Direct online access to the basic Federal Government documents that define our democratic society, a core group of current and historical Government publications.

Comprehensive overview of the U.S. Constitution. Places the Constitution in context with two other founding charters of American democracy and government, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Includes access to digital...

A biographical entry for John Hancock. Although he seems to be known only for his "flamboyant signature," his dedication to the American Revolution was extremely important.

In this activity, learners sequence key events leading to the Declaration of Independence by placing documents in chronological order.

Contains plans for three lessons that explore the fact and fiction surrounding the Declaration of Independence and Independence Day. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to resources used in the...

Here you can read the draft that Jefferson submitted to Congress. Changes made by Adams and Jefferson are marked to indicate Jefferson's words and then the final wording that was adopted.

For this lesson, students will examine some of the fundamental ideas about government that is contained in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. When the lesson is completed, students should be able...

An unconventional, myth-busting history of the American Revolution from the Declaration of Independence to victory and the Treaty of Paris, 1783.

In this letter, which he wrote shortly after the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson describes to Edmund Pendleton how to set up the Virginia Legislature.

Listen and read along as news reporters from NPR recite the Declaration of Independence.

Primary source material on the British documents, Magna Carta and 1857 painting Pulling Down the Statue of King George III by William Walcutt.

A brash, self-made millionaire helped fund the fight for independence, but after the war, he ended up in debtor's prison. Without Robert Morris, the American Revolution may have been crushed under a mountain of debt and disarray. The...

On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the independent Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Hanoi?s Ba Dinh square. The first lines of his speech repeated verbatim the famous second paragraph of America?s 1776 Declaration of...

Read the history of how the Texas Education Agency came to be; from its beginnings laid out in the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836, to the rigorous curriculum, graduation requirements, and implementation of a new, tougher...

A timeline beginning at the ascension of King George of England in 1760 and ending at the passing of the US Bill of Rights, is brief but informative. A Revolutionary War game, as well as other educational sites are available.

Follow the steps that Americans took before declaring their independence from Britain. The Declaration of Independence set out the ideals and reasons behind this stunning move. Use the student exercises to understand the different levels...

Travel back in American history to the time of the thirteen colonies struggling to free themselves from the rule of the British monarch, and discover how the Declaration of Independence was created.

For this lesson, students will be able to state the main ideas in the Declaration of Independence, and explain their significance. The students will be able to know the purpose of and explain the Declaration of Independence, as well as...

A woman before her time, Mary Katherine Goddard became a printer, newspaper publisher, and postmaster in Baltimore, Maryland. From her press came the first printed copy of the Declaration of Independence. The website gives a brief...

An interesting discussion of the precepts of the Declaration of Independence which claimed that all men were created equal, but still allowed slavery. See what the document had to say about people's rights and "the consent of the governed."

A terrific look at the twenty-seven specific reasons Thomas Jefferson cited in the Declaration of Independence and the support for those reasons of why the colonists felt justified in breaking the bonds with Great Britain.

Thomas Jefferson hoped that he would be remembered for three accomplishments: his founding of the University of Virginia, his crafting of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and his authorship of the Declaration of Independence....

A time line and explanation of the many events, including the colonists' interpretations of those events, that led to the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War.

Using primary texts and prior study of Colonial America and the Revolution, students examine "what type of government would best represent the ideals of the American Revolution." Worksheets, discussions, and role-playing within this...