Government Resources

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven." Matthew 5: 13 – 16

The Second Continental Congress, made up of about 50 delegates from the American colonies, convened on May 10, 1775, amid calls for a revolutionary war with Great Britain. On July 2, 1776, the Congress voted for national independence and on July 4 it adopted the Declaration of Independence. During this session the Congress also declared itself the supreme government of the colonies, commissioned George Washington to raise a continental army, issued paper money, and established local governments.

Required Video: 

Declaration of Independence:

• Background - http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9042263/Declaration-of-Independence 
• Image - http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-58342 
• Image - http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-94618 
• http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/DeclarInd.html 
• http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/declaration.html 
• http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/ 

The Articles of Confederation:

• Background - http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9355882 
• Background - http://www.bookrags.com/research/articles-of-confederation-aaw-01/ 
• Background and Images - http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/documents/articles/index.html 
• Image - http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-87088 
• http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles.html 
• http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/artconf.htm

The Treaty of Paris:

• Background - http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9058480/Treaty-of-Paris 
• Background - http://www.bookrags.com/Treaty_of_Paris

The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787:

• Background - http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9373664 
• Background - http://www.jmu.edu/madison/center/main_pages/madison_archives/constit_confed/confederation/northwest/northwest_ord.htm 
• Text - http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/nworder.htm 

• View this short video clip about the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 - http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-68436 

Independence Hall:

• Independence National Historical Park - http://www.nps.gov/inde/index.htm 
• Image - http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-89739
• Images - http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/image_gallery.cfm/17583

Biographies of our Founding Fathers:

• http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/constitution_founding_fathers.html
• http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/marryff.html

The Federalist Papers:

• Background - http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/documents/federalist/index.html 
• Background - http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9364286
• Background - http://www.bookrags.com/research/federalist-papers-aaw-01/ 
• Image - http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-87008 
• Full Text - http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed.htm
• Full Test - http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html
• Full Text - http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/federalist/
• Full Text - http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/FEDERAL/frame.html

The Bill of Rights:

• Background - http://www.bookrags.com/research/constitution-bill-of-rights-aaw-01/
• Background - http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9357271 
• Background and Image - http://www.archives.gov/national-archives-experience/charters/bill_of_rights.html 
• Background and Full Text - http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/billofrights.html 
• Full Text - http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/constitution/billofrights.html 
• Image - http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-94621

• View this short video clip about the Bill of Rights - http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-94623 

The Congressional Record:

• Full Text - http://www.gpoaccess.gov/crecord/index.html 
• Full Text - http://thomas.loc.gov/home/r109query.html