Library Home: U.S. Constitution: History of

Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)

The Articles of Confederation served as a constitution for the 13 indepedant states after the Revolution. It was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789 when the present day Constitution went into effect.

Articles of Conferation: Digital Archive
From the website of the Library of Congress. The Articles of Confederation plus supporting documentation such as writings of James Madison and articles from the popular press.
Articles of Confederation: March 1, 1781
From the Avalon Project (Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy) at the Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School.

Federalist Papers & Related Works (Lobbying for a U.S. Constitution)

"The Federalist, commonly referred to as the Federalist Papers, is a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison between October 1787 and May 1788. The essays were published anonymously, under the pen name "Publius," in various New York state newspapers of the time. The Federalist Papers were written and published to urge New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution, which was drafted in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. In lobbying for adoption of the Constitution over the existing Articles of Confederation, the essays explain particular provisions of the Constitution in detail. For this reason, and because Hamilton and Madison were each members of the Constitutional Convention, the Federalist Papers are often used today to help interpret the intentions of those drafting the Constitution." ~ Text from the Library of Congress.

The Federalist Papers
From the Congress.gov website. Full text of the Federalist Papers in order, including author, publication, and date info.

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Call Number: E 302.6 .H2 C48 2004 (3rd floor, Booth Library)
The inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Hamilton! In the first full-length biography of Alexander Hamilton in decades, National Book Award winner Ron Chernow tells the riveting story of a man who overcame all odds to shape, inspire, and scandalize the newborn America. (Publisher)
The Authority of Publius by Albert Furtwangler
Call Number: JK 155 .F87 1984 (3rd floor, Booth Library)
“In treating the Federalist as literature, Albert Furtwangler brings a needed perspective to an old text. He reminds us that these eighty-five newspaper essays of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay should be read in context and that closer attention to issues of style, forms, and genre will reveal a great deal about the method and power of the overall collaboration.”
~ Robert A. Ferguson, University of Chicago (1985).

Constitutional Convention & Ratification (1787 -1788)

"The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia met between May and September of 1787 to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The United States Constitution that emerged from the convention established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments." ~ Text from the U.S. State Department, Office of the Historian.

Creating the United States: Convention & Ratification
From the website of the Library of Congress. Includes maps and documents relevant to the creation and ratification of the Constitution.
The debates in several State Conventions on the adoption of the Federal Constitution
From the Library of Congress, American Memory project.
United States Constitution: Primary Documents in American History
From the Library of Congress. Includes documents, exhibitions, and teaching aids relevant to the ratification of the Constitution.

This Research Guide Has Been Recommended by
The Federal Depository Library Program

Origin of Constitution Day

Constitution Day was championed by U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd (D- W.V.) who sponsored a bill that eventually became Public Law 108-447. This bill, in part, required educational programs and resources for a September 17 celebration of the U.S. Constitution.

About Constitution Day

Courtesy of American Bar Assoc. (ABA)
ABA President gives excellent explanation of the annual Constitution Day, Sept. 17 (recorded 2017)

Read & Understand the U.S. Constitution

National Constitution Center
"...established by Congress to “disseminate information about the United States Constitution...” The Center created an interactive constitution "For each provision of the Constitution, scholars of different perspectives discuss what they agree upon, and what they disagree about."

Click for the Interactive Constitution