF4502 .F68 1987 vols. 1-5. Reference Fl. 1

A comprehensive anthology of original historical documents relating to the legal and historical context of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Continental Congress and Articles of Confederation (1777) Smith, Paul Hubert, and Ronald M Gephart. Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789. Washington: Library of Congress, 1976.

JK 1033 .L47 26 volumes. Fl. 2 The following links below are primary sources that can be used to help gain a deeper understanding of the U.S. Constitution. Washington as Statesman at the Constitutional Convention.

Junius Brutus Stearns (1856). Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 50.2.1. https://www.vmfa.museum/piction/6027262-8052859/ The bibliography of the United States Constitution is a comprehensive selection of books, journal articles and various primary sources about and primarily related to the Constitution of the United States that have been published... Many of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention set out to improve on the inadequate Articles of Confederation,[5] but after much deliberation over state's rights a new Federal Constitution was approved.[6] To allow delegates... Many of the works in this section were authored by members of the Scottish Enlightenment and the English Enlightenment, who were highly influential in the realms of moral and political philosophy and political science.

Along with the Bible, their works were routinely cited by James Madison, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and other Founding Fathers before and during the drafting of the U. S. Constitution, and during the ratification process.[27][28][29] In the years leading up to the framing and signing of the Constitution, Blackstone, Hume, Locke and Montesquieu were among the political philosophers often referred to.[29][ae] Historian Jack... Greene maintains that by 1776 the early Americans drew heavily upon Magna Carta and the later writings of "Enlightenment rationalism" and English common law, while also citing David Hume, an eighteen century Scottish philosopher,[af]... The Bible was also a major source of influence during the formation period. In an effort to establish an overall perspective of the influence that prevailed among the Founding Fathers, political science professors at the University of Houston engaged in a ten-year study and analyzed over 15,000...

Approximately ninety-four percent of the quotes taken from the Founders quoted the Bible directly or made analogies to specific chapters and verses.[35][36] James Madison is widely recognized among Constitutional scholars for his key role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.[47][48][49] Gouverneur Morris also played a significant role,... It was Madison who gave the Constitution its basic shape, its essential conservatism, and yet flexibility sufficient to meet the changing needs of future times."[51] For his key role Madison is commonly known as... During the period just prior to and during the Constitutional Convention James Madison corresponded with Thomas Jefferson, who was in Paris serving as American Minister to France,[57][58] and who.had requested that Madison keep him... Because Madison, like others at the convention, was bound by the secrecy rule, which Jefferson found disquieting, only reports about the arrival of delegates, the general progress of the convention, general recommendations and other... The following sources provide access to official and unofficial copies of the United States Constitution:

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The Founders' Constitution. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 1987. KF4502