American History Documents

America - still a young country by world standards - began as an experiment in self-government. This collection includes stories of America's people as they follow a path of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Image depicting page 47 from the book, Olaudah Equiano: The Interesting Narrative.

Image depicting page 48 from the book, Olaudah Equiano: The Interesting Narrative.

Image depicting page 57 from the book, Olaudah Equiano: The Interesting Narrative.

Alexander Graham Bell wrote a letter to his wife on the 8th of December, 1918.  In it he comments that the worst of the "Spanish Influenza" seems...

On the 7th of October, 2001, America and Britain launched an attack on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan - as a response to the events of September 11.&n...

An American colonial newspaper, from the fall of 1765, reports that people in the British colonies (including those in Canada) were ignoring the stamp...

This image depicts the original document President Truman prepared discharging General MacArthur from all responsibilities during the Korean War. ...

When Harry Truman decided to relieve General Douglas MacArthur of his command duties in Korea - thereby effectively forcing MacArthur's retirement - t...

The United States drafted soldiers during World War I.  This is an example of a "selective service" letter which young men received when they wer...

This excerpt from the Congressional Record reveals that Navajo Code Talkers, and their secret code, were so significant to the War in the Pacific that...

Image of the declassified Top-Secret Order, dated November 20, 1962, to suspend the quarrantine surrounding the island of Cuba. Click on the image fo...

Click on image for an expanded view. Exhibiting Washington’s first inaugural speech online, the Library of Congress notes: Keenly aware of t...

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