An essay from the Library of Congress' American Memory Project on the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention.

An expression of the principles and ideals that are the underpinnings of our country.

The "first" Constitution of the U.S. the Articles of Confederation bound the new republic together in a loose confederation.

Written in 1787 and 1788, these papers written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay are essential for understanding the reasoning behind the framer's constitution.

An online interactive exhibit from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the timeline highlights key moments in constitutional history through, text, video, audio, and graphic media.

The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution is a five-volume collection compiled by Jonathan Elliot in the mid-19th century.

Published in 1911, Max Farrand's The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 gathered the documentary records of the Constitutional Convention, making it easier to study the workings of the Constitutional Convention.