> Eras of American History> American History by Century> 18th Century

The Presidents of the United States
Take a look at the US Presidents from the 18th Century and more. There are even polls to rate each president on the effectiveness of their time in office.

Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson's document served as our country's promise to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". Written in 1776, this masterpiece put forth what the Colonists were fighting for, and what this new nation was to stand for.

Benjamin Banneker
Banneker became known for building the first wooden clock, writing almanacs, and much more. A nice bio from African-American History Guide Jessica McElrath.

Kamehameha The Great
A fine bio from John Fischer's Hawaii/South Pacific site from About.com of the great Warrior and King who united and reigned over the unified island Kingdom of Hawaii.

Constitution of the United States
The document on which our federal laws (and in essence, our society) are derived from.

Federalist Papers
Written in 1787 and 1788 by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, these 85 essays outlining how our new government would work and why, originally appeared in New York newspapers in order to sway NY voters to ratify the new constitution.

Keigwin & Matthews Collection of Rare and Historical Documents
A private collection of historical newspapers maps & writings focusing on the period in American history from the Colonial Period through the Jefferson Presidency.

The Library Company of Philadelphia
An independent research library with collections documenting every aspect of the history & background of American culture from the colonial period to the end of the 19th century. Check out the historical images.  

Patrick Henry's Patriotic Speech
Spoken at the Second Virginia Convention, Patrick's Henry's fiery speech; where he's utters the famous phrase, "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville, one of the most important Native-American treaties, marked the end of years of warfare between the United States and the Miami Confederacy.