Historical Research Library

Discover the people, events, and key documents that shaped the Founding Era. 

Singers and dancers focused on Chris Jackson playing George Washington

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Paul Revere, "The Bloody Massacre in King-Street, March 5, 1770," Boston, 1770 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Boston Massacre, 1770

A “massacre” of civilians in Boston by British troops fueled colonial resentment of British rule

Event
"First Continental Congress," by Allyn Cox, 1974 (Architect of the Capitol)

First Continental Congress, 1774

A gathering of American colonial delegates in Philadelphia to address grievances against British rule and advocate for colonial rights

Event
The Farmer Refuted: or, A More Impartial and Comprehensive View of the Dispute between Great-Britain and the Colonies</em> (James Rivington: New York, 1775) (Courtesy New-York Historical Society)

The Farmer Refuted, 1775

A defense of American colonial rights against British tyranny secretly written by Alexander Hamilton—fueling revolutionary sentiment

Key Document
Declaration of Independence, Charleston, South Carolina, printed August 2, 1776 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Declaration of Independence, 1776

The founding document that asserted colonial autonomy, enumerated grievances, and set forth the ideals of a new nation

Key Document
Daniel Shays and Job Shattuck, 1787, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Shays’ Rebellion, 1786

An armed uprising by indebted Massachusetts farmers protesting economic injustice and demanding debt relief

Event
A North West View of the State House in Philadelphia taken 1778, from C.W. Peale (Library of Congress)

Antifederalist No. 1, 1787

An early critique of the proposed Constitution, arguing the dangers of a centralized government and advocating state sovereignty

Key Document
The Looking Glass for 1787, Amos Doolittle, 1787, Library of Congress.

Antifederalist No. 9, 1787

A critique of the proposed Constitution, expressing concerns over centralized power and the potential threat of an elite ruling class

Key Document
The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, 1788 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Federalist No. 10, 1787

One of 85 essays advocating the ratification of the Constitution, addressing the dangers of factionalism and promoting the strengths of a large republic

Key Document