Core Documents to Read
• Declaration of Independence (1776): Outlines the philosophical foundation of unalienable rights and government by the consent of the governed.
• U.S. Constitution (1787): Read the Preamble, the seven articles (which set up the legislative, executive, and judicial branches), and the 27 amendments.
• The Bill of Rights: The first 10 amendments ratified in 1791, which protect individual liberties and limit federal power.
• The Federalist Papers: Essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay explaining the design of the constitutional republic and the checks and balances system.