Founding Documents
Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, this document established the principle that "all men are created equal."
Declaration of Independence
This value refers to the protection of individual freedom from a tyrannical government.
This value refers to the protection of individual freedom from a tyrannical government.
This 19th-century belief held that the United States was destined by God to expand across the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific
Manifest Destiny
This Latin phrase found on U.S. coins means "Out of many, one," signifying the union of the states.
E Pluribus Unum
This constitutional amendment officially abolished slavery in the United States following the Civil War
!3th Amendment
This document is the "Supreme Law of the Land" and provides the framework for the U.S. government.
U.S Constitution
This value emphasizes the right of individuals to pursue their own goals without government interference.
Individualism
This 1862 law provided 160 acres of free land to settlers who agreed to live on and farm the land for five years.
Homestead Act
This founding father was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the only clergyman to sign it.
John Witherspoon
This amendment granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and guaranteed "equal protection of the laws."
14th Amendment
These are the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which protect individual liberties from government overreach.
Bill of Rights
This value describes a political system where the common people participate in government and have a say in leadership.
Populism
Completed in 1869 at Promontory Point, Utah, this innovation connected the East and West Coasts, accelerating settlement and trade.
Transcontinental Railroad
He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a physician, and a pioneer in the field of mental health.
Benjamin Rush
This amendment stated that the right to vote could not be denied based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
15th Amendment
This constitutional principle ensures that no single branch of government (Legislative, Executive, or Judicial) becomes too powerful.
Checks and Balances
This value refers to a society of equals where there is no hereditary aristocracy or rigid class system.
Egalitarianism
This 1887 law attempted to assimilate Native Americans into white culture by breaking up tribal lands into individual plots.
Dawes Act
This founding father is famous for his large signature on the Declaration of Independence, symbolizing his defiance of the British King.
John Hancock
This 1924 act officially granted U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States.
Indian Citizenship Act
This 5th Amendment principle ensures that the government must follow fair legal procedures before depriving a person of life, liberty, or property.
Due Process
This value describes the American tendency to allow the market to operate with limited government interference
Laissez-faire
This 1862 act provided federal land to states to establish colleges focused on agriculture and the "mechanic arts."
Morill Act
He was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and a co-author of the Federalist Papers.
John Jay
This 19th-century French observer wrote Democracy in America, identifying the unique characteristics that made American democracy successful.
Alexis de Tocqueville