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those who, under the devine auspices, have secured innumerable

blessings for others; with these wishes, and this benediction, the Commander

in Chief is about to retire from Service. The Curtain of seperation

will soon be drawn, and the military scene to him will be closed

for ever.

(from George Washington, “Farewell Address to the

Armies of the United States,” page 259)

Nor should our assembly be deluded by the integrity of their own

purposes, and conclude that these unlimited powers will never be

abused, because themselves are not disposed to abuse them. They

should look forward to a time, and that not a distant one, when a

corruption in this, as in the country from which we derive our origin,

will have seized the heads of government.

(from Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, page 267)

Whilst we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess, and

observe the religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we cannot

deny an equal freedom to those, whose minds have not yet

yielded to the evidence which has convinced us.

(from James Madison, “A Memorial and Remonstrance

against Religious Assessments,” page 296)

I can consent to no government, which, in my opinion, is not calculated

equally to preserve the rights of all orders of men in the community.

(from Letters from the Federal Farmer, page 435)

But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on

human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary.

If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls

on government would be necessary. In framing a government

which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty

lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed

; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.

(from The Federalist No. 51, page 525)

I will candidly acknowledge, that, over and above all these considerations,

I do conceive that the Constitution may be amended; that is

to say, if all power is subject to abuse, that then it is possible the

abuse of the powers of the General Government may be guarded

against in a more secure manner than is now done.

(from James Madison’s speech to the House of

Representatives, June 8, 1789, page 615)

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution,

nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively,

or to the people.

(from a draft of amendments to the Constitution, page 637)

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Published in 2006 by Barnes & Noble Classics with new Introductions, Timeline,

Notes, and For Further Reading.

General Introduction, Header Introductions, Notes,

and For Further Reading

Copyright © 2006 by Jack N. Rakove.

Founding America: A Timeline

Copyright © 2006 by Barnes & Noble, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Founding America:

Documents from the Revolution to the Bill of Rights

ISBN-13: 978-1-59308-230-7

eISBN : 97-8-141-14322-0

ISBN-10: 1-59308-230-4

LC Control Number 2005935854

Produced and published in conjunction with:

Fine Creative Media, Inc.

322 Eighth Avenue

New York, NY 10001

Michael J. Fine, President and Publisher

Printed in the United States of America

QM

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

FIRST PRINTING

Founding America:

A Timeline

1765 On March 22, the British Parliament adopts the Stamp Act, imposing on the American colonies a tax on legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards. Colonists respond by pressuring the men appointed to distribute