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In Honor of July 4th (and to casually focus our attention on the U.S.’s intriguing political past rather than its more frightening present), we thought it would be interesting to look at what are arguably the most important documents that have been put forth by the leaders of our nation over its history! And while we were planning on choosing four documents (for the 4th of July and all), we couldn’t limit one of our top five. Enjoy!
1. The Declaration of Independence, which was primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson and adopted on July 4th, 1776, was the official announcement of the American colonies’ decision to separate from Britain. The document details their grievances against Britain and King George III, and stated their right to self-govern with citing belief in their individual liberty. Quite obviously this document played the most crucial role in the birth of the United States and therefore is number one on our list!
2. A few short years later in 1788, The Constitution of the United States was ratified. While the Declaration could be considered the letter “heard round the world”, the Constitution established the framework of our Federal government – dividing the law into the executive, legislative and judicial branches that we still have today. Some of the most influential creators of the Constitution were James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, and its opening line of “We the People” gave an entire new nation a voice. The fact that the Constitution has the ability to be amended is how we have added further rights over the last two hundred and thirty six years.
3. The Bill of Rights was authored mainly by James Madison (future president of the United States), and though it is associated with the Constitution as it is the first ten amendments made, it is its own document. Ratified in 1791, these amendments primarily address concerns over the original Constitution’s lack of specific guarantees of individual liberties. American citizens are all very familiar with these amendments… the rights of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to bear arms, and the right to be protected against unreasonable searches and seizures, etc., are just a few examples that safeguard the individual rights of the American people.
4. Skipping ahead several decades, we reach the Emancipation Proclamation. Issued by President Abraham Lincoln on New Years Day in 1863, the Proclamation declared the freedom of all enslaved people in the Confederate-held territories of the United States. This assurance of freedom transformed the Civil War, shifting its focus to the abolishment of slavery, as a fight for freedom, rather than a fight to “save the Union”. It paved the way for the Thirteenth Amendment (1864), which formally abolished slavery in the United States.
5. Last but certainly not least we reach the Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and marking a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement. This legislation was the result of many years of activism and struggle by leaders and organizations like Martin Luther King Jr. and the NAACP. The Act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination, among other incredibly important motions to equalize all the people of the United States.
Together, these five documents have profoundly shaped the United States throughout its (relatively) short history, and in our opinion all reflect the nation and its peoples ongoing aspirations of freedom, equality and justice. Happy Fourth of July, bibliophiles!
Honorable Mentions include:
The Federalist Papers (1788)
The Gettysburg Address (1863)
The Social Security Act (1935)
