Founding Documents
011776
The Declaration of Independence
The founding document that declared American independence and articulated universal principles of human equality and rights.
021787
The Constitution
The supreme law of the land that established the framework of American government and separation of powers.
031791
The Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments that guaranteed individual freedoms and placed limits on government power.
041865–1870
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
The Civil War amendments that abolished slavery, defined citizenship, and guaranteed equal protection under law.
051920
The 19th Amendment
The constitutional amendment that granted women the right to vote after seven decades of struggle.
061954
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court decision that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, launching the civil rights era.