Unit 3: Foundational Documents
9 essential documents that shaped American democracy
Required Sources for AP Government
These foundational documents are essential reading for the AP Government exam. They include the Federalist Papers, Anti-Federalist arguments, and key civil rights documents. Understanding these texts provides the philosophical and historical context for American constitutional law.
Declaration of Independence
List of justifications why U.S. colonists wished to separate from Great Britain.
Articles of Confederation
First governing document that concentrated more power in the states.
U.S. Constitution
The official and supreme law of the United States.
Federalist No. 10
Addresses the danger of factions to a democracy.
Federalist No. 51
Ways to control the powers of a strong central government.
Brutus No. 1
Anti-Federalist argument against a strong central government.
Federalist No. 70
The important characteristics of the U.S. Presidency.
Federalist No. 78
The vital role of an independent judiciary in U.S. government.
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Why civil disobedience of unjust laws is a moral obligation.