In this letter to Smith, who would go on to fight in South America, Jefferson thanks him for sending a copy of the Constitution, and notes the importance of term...
In this letter, Thomas Jefferson, the American minister to France, offers an American politician his opinion on the U.S. Constitution. He is concerned about the absence of a bill of...
In this document, Thomas Jefferson recalls the life and political career of his fellow Virginian, Patrick Henry. Although he acknowledges Henry’s eloquence and commitment to the revolutionary cause, he is...
This political cartoon gives a humorous take on how Jefferson might have drafted the Declaration of Independence today. It also illustrates how both technology and language have changed since Jefferson’s...
In this letter to Thomas Jefferson written in 1815, John Adams reflects on the history of the American Revolution. Adams states that the revolution would not have occurred without important...
In this letter, John Adams, the American minister to France, writes to a French nobleman about his vision for America’s future. Despite the difficulties the U.S. was experiencing immediately after...
In this letter, John Adams recalls the process of drafting the Declaration of Independence. He praises Thomas Jefferson for his eloquence and lofty prose. He also approves of a passage...
In 1774, John Hancock, a wealthy Boston merchant, was chosen to deliver the third annual oration to commemorate the Boston Massacre. Hancock warned his fellow colonists about British attacks on...
John Jay of New York wrote this letter to the Pennsylvanian Benjamin Rush in 1786. Both were revolutionary leaders, committed Christians, and vocal critics of slavery. Jay also shared Rush’s...
Students will be working in pairs examining three primary sources -listing the grievances in the Declaration of Independence, the individual rights listed in the U.S. Bill of Rights (creating one...