This reference work presents 27 key documents from the historic origins of the United States government through its subsequent expansion and evolution. The book is divided into five sections, the first of which is an introductory essay about American democracy. Section II includes three documents that laid the foundation for America's government: the Magna Carta, the 1628 Petition of Right, and England's Bill of Rights. The third section presents 13 core documents, such as the Mayflower Compact, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Section IV provides 11 documents of America's territorial expansion, from the Treaty of Paris through the Louisiana Purchase Treaty and the Alaska Treaty and Hawaii Resolution. The final section is an essay about the future of democracy. There are 12 useful appendices.