Acknowledgments

Many persons have contributed their talents to this publication, which was prepared under the direction of Linda N. Brown, Charles W. Bender, Sandra Glasser, and Henry J. Gwiazda II in the Office of Public Programs, National Archives and Records Administration. Principally responsible for the text of the original edition were Virginia C. Purdy and Lee Scott Theisen and, under their direction, Lillian E. Grandy, Mark Samuelson, and Cece A. Byers. Sandra M. Tilley compiled new text for this edition, with assistance from Joan A. Platten of the Environmental Protection Agency; Evan Duncan, Phil Ellis, Paul Claussen, and Phil Peters of the Department of State; William Nary of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency; Tom McCray of the U.S. Senate Library; and Pat Reilly of the National Women's Political Caucus. The revision was copyedited by Sandra M. Tilley, with the assistance of Julie Feltz, and designed by Serene Feldman Werblood. Special appreciation is also due to Archives staff members Lisa Auel, Rick Blondo, Barbara Burger, Bruce I. Bustard, Stuart Butler, Mike Carter, Wayne Cook, Robert Coren, Robert Ellis, Mary Finch, Tom Fortunato, Richard Fusick, Robert Gruber, Milton O. Gustafson, Beth Haverkamp, Elizabeth Hill, Maida Loescher, Darlene McClurkin, Nancy Malan, Michael Meier, Paula Nassen Poulos, Jimmy Rush, Mary C. Ryan, Richard B. Smith, Richard H. Smith, Richard Snyder, David Stanhope, Douglas L. Thurman, Angie Vandereedt, John Vandereedt, John Vernon, and James D. Zeender.

Foreword

The National Archives of the United States preserves and makes available those records of the

federal government that have continuing value for the necessary processes of government, that provide protection of public and private rights, and that contain useful information for researchers and the general public. These records take many forms: textual documents, maps, still photographs, sound recordings, motion pictures, architectural drawings, information stored on electronic media, and others. The National Archives Building in Washington, DC, the National Archives at College Park, MD, 13 regional archives, and 9 Presidential libraries throughout the United States hold the records of the federal government, which document our history from the First Continental Congress to the present.

Some of the most important of these records are reproduced in this book, originally published in 1976 in conjunction with a National Archives exhibit entitled "The Written Word Endures.” This revised edition includes additional text, which covers events that occurred after the original publication date. Even a quick perusal of this book will kindle a spark of recognition in most Americans: Many of the documents in it have been familiar since grade school, and others mark events that we have experienced directly. A thoughtful reading of Milestone Documents in the National Archives may lead to a new appreciation of our nation's rich documentary heritage as it is preserved and made available by the National Archives. I hope you enjoy it.

JOHN W. CARLIN

Archivist of the United States

Introduction

Littera scripta manet, the motto on the National Archives seal, may be loosely translated as “the

written word endures." Millions of documents in the Archives of the United States of America testify to the continuing importance of written words in the life of the nation.

From the Revolutionary period of American history emerged three great documents whose concepts are as valid today as they were when they were written: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. In a sense, the rest of American history is an outgrowth of these documents relating the development and application of the precepts laid down by the Revolutionary War generation. Further, those who came later carried on that generation's tradition of expressing ideas and ideals on paper.

The struggles to adapt unchanging principles to ever-changing events and conditions gave rise to other great written documents. These former colonists, who had rebelled against what they deemed an arbitrary and distant central government, devised means to prevent any part of their own national government from becoming too powerful—and wrote the necessary checks into the law. The government of a people stretching across a continent entered into treaties to establish boundaries and developed ways of distributing land and attracting settlers—and put those actions into words. Expanding from its beginnings as an agrarian nation, the United States built factories based on inventions duly patented and recorded; a growing urban population met its social and economic problems by writing new laws and giving new legal interpretations to old laws. The United States as a world power prepared statements to explain its policies toward other nations and entered into written agreements to make alliances and end wars.

Yet all the documents of American history preserved in the National Archives are not in written form. Important words have been recorded to be heard, not read; others have entered the record in forms that only a computer can interpret. Many documents have very few written words, or none at all; film, maps, drawings, and photographs provide vivid records of events or ideas. Thus the recorded history of the American people as it is preserved in the National Archives takes many forms.

From this vast accumulation of documents, a few stand out as milestones on the road connecting the past with the present. Most of these milestones represent steps toward the ideals established in the three founding documents; most have benefited the majority of the American people; most have helped to establish this nation as a leader among the nations of the world.

The pages that follow present some of these great documents, which in one way or another have shaped American history. Many have heralded new departures or marked closed chapters. Most represent turning points; the nature of American life was altered after their appearance. To underscore the significance of each milestone document, other records from the National Archives have been grouped with the central document to show its background and origins or to demonstrate its farreaching consequences. All illustrations are from the holdings of the National Archives.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776. A DECLARATION

BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

IN GENERAL CONGRESS ASSEMBLED.

W

HEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes nec Tary for one People to diffolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to affume among the Powers of the Earth, the teparate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Refpect to the Opi, ons of Mankind requires that they should declare the caufer which impel diam to the Separation.

