The founding fathers studied different forms of government throughout history to come up with the best form of government for our new nation. They decided a republic suited our nation the best. Find out the advantages of this type of...

Why did the founding fathers create two separate chambers in Congress - the House of Representatives and Senate? Find out the reasons for the dual chamber and the responsibilities of each one. Included is a glossary and printable puzzles...

Travel back to 1787 and become a delegate to the convention in Philadelphia. As the Founding Fathers struggle to decide how the young nation will be governed, explore how very different men representing their states' conflicting...

Learning Adventure teaches about the differences between federal and state governments as written in the Constitution and shares reasons the founding fathers wanted it this way.

Dozens of frequently asked questions about Ben Franklin with answers that cover all the essential facts about one of America's favorite founding fathers.

Introduce students to the ideas and writings of John Locke that influenced the likes of Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers.

Meet the Baron de Montesquieu, one of the great thinkers of the 18th century. He spent a lot of time thinking about how governments should be created and maintained. These ideas guided the Founding Fathers when they wrote the...

The Enlightenment was a period of time, starting around 1715, when people developed new ideas about human existence, including people's basic rights and the purpose of government. When our Founding Fathers created a government for the...

The Founding Fathers had many influences. Discover how aspects of Athenian democracy shaped the structure and ideals of the U.S. government.

Many folktale resources are offered here. Texts of stories, "extras" including music and audio files, posters and background information can be found for some stories.

[Free Registration/Login Required] A literary text about a little girl named Margo who had an idea to build a birdbath with her dad. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

A brief biography of James Madison. Find out why James Madison was called the father of the constitution. Learn how his life affected the United States. (In Spanish)

Read about why ratification of the United States' new constitution was such a struggle. Find arguments for and against ratification, and discover who supported the Federalist position and who the Anti-Federalist position. [PDF]

Overview of the significant contributions of George Washington and his importance as an early leader in forming the U.S. government.

At this site you can read Chapter XVI, Of Conquest, by John Locke stating that the basis of any government must be the consent of the people, and implying in the writing that war or revolution is often mistaken as consent. (Published in...

Full text of the "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" (1775) speech by Patrick Henry.

Using historically significant documents and photos from its collection, this exhibit probes the various interests of Franklin and the influential friends that shared his interests.

This article contains information about the principles used to create the Constitution of the United States.

An article by the CATO institute about James Madison's vision for his writing and contribution for the U.S. Constitutional Convention. Includes information on his views of a limited government for citizens' rights.

List of facts about John Adams and his presidency, with links to additional information, including the text of his inaugural address and a letter to Thomas Jefferson.

Match the portraits of eight famous Americans who played major roles in the American Revolution with their famous deeds. A short exercise that can be used by individual learners to test their understanding of basic U.S. history content...

Short, overweight, and quick-tongued, John Adams hardly fits the model of the typical Founder. But Adams's contributions to American independence and the formation of the United States government were great. Adams penned defenses of...

Charles Carroll is primarily remembered today for his political leadership in Maryland during the Revolutionary era. A wealthy planter, Carroll became a major figure in the patriot movement in 1773 when he penned the First Citizen...

John Dickinson was called "The Penman of the American Revolution." During the 1760s and 1770s, he authored numerous important essays in defense of American rights, including The Late Regulations Respecting the British Colonies, the...