Foundational Documents
All 9 required AP Gov documents
Each document includes a full summary, key quotes, argument essay connections across all units, and a Quick Check quiz to test your recall before the AP exam.
Score 3/3 on every document quiz to complete the quest.
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson, 1776
List of justifications why U.S. colonists wished to separate from Great Britain.
Articles of Confederation
First Continental Congress, 1777
First governing document that concentrated more power in the states.
U.S. Constitution
Founding Fathers, 1787
The official and supreme law of the United States.
Federalist No. 10
James Madison, 1787
Addresses the danger of factions to a democracy.
Brutus No. 1
Unknown (Robert Yates?), 1787
Anti-Federalist argument against a strong central government.
Federalist No. 51
James Madison, 1787
Ways to control the powers of a strong central government.
Federalist No. 70
Alexander Hamilton, 1788
The important characteristics of the U.S. Presidency.
Federalist No. 78
Alexander Hamilton, 1788
The vital role of an independent judiciary in U.S. government.
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King Jr., 1963
Why civil disobedience of unjust laws is a moral obligation.
Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist
Side-by-side comparison of Madison & Hamilton's Federalist Papers against Brutus No. 1. Five key disagreements examined with historical verdict.
Using Documents on the AP Exam
Foundational documents appear in Argument Essay FRQs. You'll need to use at least one as a required source and one additional source to support or counter-argue your thesis. Each document page includes pre-mapped connections to court cases, units, and opposing documents — exactly what you need for the FRQ.