National Documents

The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It was engrossed on parchment and on August 2, 1776, delegates began signing it.

Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced this resolution in the Second Continental Congress proposing independence for the American colonies.

The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. This document served as the United States' first constitution.

The American Colonies and France signed this military treaty on February 6, 1778.

After undergoing numerous changes, on June 20, 1782, the seal was officially adopted by the Continental Congress.

This treaty, signed on September 3, 1783, between the American colonies and Great Britain, ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.

Drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787, this four-page document, signed on September 17, 1787, established the government of the United States.

Officially titled An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States North-West of the River Ohio, the Northwest Ordinance was passed on July 13, 1787.

Drafted by James Madison, the Virginia Plan proposed a strong central government composed of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

The Continental Congress authorized the first official U.S. coin — the Fugio Cent — bearing 'We Are One' and 'Mind Your Business.' Traditionally attributed to Benjamin Franklin, though historians note the design attribution is not definitively documented; it was the first circulation coin struck under U.S. authority, predating the Mint by five years.

One of the first acts of the new Congress was to establish a Federal court system through the Judiciary Act signed by President Washington on September 24, 1789.

Although not required by the Constitution, George Washington presented the first Presidential inaugural address on April 30, 1789.

Although 12 amendments were originally proposed, the 10 that were ratified became the Bill of Rights in 1791. They defined citizens' rights in relation to the newly established government under the Constitution.

Established U.S. Mint and decimal currency. Set gold-silver ratio at 15:1 and created ten denominations: the gold eagle, half eagle, and quarter eagle; the silver dollar, half-dollar, quarter, dime, and half disme; and the copper cent and half-cent.

Designed to separate cotton fiber from seed, Whitney's cotton gin, for which he received a patent on March 14, 1794, introduced a new, profitable technology to agricultural production in America.

Passed in preparation for an anticipated war with France, the Alien and Sedition Acts tightened restrictions on foreign-born Americans and limited speech critical of the government.

In this transaction with France, signed on April 30, 1803, the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million.

The decision in this Supreme Court Case established the right of the courts to determine the constitutionality of the actions of the other two branches of government.

In this secret message of January 18, 1803, President Jefferson asked Congress for $2,500 to explore the West—all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

This treaty, signed on December 24, 1814, ended the War of 1812, fought between Great Britain and the United States.

This Supreme Court Case addressed the issue of Federal power and commerce.

This legislation admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a non-slave state at the same time, so as not to upset the balance between slave and free states in the nation.

The Monroe Doctrine was articulated in President James Monroe's seventh annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823.

This Supreme Court decision forbade states from enacting any legislation that would interfere with Congress's right to regulate commerce among the separate states.

On December 6, 1830, in his annual message to Congress, President Andrew Jackson informed Congress on the progress of the removal of Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi River to unsettled land in the west.

Reduced gold content of coins; changed the gold-silver ratio to 16:1. This made gold more valuable relative to silver at the Mint's official rate, which left silver coins overvalued and drove them out of circulation (the opposite effect from the 1834 Act's predecessor problem, where undervalued gold had been the one disappearing).

Standardized fineness of all gold and silver coins at 900/1000. Reorganized Mint operations and coinage denominations.

This treaty, signed on February 2, 1848, ended the war between the United States and Mexico. By its terms, Mexico ceded 55 percent of its territory to the United States.

Authorized the gold dollar and $20 double eagle in response to the California Gold Rush. Expanded gold coinage to absorb new supply.

The Compromise was actually a series of bills passed mainly to address issues related to slavery. This featured document is Henry Clay's handwritten draft.

Authorized the first 3-cent coin (trime) to facilitate purchasing postage stamps at the new 3-cent rate. Composed of 75% silver and 25% copper — the lightest silver coin in U.S. history at just 0.8 grams.

Reduced silver weight in subsidiary coins; ended free coinage of fractional silver. Made silver coins tokens rather than full-value currency.

This act repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had outlawed slavery above the 36° 30' latitude in the Louisiana territories, and reopened the national struggle over slavery in the western territories.

In this ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that enslaved people were not citizens of the United States and, therefore, could not expect any protection from the federal government or the courts.

Demonetized all foreign coins in U.S. circulation. Replaced the Large Cent with the smaller Flying Eagle cent (88% copper, 12% nickel), reducing cost and improving durability. The Spanish dollar and foreign silver that had circulated since colonial times were finally retired.

This telegram announced the surrender of Fort Sumter, marking the beginning of the American Civil War.

Passed on July 2, 1862, this act made it possible for states to establish public colleges funded by the development or sale of associated federal land grants.

In 1862, Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act, which designated the 32nd parallel as the initial transcontinental route, and provided government bonds to fund the project.

This act, passed on May 20, 1862, allowed any adult citizen or intended citizen who had never borne arms against the U.S. government to claim 160 acres of surveyed government land.

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, announcing that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious areas are, and henceforward shall be free.

