Founding the Republic ADVISORYBOARD RichardB. Bernstein AssistantEditor,Papers of JohnJay ColumbiaUniversity Donald O. Dewey Professorof Historyand Dean, Natural and Social Sciences CaliforniaState University,Los Angeles StephenP. McGrath Social StudiesCoordinator New Milford,Connecticut,PublicSchools StephenL. Schechter Professorof PoliticalScienceand Directorof the Councilfor Citizenship Education Russell Sage College Garrett Ward Sheldon Professorof PoliticalScience ClinchValley Collegeof the Universityof Virginia FOUNDING THE REPUBLIC A Documentary History Edited by JOHN J. PATRICK PrimaryDocumentsinAmericanHistoryandContemporaryIssues GREENWOODPRESS Westport,Connecticut • London This work is dedicated with love to my mother, Elizabeth Lazar Patrick, who dedicated her life to her children. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData FoundingtheRepublic : adocumentaryhistory / editedbyJohnJ. Patrick p. cm.—(PrimarydocumentsinAmericanhistoryand contemporaryissuesseries,ISSN1069–5605) Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN0–313–29226–4(alk.paper) 1. UnitedStates—Politicsandgovernment—1775–1783—Sources. 2. UnitedStates—Politicsandgovernment—1783–1809—Sources. I. Patrick,JohnJ. II. Series. E210.F68 1995 973.3—dc20 95–7537 BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationDataisavailable. Copyright(cid:2)1995byJohnJ.Patrick Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybe reproduced,byanyprocessortechnique,withoutthe expresswrittenconsentofthepublisher. LibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber:95–7537 ISBN:0–313–29226–4 ISSN:1069–5605 Firstpublishedin1995 GreenwoodPress,88PostRoadWest,Westport,CT06881 AnimprintofGreenwoodPublishingGroup,Inc. PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica TM Thepaperusedinthisbookcomplieswiththe PermanentPaperStandardissuedbytheNational InformationStandardsOrganization(Z39.48-1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Series Foreword xi Introduction xiii Chronology of Key Events in the Founding of the United States of America xix PART I: The Decision for Independence: Reasons For and Against Separation from Britain, 1775–1776 1 Document 1: Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (July 6, 1775) 7 Document 2: Proclamation by the King for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition (August 23, 1775) 12 Document 3: Common Sense (Thomas Paine, January 10, 1776) 14 Document 4: The True Interest of America Impartially Stated (Published Anonymously by The Reverend Charles Inglis, March 1776) 19 Document 5: Resolution for Independence (June 7, 1776) 24 Document 6: Notes on the Debate in Congress on Independence (Thomas Jefferson, June 7– July 4, 1776) 25 Document 7: The Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) 29 vi Contents Part II: Making Constitutions for the New American States: Debates on Models of Good Government, 1776–1780 35 Document 8: The People the Best Governors: Or a Plan of Government Founded on the Just Principles of Natural Freedom (Published Anonymously in New Hampshire, 1776) 41 Document 9: Thoughts on Government: Applicable to the Present State of the American Colonies (In a Letter from a Gentleman [John Adams] to His Friend, April 1776) 45 Document 10: The Virginia Declaration of Rights (June 12, 1776) 52 Document 11: Preamble to the Pennsylvania Constitution (August 1776) 56 Document 12: Pennsylvania Declaration of Rights (August 1776) 58 Document 13: The Essex Result (Theophilus Parsons, Newburyport, Massachusetts, 1778) 61 Document 14: Preamble to the Massachusetts Constitution (1780) 65 Document 15: The Massachusetts Declaration of Rights (1780) 67 PART III: Problems of Equality and Liberty in the New American States, 1776–1792 73 Document 16: Letter to John Adams (Abigail Adams, March 31, 1776) 79 Document 17: Letter to James Sullivan (John Adams, May 26, 1776) 81 Document 18: Petition Against Slavery to the General Court of