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Founding Documents of the United States of America (Deluxe Library Edition) Founding Documents of the United States of America (Deluxe Library Edition)

Founding Documents of the United States of America (Deluxe Library Edition) Founding Documents of the United States of America (Deluxe Library Edition)

The Founding Documents of the United States of America includes the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, all Amendments to the Constitution, The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, and Common Sense by Thomas Paine.

The Federalist Papers is a collection of 85 articles and essays written under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution. The Federalist Papers are notable for their opposition to what later became the United States Bill of Rights. The idea of adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution was originally controversial because the Constitution, as written, did not specifically enumerate or protect the rights of the people, rather it listed the powers of the government and left all that remained to the states and the people. Alexander Hamilton, the author of Federalist No. 84, feared that such an enumeration, once written down explicitly, would later be interpreted as a list of the only rights that people had.

Common Sense was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution, and became an immediate sensation.

About the Authors

Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 - July 12, 1804) was an American statesman, politician, legal scholar, military commander, lawyer, banker, and economist. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the founder of the nation's financial system, the Federalist Party, the United States Coast Guard, and the New York Post newspaper. His vision included a strong central government led by a vigorous executive branch, a strong commercial economy, national banks, support for manufacturing, and a strong military.

James Madison (March 16, 1751 - June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, expansionist, philosopher and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. He is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the United States Bill of Rights. He co-wrote The Federalist Papers, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party, and served as the fifth United States secretary of State from 1801 to 1809.

Thomas Paine (February 9, 1737 - June 8, 1809) was an English-born American political activist, philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary. He authored the two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution and inspired the patriots in 1776 to declare independence from Great Britain. His ideas reflected Enlightenment-era ideals of transnational human rights. Born in Thetford in the English county of Norfolk, Paine migrated to the British American colonies in 1774 with the help of Benjamin Franklin, arriving just in time to participate in the American Revolution. Virtually every rebel read (or listened to a reading of) his powerful pamphlet Common Sense (1776), which crystallized the rebellious demand for independence from Great Britain. Common Sense was so influential that John Adams said: "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain". Paine lived in France for most of the 1790s, becoming deeply involved in the French Revolution. The British government, worried by the possibility that the French Revolution might spread to England, had begun suppressing works that espoused radical philosophies. Paine's work, which advocated the right of the people to overthrow their government, was duly targeted, with a writ for his arrest issued in early 1792. Paine fled to France in September where, despite not being able to speak French, he was quickly elected to the French National Convention. The Girondists regarded him as an ally. Consequently, the Montagnards, especially Maximilien Robespierre, regarded him as an enemy. In December 1793, he was arrested and was taken to Luxembourg Prison in Paris. While in prison, he continued to work on The Age of Reason (1793-1794). James Monroe, a future President of the United States, used his diplomatic connections to get Paine released in November 1794. In 1802, he returned to the U.S. where he died on June 8, 1809.

Hardcover: 600 pages
Publisher: Engage Classics (February 2, 2021)

Founding Fathers: The Fight for Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty Founding Fathers: The Fight for Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty

Founding Fathers: The Fight for Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty Founding Fathers: The Fight for Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty

Kostyal tells the story of the great American heroes who created the Declaration of Independence, fought the American Revolution, shaped the US Constitution--and changed the world. The era's dramatic events, from the riotous streets in Boston to the unlikely victory at Saratoga, are punctuated with lavishly illustrated biographies of the key founders--Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and James Madison--who shaped the very idea of America. An introduction and ten expertly-rendered National Geographic maps round out this ideal gift for history buff and student alike. Filled with beautiful illustrations, maps, and inspired accounts from the men and women who made America, Founding Fathers brings the birth of the new nation to light.

About the Author

K. M. KOSTYAL is a longtime writer for National Geographic. She has authored books on a wide range of subjects, including war heroes and child survivors of war. The author of Abraham Lincoln's Extraordinary Era, a former senior editor at National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Books, and a contributor to National Geographic Traveler, Kostyal is the recipient of two Lowell Thomas Awards.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: National Geographic; First Edition (October 28, 2014)

Documenting America: Making The Constitution Documenting America: Making The Constitution

Documenting America: Making The Constitution Documenting America: Making The Constitution

The development of the U.S, Constitution, in response to the failing Articles of Confederation, happened in a few years following the Revolution. This book looks at a number of key documents from those years: analysis of the problem, pre-Convention debates, the Convention deliberations, post-Convention debates in the press and in State conventions, and the Bill of Rights. The discussions of those days are then tied to an issue we still deal with in the 21st Century.

About the Author

David A. Todd is a civil engineer by profession, and a writer by passion. His interests include history (especially American history), politics, and genealogy. He writes novels in multiple genres, non-fiction books in USA history, poetry, and Bible studies. A native Rhode Islander, he has lived in Kansas City, Saudi Arabia, North Carolina, Kuwait, and Arkansas since 1991.

