OMNIS / Historical Memory / Primary Sources

Founding & Constitutional Documents

A preserved record of law, liberty, and human rights, from foundational charters to modern legislation. Every document has a pathway back to its archived PDF or institutional source.

THE SOURCE CURRENT

25 indexed collections

Chronological records and curated legal collections

SEARCH HISTORICAL RECORDS

01 / 1215

Magna Carta · 1215

Archived PDF — National Archives edition Archived PDF — Salisbury Cathedral manuscript Institutional source

02 / 1776

Declaration of Independence · 1776

Archived PDF — Archived document Institutional source

03 / 1777

Articles of Confederation · 1777

Archived PDF — Archived document Institutional source

04 / 1787

Northwest Ordinance · 1787

Archived PDF — Original edition Archived PDF — National Archives edition

05 / 1787

United States Constitution · 1787

Archived PDF — Archived Constitution Institutional source

06 / 1788

The Federalist Papers · 1788

Archived PDF — Complete collection Archived PDF — Federalist No. 10 Archived PDF — Federalist No. 51 Archived PDF — Federalist No. 78

07 / 1791

Bill of Rights (ratified) · 1791

Archived PDF — Original handwritten Archived PDF — National Archives edition with amendments 1–27 Institutional source

08 / 1796

Washington's Farewell Address · 1796

Archived PDF — Senate archive Archived PDF — Original handwritten, NYPL

09 / 1863

Emancipation Proclamation · 1863

Archived PDF — National Archives transcript Archived PDF — Original handwritten Institutional source

10 / 1863

Gettysburg Address · 1863

Archived PDF — Library of Congress transcript Archived PDF — Original handwritten

11 / 1865

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address · 1865

Archived PDF — Library of Congress transcript

12 / 1865

13th Amendment (ratified) · 1865

Archived PDF — National Archives edition Archived PDF — Original handwritten

13 / 1868

14th Amendment (ratified) · 1868

Archived PDF — National Archives edition Archived PDF — Original handwritten

14 / 1870

15th Amendment (ratified) · 1870

Archived PDF — National Archives edition Archived PDF — Original handwritten

15 / 1920

19th Amendment (ratified) · 1920

Archived PDF — National Archives edition Archived PDF — Original handwritten

16 / 1948

Universal Declaration of Human Rights · 1948

Archived PDF — Archived declaration Institutional source

17 / 1964

24th Amendment (ratified) · 1964

Archived PDF — Constitution Annotated edition

18 / 1964

Civil Rights Act · 1964

Archived PDF — National Archives transcript Archived PDF — Original copy

19 / 1965

Voting Rights Act · 1965

Archived PDF — National Archives transcript Archived PDF — Original copy

20 / 1966

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights · 1966

Archived PDF — Original copy Archived PDF — Archived covenant

21 / 1971

26th Amendment (ratified) · 1971

Archived PDF — Constitution Annotated edition

22 / 2013

Shelby County v. Holder · 2013

Archived PDF — Archived Supreme Court opinion

23 / Collection

Additional legislation and constitutional records

The archive also maintains an Acts collection, including later federal legislation, and further amendment folders. These are not silently mixed into the founding chronology.

Browse Acts collection

24 / Collection

Constitutional amendments — additional annotated records

Archived PDF — 1st Amendment — speech and expression Archived PDF — 2nd Amendment — keeping and bearing arms Archived PDF — 4th Amendment — searches and seizures Archived PDF — 5th Amendment — due process Archived PDF — 8th Amendment — cruel and unusual punishment

25 / Collection

Federal acts and legislation — archival collection

Archived PDF — Enforcement Act of 1871 Archived PDF — National Security Act of 1947 Archived PDF — USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 Archived PDF — USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2006 Archived PDF — FISA Amendments Act of 2008 Archived PDF — Senate report — 112th Congress Archived PDF — National Defense Authorization Act — 2019–2020 Archived PDF — SAVE Act — H.R. 22 bill text (119th Congress)Archived PDF — SAVE Act — section-by-section analysis

Original dates follow publication, adoption, or ratification as labeled. Public access to archived Google Drive PDFs depends on the source file's sharing settings. Institutional references are provided where available.