Laws and Proclamations passed by the Colonies, States, and United States

"Body of Liberties," December, 1641 - Act of the General Court of the Colony of Massachusetts

The Stamp Act (Summary), 1765 - Summary of the Stamp Act passed by Great Britain to tax goods being exported to the Colonies.

Resolutions on the Stamp Act, October 19, 1765 - Resolutions of the Continental Congress in response to British Stamp Act.

British Townshend Acts (Summary), 1767 - Acts of the British Parliament imposing new taxes and making the salaries of Colonial officials including governors and judges to be paid by the Crown alone.

Intolerable or Coercive Acts (Summary), beginning in 1774 - Additional Acts by Great Britain against the American Colonies.

Declaration of Colonial Rights: Resolutions of the First Continental Congress, October 14, 1774

Petition to the King, October 25, 1774 - Continental Congress' Petition to the King of England for redress of grievances.

Charlotte Town Resolves, May 31, 1775 - Resolution of the Colony of North Carolina nullifying acts of the British Crown and supporting the Continental Congress.

Olive Branch Petition, July 5, 1775 - Petition to the King of England for repeal of oppressive laws imposed unequally on the Colonies.

King George III's Proclamation of Rebellion, August 23, 1775 - King of England proclaims that the "traiterous rebellion" in the Colonies must be stopped.

Continental Congress Recommends the Formation of State Governments, May 10, 1776

Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776 - Drawn up and ratified in Convention for the Colony of Virginia just prior to the Declaration of Independence, this document formed an important part of the Constitution of the State of Virginia, also supporting the future federal Bill of Rights.

Preamble to the Virginia Constitution, June 29, 1776 - Written by Thomas Jefferson, lists grievances against the Colonies.

Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress, October 14, 1777

Constitution for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1780 - The first Constitution to create a Republican form of government limiting the Majority, according to Hamilton Abert Long. Primarily useful as a reference.

Treaty of Paris, 1783 - Treaty with Prince George - king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland.

Northwest Ordinance, July 13, 1787 - Act of Congress regarding U.S. Territories northwest of the Ohio River.  Shows the intent of Congress at the time as to how the lands would be governed, with emphasis on lands set aside for purposes of education.

Proclamation of Neutrality, April 22, 1793 - Proclamation by President George Washington on the U.S. position of non-involvement in the war between Great Britain and France.

Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation, 1794 - Treaty with Great Britain to re-establish relations, commerce and navigation.

Proclamation on the Whiskey Rebellion, 1794

Treaty of Greenville, 1795 - Treaty with the following indian tribes: The Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanoes, Ottawas, Chipewas, Putawatimes, Miamis, Eel-River, Weeas, Kickapoos, Piankashaws and Kaskaskias.

Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798 - Congressional Acts expanding the Presidential authority in deportation of aliens, and prosecution of seditious acts, whether or not successful, and conspiracy to commit seditious acts. Appears to violate the First Amendment with its prohibition against "false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government...or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said government...or the said President..."

Virginia Resolution of 1798 and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 and 1799 - Authored by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson in the case of Virginia, and Jefferson alone in the case of Kentucky. These Acts were done in protest of the Alien and Sedition Acts passed by Congress.

Report and Resolutions of the Hartford Convention, January 1815