His engineering career has been in consulting civil engineering, primarily in public infrastructure. He had written articles for six different print publications and three on line publications on the subject of infrastructure, flood control, and construction contracting.

Paperback: 265 pages
Publisher: Independently published (September 10, 2019)

The Urantia Book The Urantia Book
The Urantia Book The Urantia Book

Love

Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. (p. 2018) “Devote your life to proving that love is the greatest thing in the world.” (p. 2047) “Love is the ancestor of all spiritual goodness, the essence of the true and the beautiful.” (p. 2047) The Father’s love can become real to mortal man only by passing through that man’s personality as he in turn bestows this love upon his fellows. (p. 1289) The secret of a better civilization is bound up in the Master’s teachings of the brotherhood of man, the good will of love and mutual trust. (p. 2065)

Prayer

Prayer is not a technique of escape from conflict but rather a stimulus to growth in the very face of conflict. (p. 1002) The sincerity of any prayer is the assurance of its being heard. … (p. 1639) God answers man’s prayer by giving him an increased revelation of truth, an enhanced appreciation of beauty, and an augmented concept of goodness. (p. 1002) …Never forget that the sincere prayer of faith is a mighty force for the promotion of personal happiness, individual self-control, social harmony, moral progress, and spiritual attainment. (p. 999)

Suffering

There is a great and glorious purpose in the march of the universes through space. All of your mortal struggling is not in vain. (p. 364) Mortals only learn wisdom by experiencing tribulation. (p. 556)

Angels

The angels of all orders are distinct personalities and are highly individualized. (p. 285) Angels....are fully cognizant of your moral struggles and spiritual difficulties. They love human beings, and only good can result from your efforts to understand and love them. (p. 419)

Our Divine Destiny

If you are a willing learner, if you want to attain spirit levels and reach divine heights, if you sincerely desire to reach the eternal goal, then the divine Spirit will gently and lovingly lead you along the pathway of sonship and spiritual progress. (p. 381) …They who know that God is enthroned in the human heart are destined to become like him—immortal. (p. 1449) God is not only the determiner of destiny; he is man’s eternal destination. (p. 67)

Family

Almost everything of lasting value in civilization has its roots in the family. (p. 765) The family is man’s greatest purely human achievement. ... (p. 939)

Faith

…Faith will expand the mind, ennoble the soul, reinforce the personality, augment the happiness, deepen the spirit perception, and enhance the power to love and be loved. (p. 1766) “Now, mistake not, my Father will ever respond to the faintest flicker of faith.” (p. 1733)

History/Science

The story of man’s ascent from seaweed to the lordship of earthly creation is indeed a romance of biologic struggle and mind survival. (p. 731) 2,500,000,000 years ago… Urantia was a well developed sphere about one tenth its present mass. … (p. 658) 1,000,000,000 years ago is the date of the actual beginning of Urantia [Earth] history. (p. 660) 450,000,000 years ago the transition from vegetable to animal life occurred. (p. 669) From the year A.D. 1934 back to the birth of the first two human beings is just 993,419 years. (p. 707) About five hundred thousand years ago…there were almost one-half billion primitive human beings on earth. … (p. 741) Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia, from the year A.D. 1934, 37,848 years ago. (p. 828)

From the Inside Flap

What’s Inside?

Parts I and II

God, the inhabited universes, life after death, angels and other beings, the war in heaven.

Part III

The history of the world, science and evolution, Adam and Eve, development of civilization, marriage and family, personal spiritual growth.

Part IV

The life and teachings of Jesus including the missing years. AND MUCH MORE…

Excerpts

God, …God is the source and destiny of all that is good and beautiful and true. (p. 1431) If you truly want to find God, that desire is in itself evidence that you have already found him. (p. 1440) When man goes in partnership with God, great things may, and do, happen. (p. 1467)

The Origin of Human Life, The universe is not an accident... (p. 53) The universe of universes is the work of God and the dwelling place of his diverse creatures. (p. 21) The evolutionary planets are the spheres of human origin…Urantia [Earth] is your starting point. … (p. 1225) In God, man lives, moves, and has his being. (p. 22)

The Purpose of Life, There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life. (p. 365) This new gospel of the kingdom… presents a new and exalted goal of destiny, a supreme life purpose. (p. 1778)

Jesus, The religion of Jesus is the most dynamic influence ever to activate the human race. (p. 1091) What an awakening the world would experience if it could only see Jesus as he really lived on earth and know, firsthand, his life-giving teachings! (p. 2083)

Science, Science, guided by wisdom, may become man’s great social liberator. (p. 909) Mortal man is not an evolutionary accident. There is a precise system, a universal law, which determines the unfolding of the planetary life plan on the spheres of space. (p. 560)

Life after Death, God’s love is universal… He is “not willing that any should perish.” (p. 39) Your short sojourn on Urantia [Earth]…is only a single link, the very first in the long chain that is to stretch across universes and through the eternal ages. (p. 435) …Death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery. (p. 159)

About the Author

The text of The Urantia Book was provided by one or more anonymous contributors working with a small staff which provided editorial and administrative support during the book's creation. The book bears no particular credentials (from a human viewpoint), relying instead on the power and beauty of the writing itself to persuade the reader of its authenticity.

