In such a series as the present it is unwise to represent the story of the growth of USA by the summary of any one scholar The alternative has been to place before readers a selection of the most important documents which record in contemporary terms the great events in the history of the country Beginning with the personal records of the earliest discoverers of the continent the selection goes on to present the first attempts at organizing a machinery of government made by the first settlers of

THE VOYAGES TO VINLAND(c.1000)
THE LETTER OF COLUMBUS TO LUIS DE SANT ANGEL ANNOUNGING HIS DISCOVERY(1493)
AMERIGO VESPUCCI S ACCOUNT OF HIS FIRST VOYAGE(1497)
JOHN CABOT S DISCOVERY OF NORTH AMERICA(1493)
FIRST CHARTER OF VIRGINIA(1606)
THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT(1620)
THE FUNDAMENTAL ORDERS OF CONNECTICUT(1639)
THE MASSACHUSETTS BODY OF LIBERTIES(1641)
ARBITRARY GOVERNMENT DESCRIBED AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS VINDICATED FROM THAT ASPERSION BY JOHN WINTHROP(1644)
THE INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNMENT(1653)
A HEALING QUESTION BY SIR HENRY VANE(1656)
JOHN ELIOT S BRIEF NARRATIVE(1670)
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS(1765)
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE(1776)
THE MECKLENBURG DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE(1775)
ARTICLES OF CONFEDEATION(1777)
ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION YORKTOWN(1781)
TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN(1783)
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES(1787)
THE FEDERALIST NOS I AND2(1787)
OPINION OF CHIEF JUSTICE MARSHALL IN THECASE OF MCCULLOCH VS THE STATE OF MARYLAND(1819)
WASHINGTONS FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS(1789)
TREATY WITH THE SIX NATIONS(1794)
WASHINGTON S FAREWELL ADDRESS(1796)
TREATY WITH FRANCE(LOUISIANA PURCHASE)(1803)
TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN(END OF WAR OF 1812)(1814)
ARRANGEMENT AS TO THE NAVAL FORCE TO BE RESPECTIVELY MAINTAINED ON THE AMERICAN LAKES(1817)
TREATY WITH SPAIN(ACQUISITION OF FLORIDA)(1819)
THE MONROE DOCTRINE(1823)
WEBSTER-ASHBURTON TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN(1842)
TREATY WITH MEXICO (1848)
FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT(1850)
LINCOLN S FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS(1861)
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION(1863)
HASKELL S ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
LINCOLN S GETTYSBURG ADDRESS(1863)
PROCLAMATION OF AMNESTY(1863)
LINCOLN S LETTER TO MRS BIXBY(1864)
TERMS OF LEE S SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX(1865)
LEES FAREWELL TO HIS ARMY(1865)
LINCOLN S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS(1865)
PROCLAMATION DECLARING THE INSURRECTION AT AN END(1866)
TREATY WITH RUSSIA(ALASKA PURCHASE)(1867)
ANNEXATION OF THE HA WAIIAN ISL ANDS(1898)
RECOGNITION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF CUBA(1898)
TREATY WITH SPAIN(CESSION OF PORTO RICO AND THE PHILIPPINES)(1898)
CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA(1904)