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Historical Documents

Last update: November 12, 2007

This is a listing of U.S. and Washington State historical documents available online.

  1. U.S. Government:

    1. Articles of Confederation (via U.S. Constitution.net)
    2. The Declaration of Independence
      1. High resolution images of the Declaration of Independence
    3. The Constitution
      1. The Constitution
        1. Transcript of text
      2. The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, Annotations of Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of the United States
      3. The Constitution -- Pocket Edition (.pdf)
      4. Resources about the U.S. Constitution
      5. Documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention
        1. Search Documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention
      6. More information on the U.S. Constitution
    4. Bill of Rights
      1. image of the original Bill of Rights
    5. OurDocuments.gov
    6. Symbols of the United States


    7. A Century of Lawmaking For A New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774 - 1873
    8. American Memory: Historical Collection for the National Digital Library
      1. Maps
        1. American Revolution and Its Era: Maps and Charts of North America and the West Indies, 1750 - 1789
        2. Mapping the National Parks
        3. Maps Collection, 1500 - Present
        4. Panoramic Map Collection, 1847 - 1929
        5. Railroad Maps, 1828 - 1900
    9. American Originals I and American Originals II
    10. Anti-Federalist Papers (via Constitution Society)
    11. The Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy (via Yale Law School)
    12. Ben's Guide to U.S. Government Information for Kids (K-12)
    13. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774 - Present
    14. Congressional Record and predecessors
      1. Searching Congressional Record (101st Congress, 1989 - Present)
      2. Searching Congressional Record Index (104th Congress - Present) (via THOMAS)
      3. Searching Congressional Record Index (98th Congress, 1983 - Present) (via Government Printing Office)
      4. January 1999 - Present
      5. Congressinal Globe (1833, 23rd Congress 1st session - 1873, 42nd Congress)
      6. Register of Debates (1824, 18th Congress 2nd session - 1837, 25th Congress 1st session)
      7. Annals of Congress (1789, 1st Congress - 1824, 18th Congress 1st session)
    15. Constitution of the Confederate States of America (CSA) (via USConstitution.net)
    16. Electoral College, The
    17. The Emancipation Proclamation
    18. Federalist Papers, The
    19. Founding Fathers: Delegates to the Constitutional Convention, America's
    20. Fugitive Slave Act, September 18, 1850 (via Fordham University's Modern History SourceBook )
    21. Gettysburg Address
    22. Historic Government Publications from World War II: A Digital Library
      (via Southern Methodist University)
    23. How Our Laws are Made
    24. Lewis & Clark Expedition
      1. Lewis & Clark Expedition
      2. Lewis and Clark: The Language of Discovery
      3. Lewis and Clark: Classroom Resources (via PBS)
      4. Teaching With Documents: The Lewis and Clark Expedition
    25. Magna Carta (English historical document which influenced the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights)
    26. National Parks Service
      1. Geographic Information Service (GIS)
      2. Maps
    27. Perry-Castaņeda Maps Library (digital maps collection) (via University of Texas--Austin Libraries)
      1. Historical Maps
    28. Thomas Jefferson's Letter to the Danbury Baptists (Separation of Church & State Letter)
      1. Unedited Text (Draft)
      2. Edited Text (Final)



  1. Washington State Government:

    1. Constitution, Washington State
      1. 1878 Text
        (This version never took effect because the President never signed it.
        But, was the basis for the 1889 Constitution)
      2. 1889 Text
      3. Images from 1878 and 1889 Constitutions
        (Requires DejaVu Plug-in)
    2. Digital Collections
    3. Enabling Act, Washington State (1889)
    4. Governors of Washington State (1853 - Present)
    5. Historical Records Search
      (Census information for Washington State.
      Includes genealogy and naturalization records. 1871 - 1910)
    6. Lieutenant Governors of Washingtion State, 1889 - Present
    7. Members of the State Legislature from 1889 to Present
    8. Symbols of Washington State
    9. Territorial Government, Washington (1853)
      (The Organic Act)
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