Massachusetts (January 13, 1777) 85 Document 19: Quock Walker’s Case (1783) 87 Document 20: Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments (James Madison, June 20, 1785) 89 Document 21: The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (Thomas Jefferson, January 16, 1786) 94 Contents vii Document 22: Letter from Three Seneca Leaders to President George Washington (1790) 97 Document 23: A Sermon Against Slavery (The Reverend James Dana, September 9, 1791) 99 Document 24: Letter to Thomas Jefferson (Benjamin Banneker, August 19, 1791) 102 Document 25: Letters to Benjamin Banneker and to the Marquis de Condorcet (Thomas Jefferson, August 30, 1791) 106 PART IV: The Crisis of Government Under the Articles of Confederation, 1781–1787 109 Document 26: The Articles of Confederation (1781) 115 Document 27: Circular Letter to the State Governors (George Washington, June 8, 1783) 125 Document 28: Letter to Samuel Adams (Richard Henry Lee, March 14, 1785) 127 Document 29: Letter to George Washington (John Jay, June 27, 1786) 129 Document 30: Letter to John Jay (George Washington, August 1, 1786) 131 Document 31: Proceedings of the State Commissioners at Annapolis, Maryland (September 11–14, 1786) 133 Document 32: Letter to Edward Carrington (Thomas Jefferson, January 16, 1787) 136 Document 33: Letter to James Madison (Thomas Jefferson, January 30, 1787) 138 Document 34: Northwest Ordinance (July 13, 1787) 140 PART V: The Federal Convention and the Constitution, 1787 147 Document 35: Letter to George Washington (James Madison, April 16, 1787) 155 Document 36: Virginia Plan (Reported by James Madison, May 29, 1787) 159 Document 37: Debate on the Virginia Plan (June 6, 1787) 163 viii Contents Document 38: Report of the Committee of the Whole (June 13, 1787) 167 Document 39: New Jersey Plan (June 15, 1787) 170 Document 40: Debate on the New Jersey and Virginia Plans (June 16, 1787) 173 Document 41: Debate on Slavery (August 21–22, 1787) 177 Document 42: Signing the Constitution and Concluding the Convention (September 17, 1787) 181 Document 43: The Constitution of the United States of America, Signed by Thirty-Nine Delegates to the Federal Convention (September 17, 1787) 184 Part VI: Debate on the Constitution: FederalistsVersusAnti- Federalists, 1787–1788 197 Document 44: Essay I (Brutus, October 18, 1787) 203 Document 45: The Federalist 1 (Publius [Alexander Hamilton], October 27, 1787) 207 Document 46: Letter to the General Court of Massachusetts (Elbridge Gerry, November 3, 1787) 210 Document 47: Objections to the Constitution (George Mason, November 22, 1787) 213 Document 48: The Federalist 10 (Publius [James Madison], November 22, 1787) 216 Document 49: Letter IV (Agrippa [James Winthrop], December 4, 1787) 222 Document 50: The Federalist 39 (Publius [James Madison], January 16, 1788) 225 Document 51: The Federalist 51 (Publius [James Madison], February 6, 1788) 229 Document 52: Essay XV (Brutus, March 20, 1788) 233 Document 53: The Federalist 78 (Publius [Alexander Hamilton], May 28, 1788) 237 Contents ix Part VII: The First Federal Congress and the Bill of Rights, 1788–1792 243 Document 54: Letter to James Madison (Thomas Jefferson, December 20, 1787) 249 Document 55: Amendments to the U.S. Constitution Proposed by the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention (February 6, 1788) 251 Document 56: Amendments to the U.S. Constitution Proposed by the New York Ratifying Convention (July 26, 1788) 253 Document 57: Letter to Thomas Jefferson (James Madison, October 17, 1788) 255 Document 58: Speech in the U.S. House of Representatives (James Madison, June 8, 1789) 258 Document 59: Amendments Passed by the U.S. Congress (September 25, 1789) 262 Document 60: The Bill of Rights, Amendments I–X to the U.S. Constitution (Ratified December 15, 1791 and Certified by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, in a Letter to the State Governors, March 1, 1792) 265 Index 269