Authorized the 2-cent coin and first used the motto 'In God We Trust' on U.S. coinage at Secretary Salmon P. Chase's direction. Also changed the cent's composition from copper-nickel to bronze, reducing its weight and cost during the Civil War coin shortage.

The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery in the United States and provides that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist within the United States.

These articles of agreement outlined the terms of surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to Union forces, effectively ending major hostilities of the Civil War.

Authorized a 3-cent coin in copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel) to replace the silver trime. Driven by hoarding of silver coins during the Civil War. Note: the copper-nickel alloy itself was not new to U.S. coinage -- the Flying Eagle and Indian Head cents (1856-1864) had already used an 88% copper/12% nickel composition for eight years; this coin introduced the 75%/25% ratio to the 3-cent denomination.

Authorized the first 5-cent coin in copper-nickel, designed by James B. Longacre. Replaced the silver half dime as the standard 5-cent piece, which was gradually phased out by 1873. The 'nickel' was born.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States—including formerly enslaved people—and guaranteed all citizens equal protection under the laws.

The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

This act, signed on March 1, 1872, established Yellowstone National Park as the first national park in the United States and the world.

Demonetized the silver dollar and ended free silver coinage. Bitterly opposed by silver interests and debtors — known as the "Crime of '73."

Overrode President Hayes' veto; required Treasury to purchase $2-4 million in silver monthly for coinage. Partially restored silver monetization.

The Pendleton Act established the United States Civil Service Commission, placing most federal employees on a merit system and marking the end of the spoils system.

The Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 regulated railroad rates and practices, establishing the Interstate Commerce Commission as the first federal regulatory agency.

Approved on February 8, 1887, the Dawes Act emphasized severalty—the treatment of Native Americans as individuals rather than as members of tribes—and authorized the President to break up reservation land into small allotments.

The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was the first federal act that outlawed monopolistic business practices and cartels.

Mandated purchase of 4.5 million oz of silver monthly. Treasury issued notes redeemable in gold or silver; over-redemption in gold contributed to the Panic of 1893.

Discontinued the gold dollar, $3 gold piece, and 3-cent nickel piece. These low-denomination coins had become uneconomical to produce. The 3-cent silver piece and the half dime had already been abolished in 1873, not by this Act.

This Supreme Court decision upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine, a standard that would not be overturned until Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

The Platt Amendment defined the terms of U.S.–Cuba relations after the Spanish–American War, including Cuba's agreement to permit U.S. intervention to preserve Cuban independence.

Roosevelt's corollary stated that the United States would intervene as a last resort to ensure that Western Hemisphere nations met their international obligations and did not violate the rights of the United States.

In his January 8, 1918, address to Congress, President Wilson articulated his vision for a just and lasting peace after World War I, including the establishment of a League of Nations.

The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibited states from denying the right to vote on the basis of sex, granting women the right to vote nationwide.

This act authorized the construction of the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, providing flood control, irrigation, and hydroelectric power for the Southwest.

The Social Security Act of 1935 established a system of old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, and aid to families with dependent children and the disabled.

The Manhattan Project was a research and development project that produced the first atomic bombs during World War II.

These documents record Japan's formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, ending World War II.

This document records the unconditional surrender of all German armed forces, ending the European theater of World War II.

In his inaugural address, President Kennedy declared that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans and challenged citizens to ask not what your country can do for you.

In his farewell address, President Eisenhower warned of the growing influence of the military–industrial complex and the dangers of unwarranted influence by the scientific–technological elite.

This photograph, taken during the Cuban Missile Crisis, revealed the presence of Soviet missile launch sites in Cuba, bringing the United States and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war.

This transcript records John Glenn's communications during his historic orbital flight aboard Friendship 7, the first American to orbit the Earth.

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his I Have a Dream speech.

The Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963 prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, in space, and underwater.

The Tonkin Gulf Resolution authorized President Johnson to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression in Southeast Asia.

This act, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964, prohibited discrimination in public places and made employment discrimination illegal, the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction.

This act, signed into law on August 6, 1965, outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting.

The Social Security Amendments of 1965 established Medicare, providing health insurance for those 65 and older, and Medicaid, providing health coverage for low-income Americans.

The codified master statute governing every U.S. coin's denomination, weight, diameter, composition, and design. Authorizes the dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, 5-cent, and one-cent coins alongside bullion gold coins ($5-$50) and the one-ounce .999 fine silver bullion coin. Sets the clad composition for the half dollar, quarter, and dime (75% copper / 25% nickel outer layers over a copper core), the 75/25 copper-nickel alloy for the nickel, and the 95% copper / 5% zinc cent. Mandates the inscriptions 'In God We Trust,' 'Liberty,' 'United States of America,' and 'E Pluribus Unum,' and restricts design changes to once every 25 years. This is the living law that consolidated and superseded the individual Coinage Acts on the timeline. Note: unlike every other row on this timeline, this section has no single enactment date -- it is a continuously amended part of the U.S. Code. "January 23, 2000" is only the snapshot date of the 1999 Main Edition print of the Code, not a date anything was enacted or changed.