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1914

COPYRIGHT, 1908,

BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

Set up and electrotyped. Published August, 1908. Reprinted
February, September, 1909; January, 1911; August, 1913;
December, 1914.

Norwood Press

J. S. Cushing Co. - Berwick & Smith Co.
Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

Mrs. Bradley Davis

6-24-1924 Grad. 4

Tr. to GL 5-85

PREFACE

THE present volume has been prepared in response to a request, frequently made by teachers who have used my "Select Charters," "Select Documents," and "Select Statutes," for a briefer collection of documents particularly designed for courses of instruction of an elementary or comprehensive character, or which cover both the colonial and the constitutional periods of American history in a single year. In making the selection, accordingly, I have aimed to include such documents only as experience has shown to be most necessary or useful in comprehensive courses, bearing in mind the time available for the average student. The texts are the same as those in the three volumes named above, except the treaties, which here follow the better text in the United States Statutes at Large. Many of the documents, however, have been further condensed by the omission of formal, technical, or relatively unimportant provisions; a few errors in the earlier volumes have been corrected; and some changes have been made in the notes. I shall be glad if the volume serves to facilitate the study, especially in elementary courses, of the documentary sources of American history.

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND,
July, 1908.

WILLIAM MACDONALD.

Contents

NUMBER

1. First Charter of Virginia. April 10/20, 1606.

2. Second Charter of Virginia. May 23/June 2, 1609
3. Third Charter of Virginia. March 12/22, 1611/12
4. Mayflower Compact. Nov. 11/21, 1620.
5. Ordinance for Virginia. July 24/Aug. 3, 1621
6. First Charter of Massachusetts. March 4/14, 1628/9
7. Charter of Privileges to Patroons. June 7/17, 1629
8. Charter of Maryland. June 20/30, 1632

9. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. Jan. 14/24, 1638/9
10. Fundamental Articles of New Haven. June 4/14, 1639
11. Patent of Providence Plantations. March 14/24, 1643
12. New England Confederation. May 19/29, 1643
13. Government of New Haven. Oct. 27/Nov. 6, 1643
14. Maryland Toleration Act. April, 1649

15.-First Navigation Act. 1660

16. Charter of Connecticut. April 23/May 3, 1662

17. First Charter of Carolina. March 24/April 3, 1662/3

18. Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. July 8/18,

19. Second Navigation Act. 1663

20. Grant to the Duke of York. March 12/22, 1663/4
21. Second Charter of Carolina. June 30/July 10, 1665

22. Third Navigation Act. 1672 .

23. Charter of Pennsylvania. March 4/14, 1680/81
24. Second Charter of Massachusetts. Oct. 7/17, 1691

25. Navigation Act. April 10/20, 1696

26. Treaty of Utrecht. March 31/April 11, 1713

27. Charter of Georgia. June 9/20, 1732

28. Molasses Act. May 17/28, 1733

29. Writ of Assistance. Dec. 2, 1762
30. Treaty of Paris. Feb. 10, 1763

583

63

66

72

74

76

78

80

31. Royal Proclamation concerning America. Oct. 7, 1763.
32. Sugar Act. April 5, 1764

vii

35. Resolutions of the Stamp Act Congress. Oct. 19, 1765
36. Declaratory Act. March 18, 1766.

037. Act suspending the New York Assembly. June 15, 1767
038. Townshend Revenue Act. June 29, 1767

39. Massachusetts Circular Letter. Feb. 11, 1768
40. Boston Port Act. March 31, 1774 .

1. Massachusetts Government Act. May 20, 1774

42. Administration of Justice Act. May 20, 1774

3. Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress. Oct. 14,
1774

162

44. The Association. Oct. 20, 1774

45. Lord North's Conciliatory Resolution. Feb. 27, 1775
46. New England Restraining Act. March 30, 1775

47. Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms. July 6,
1775

48. Report on Lord North's Conciliatory Resolution. July 31, 1775
49. Proclamation of Rebellion. Aug. 23, 1775
50. Declaration of Independence. July 4, 1776

166

171

172

176

53. Ordinance of 1787. July 13, 1787

54. Constitution of the United States. Sept. 17, 1787.

55. Hamilton's First Report on Public Credit. Jan. 9, 1790
56. Proclamation of Neutrality. April 22, 1793
57. Treaty with Great Britain. Nov. 19, 1794
Alien and Sedition Acts. 1798

58. Naturalization Act. June 18, 1798.

64. Kentucky Resolutions. Nov. 22, 1799

65. Treaty with France for the Cession of Louisiana. April 30, 1803

66. Embargo Act. Dec. 22, 1807.

67. Non-Intercourse Act. March 1, 1809

70. Report of the Hartford Convention. Jan. 4, 1815