This reference work presents 27 key documents from the historic origins of the United States government through its subsequent expansion and evolution. The book is divided into five sections, the first of which is an introductory essay about American democracy. Section II includes three documents that laid the foundation for America’s government: the Magna Carta, the 1628 Petition of Right, and England’s Bill of Rights. The third section presents 13 core documents, such as the Mayflower Compact, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Section IV provides 11 documents of America’s territorial expansion, from the Treaty of Paris through the Louisiana Purchase Treaty and the Alaska Treaty and Hawaii Resolution. The final section is an essay about the future of democracy. There are 12 useful appendices.

Roger L. Kemp, Ph.D., ICMA-CM, has been a city manager on both the East and West coasts for more than 25 years. He is presently Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Golden Gate University and a Fellow of The Academy of Political Science.

Edited by Roger L. Kemp

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 250
Bibliographic Info: glossary, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4210-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5674-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      v
Preface      1

Section I. The Introduction
1. American Democracy
Eric Barr, John Baird, and Taylor Rankin      7

Section II. Foundation
2. Magna Carta ( June 15, 1215)
King John of England      11
3. Petition of Right (May 27, 1628)
Parliament of England      23
4. Bill of Rights (December 16, 1689)
Parliament of England      28

Section III. Core Documents
5. Mayflower Compact (November 21, 1620)
Pilgrims of the New World      35
6. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut ( January 14, 1639)
Colony Council      37
7. Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress (October 14, 1774)
Continental Congress      42
8. Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms ( July 6, 1775)
Continental Congress      46
9. Virginia Declaration of Rights ( June 12, 1776)
House of Burgesses      52
10. Declaration of Independence ( July 4, 1776)
Continental Congress      55
11. Constitution of Massachusetts ( June 15, 1780)
State Constitutional Convention Representatives      59
12. Articles of Confederation (March 1, 1781)
Congress of the Confederation      78
13. Constitution of the United States (September 17, 1787)
Congress of the Confederation      84
14. Bill of Rights (December 15, 1791)
United States Congress      94
15. Other Amendments to the Constitution of the United States (February 7, 1795, to May 7, 1992)
United States Congress      97
16. Civil Rights Act ( July 2, 1964)
United States Congress      104
17. Voting Rights Act (August 6, 1965)
United States Congress      133

Section IV. Territory
18. Treaty of Paris (September 3, 1783)
Congress of the Confederation      143
19. Land Ordinance (May 20, 1785)
Congress of the Confederation      148
20. Northwest Ordinance ( July 13, 1787)
Congress of the Confederation      154
21. Louisiana Purchase Treaty (April 30, 1803)
United States Congress      160
22. Transcontinental Treaty (February 22, 1819)
United States Congress      169
23. Resolution for the Annexation of Texas (March 1, 1845)
United States Congress      175
24. Oregon Treaty ( June 15, 1846)
United States Congress      180
25. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (February 2, 1848)
United States Congress      183
26. Gadsden Purchase Treaty (December 30, 1853)
United States Congress      194
27. Alaska Treaty (March 30, 1867)
United States Congress      200
28. Hawaii Resolution ( July 7, 1898)
United States Congress      204

Section V. The Future
29. The Future of Democracy
Robert M. Gates      209

Appendices
A. Original Thirteen British Colonies      215
B. States and Their Dates of Admission to the Union      216
C. Presidents of the United States      216
D. Formal Declarations of War by the United States      217
E. Number of Governmental Units in the United States      217
F. United States Voting Rights History      218
G. Major Cases in Supreme Court History      219
H. Local Government Historical Document      223
I. Abbreviations and Acronyms      224
J. Glossary      225
K. State Library Resource Directory      227
L. National Resource Directory      228

Bibliography      231
Index      235

“well-researched…libraries will significantly assist customers by adding this historical work to their collection”—ARBA.