The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Preface to the First Edition.
• Second Edition.
• Notices of This Work.
• Constitution of the United States of America.
• Constitution.
• Amendments.
• Sketch of Ante-revolutionary History.
• Gradual Approaches Towards Independence.
• The Adoption of the Declaration of Independence
• Political Rights and Sovereignty.
• Occurrences Incident to Act of Confederation
• Official Letter Accompanying Act of Confederation.
• Jefferson’s Notes of Debate On Confederation
• Articles of Confederation to All to Whom These Presents Shall Come,
• Ratification.
• Abstract of Proceedings In Congress On Certain Proposed Alterations, Amendments, Or Additions, Proposed By Certain States to the Articles of Confederation.
• Proceedings Which Led to the Adoption of the Constitution of the United States.
• Federal Convention.
• List of the Members of the Federal Convention, Which Formed the Constitution of the United States.
• Credentials of Members of the Federal Convention.
• Journal of the Federal Convention
• The Ratifications of the Twelve States, Reported In the General Convention.
• Amendments Proposed,
• Luther Martin’s Letter On the Federal Convention of 1787.
• The Notes of the Secret Debates of the Federal Convention of 1787, Taken By the Late Hon. Robert Yates, Chief Justice of the State of New York, and One of the Delegates From That State to the Said Convention.
• Letter From the Hon. Robert Yates and the Hon. John Lansing, Jun., Esquires, to the Governor of New York; Containing Their Reasons For Not Subscribing to the Federal Constitution.
• A Letter of His Excellency, Edmund Randolph, Esq., On the Federal Constitution; Addressed to the Honorable the Speaker of the House of Delegates, Virginia.
• Letter From the Hon. Roger Sherman, and the Hon. Oliver Ellsworth, Esquires, Delegates From the State of Connecticut, In the Late Federal Convention, to His Excellency, the Governor of Said State.
• Letter Containing the Reasons of the Hon. Elbridge Gerry, Esq., For Not Signing the Federal Constitution.
• Objections of the Hon. George Mason, One of the Delegates From Virginia In the Late Continental Convention, to the Proposed Federal Constitution; Assigned As His Reasons For Not Signing the Same.
• Address to the People of the State of New York, On the Subject of the Proposed Federal Constitution By the Hon. John Jay, Minister For Foreign Affairs to the United States In Congress Assembled.
• Letter From the Hon. Richard Henry Lee, Esq. One of the Delegates In Congress From the State of Virginia.
• Gouverneur Morris to General Washington
• Gouverneur Morris to Timothy Pickering, In Congress.
• James Madison to Mr. Sparks.

RATIFICATION.

And whereas it has pleased the Great Governor of the world to incline the hearts of the legislatures we respectively represent in Congress, to approve of and to authorize us to ratify the said Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union: Know ye, That we, the undersigned delegates, by virtue of the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do, by these presents, in the name and in behalf of our respective constituents, fully and entirely ratify and confirm each and every of the said Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, and all and singular the matters and things therein contained; and we do further solemnly plight and engage the faith of our respective constituents, that they shall abide by the determinations of the United States in Congress assembled, on all questions which, by the said Confederation, are submitted to them; and that the articles thereof shall be inviolably observed by the states we respectively represent; and that the union shall be perpetual.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, in Congress. Done at Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania, the ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight, and in the third year of the Independence of America.