We hold thefe Truths to be felf-evident, that Men are created equal, that they are endowed by thar Creator with certain unaliemble Rights, that among thefe are Life, Libere, gud the Fariuit of Happinets---That to fecure the Rights, Governments are inflituted among Men, deriving their juit Powers from the Confent of the Coverned, that whenever any Form of Government becomes deftructive of thete Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to in litus hew Governo,nt, Laing at Food Rich Näinciples, and organzi

its Powers in fach Form, s tetam thall feem molt likely to effect their saf na Hippinets. Produkce, index?, will dirate That Glammenk long of thed fhould not be changed for light and tranfient Caufes, and accordin fy all Experience hath thewn, that Mankind are more difpofed to tuffer, while Evils are fufferable, than to right themfelves by abolishing the Forms to which hey are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abates and Ufurpations, purtiing invariably the fame Object, evinces a Delign to reduce them under abfolute Defpatifim, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off fuch Governinent, and to provide new Guard: for their future Security. Such has been the patient Suiferance of these Colonies; and fuch is now the Necctity which constrains The Hiftory of the pre nt King of Great-Britain is a Hiftory of repeated Injuries and Uturpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an abfolute Tyranny over thefe State To prove this, let Facts be fubmitted to a candid World.

them to alter their former Svitems of Government.

Hi has refuted his Aflent to Laws, the moft wholefome and neceffary for the blic Good.

HE has forbidden his Governors to pafs Laws of immediate and preffing Importance, unless fufpended in their Operation till his Affent thould be obtaine!; and when to fufpended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refufed to pa's other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts of People, unless thofe People would relinquith the Right of Reprefentation in the Legislature, a Kight ineflimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only.

He has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unufual, uncomfortable, and diftant from the Depolitery of their public Records, for the fole Purpose of fatiguing them into Compliance with his Measures.

He has diffolved Reprefentative Houfes repeatedly, for oppofing with manly Fumnes his Invafions on the Rights of the People.

He has refufed for a long Time, after fuch Diffolutions, to caufe others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercife; the State remaining in the mean t me exposed to all the Dangers of Invation from without, and Convulfions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of thefe States; for that Purpofe obftructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refuting to pals others to encourage their Migrations hither, and railing the Conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obftructed the Adminiftration of Juftice, by refuting his Affout to Las for eftablishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Oices, and the Amount and Payment of their Salaries.

IIs has erected a Mulitude of new Offices, and lent hither Swarms of Officer to harrafs our People, and eat out their Substance.

He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the cnfent of our Legiilatures.

Ir has affected to render the Military independent of and fuperior to the Civ. Power.

He has combined with others to fubject us to a Jurifdiction foreign to oar Covtitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving hi. Affent to their ARs of protended Legiflation:

Fox quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us :

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punithment for any Murders rch they should commit on the Inhabitants of thefe States:

FOR Cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:

FOR impofing Taxes on us without our Confent :

For depriving us, in many Cafes, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:

FOR tranfporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:

FOR abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province,

elithing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundarie, to

as to render it at once an Example and fit Inftrument for introducing the fame al Cute Rale into thefe Colomies:

FOR taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and alters fundamentally the Forms of our Governments :

Fox fufpending our own Legiflatures, and declaring themfelves inverted with Lower to legiflate for us in all Cafes whatsoever.

H. has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coafts, burnt our Towns, and deftreved the Lives of our People.

He is, at this Time, tranfporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the Works of Death, Deflation, and Tyranny, already begun with c.camftances of Cruelty and Perfidy, fcarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.

Ir has conftrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arins againit their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, or to fall themfelves by their Hands.

Hr. has excited domeftic Infurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciles In lian Savages, whofe known Rule of Warfare, is an undiftinguished Destruction, of all Ages, Seven and Conditions.

In every stage of thefe Oppreffions we have Petitioned for Redreis in the nct humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been ontwered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whole Character is thus marked by every act which may a fine a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a tree People, We h&eaned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legiature to extend NOR have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. ut warrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumflances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to the nut Tuilize and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our comm Kindred to disavow thele Ufurpations, which, world invit Hy muruptc Connections and Correfpondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Jufti- and of Confanguinity. We mad, therefore, acomete in t... Nice, 1, wiza denances our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankin 1, Freats in War, in Peace, Friends.

We, therefore, the Reprefentatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGPISS, AC11 pealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectituls of our Intentions, d, in the Name, at d by Authority of the good People of that. Colonj I maly Publish and Declare, That thefe United Colonies are, and of Right ong 2 to be, FREE abfolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that al polite al Coaner INDEPENDENT SPATI, folved; and that as

AND
I KEE

AND INDEPENDENT tit they between them and the State of Great-Matsia, is and oag'i tolerade the have full Power to levy War, conclude Pace, Cont. ↑ Mino, do

Commerce, and to do all other As and Things which I aDEPINDENT PAT may of right do. And her t'u Tipo tevi... Plan a wit firm Reliance ca the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge touch 127 Four Lives, our Feitanes, al d cert ned llamar,