Topic: Legal History
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Abraham Lincoln to Henry L. Pierce
In this letter, Abraham Lincoln discusses Thomas Jefferson’s enduring contributions to American society. He attacks slavery as antithetical to American values. He also comments on the irony that the heirs...
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Administration of Justice Act
The Administration of Justice Act allowed British officials accused of crimes in Massachusetts to be tried in England, where they could expect greater leniency.This law was one of the Coercive,...
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Adoption of the Polish Constitution
This painting depicts the adoption of the Polish constitution of 1791, just four years after the U.S. produced the world’s first written constitution. The Polish document, which introduced constitutional monarchy...
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Ambrose Serle Reacts to Proclamations of Independence
This journal was written by Ambrose Serle, the private secretary to the British Commander-in-Chief General William Howe. Serle was a strong believer in the authority of the British government. Convinced...
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An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom
Thomas Jefferson first drafted this bill in 1777. For him, religious freedom meant the right to have any of religious beliefs, or none at all. It also meant that government...
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An Act for Regulating Government
The Massachusetts Government Act set aside the colony’s existing charter and replaced it with a system of government that was directly under royal control. Representative institutions were severely limited. This...
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Articles of Confederation
This document was the first agreement between the thirteen founding colonies that formed the United States of America. Proposed by the Continental Congress in 1777, it was ratified by the...
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Benjamin Franklin to the Federal Convention
This speech in support of the Constitution was written by Benjamin Franklin. At 81 years old, Franklin was too weak to deliver the speech himself; his colleague from Pennsylvania, James...
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Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
Jefferson’s Bill for Religious Freedom became law in 1786. But because a law could be amended or repealed, he worried about the future of religious liberty in Virginia. In 1830,...
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