Leather Bound: 2097 pages
Publisher: Urantia Foundation; Box Lea edition (August 25, 2015)

Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics

Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics

From bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H.W. Brands, a revelatory history of the shocking emergence of vicious political division at the birth of the United States.

To the framers of the Constitution, political parties were a fatal threat to republican virtues. They had suffered the consequences of partisan politics in Britain before the American Revolution, and they wanted nothing similar for America. Yet parties emerged even before the Constitution was ratified, and they took firmer root in the following decade. In Founding Partisans, master historian H. W. Brands has crafted a fresh and lively narrative of the early years of the republic as the Founding Fathers fought one another with competing visions of what our nation would be.

The first party, the Federalists, formed around Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and their efforts to overthrow the Articles of Confederation and make the federal government more robust. Their opponents organized as the Antifederalists, who feared the corruption and encroachments on liberty that a strong central government would surely bring. The Antifederalists lost but regrouped under the new Constitution as the Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, whose bruising contest against Federalist John Adams marked the climax of this turbulent chapter of American political history.

The country’s first years unfolded in a contentious spiral of ugly elections and blatant violations of the Constitution. Still, peaceful transfers of power continued, and the nascent country made its way towards global dominance, against all odds. Founding Partisans is a powerful reminder that fierce partisanship is a problem as old as the republic.

About the Author

H. W. BRANDS holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. He has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, including The General vs. the President, a New York Times bestseller, and Our First Civil War, his most recent book. Two of his biographies, The First American and Traitor to His Class, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.

Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (November 7, 2023)

History of Colonial America: A Captivating Guide to the Colonial History of the United States, Puritans, Anne Hutchinson, the Pilgrims, Mayflower, Pequot War, and Quakers (Exploring U.S. History) History of Colonial America

History of Colonial America History of Colonial America

Seven captivating manuscripts in one book:

  • Colonial America: A Captivating Guide to the Colonial History of the United States and How Immigrants of Countries Such as England, Spain, France, and the Netherlands Established Colonies
  • The Puritans: A Captivating Guide to the English Protestants Who Grew Discontent in the Church of England and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony on the East Coast of America
  • Anne Hutchinson: A Captivating Guide to the Puritan Leader in Colonial Massachusetts Who Is Considered to Be One of the Earliest American Feminists
  • The Pilgrims: A Captivating Guide to the Passengers on Board the Mayflower Who Founded the Plymouth Colony and Their Relationship with the Native Americans along with Their Legacy in New England
  • The Mayflower: A Captivating Guide to a Cultural Icon in the History of the United States of America and the Pilgrims’ Journey from England to the Establishment of Plymouth Colony
  • The Pequot War: A Captivating Guide to the Armed Conflict in New England between the Pequot People and English Settlers and Its Role in the History of the United States of America
  • The Quakers: A Captivating Guide to a Historically Christian Group and How William Penn Founded the Colony of Pennsylvania in British North America

Paperback: 516 pages
Publisher: Captivating History (January 22, 2022)

America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding

America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding

The Founding of the American Republic is on trial. Critics say it was a poison pill with a time-release formula; we are its victims. Its principles are responsible for the country's moral and social disintegration because they were based on the Enlightenment falsehood of radical individual autonomy.

In this well-researched book, Robert Reilly declares: not guilty. To prove his case, he traces the lineage of the ideas that made the United States, and its ordered liberty, possible. These concepts were extraordinary when they first burst upon the ancient world: the Judaic oneness of God, who creates ex nihilo and imprints his image on man; the Greek rational order of the world based upon the Reason behind it; and the Christian arrival of that Reason (Logos) incarnate in Christ. These may seem a long way from the American Founding, but Reilly argues that they are, in fact, its bedrock. Combined, they mandated the exercise of both freedom and reason.

These concepts were further developed by thinkers in the Middle Ages, who formulated the basic principles of constitutional rule. Why were they later rejected by those claiming the right to absolute rule, then reclaimed by the American Founders, only to be rejected again today? Reilly reveals the underlying drama: the conflict of might makes right versus right makes might. America's decline, he claims, is not to be discovered in the Founding principles, but in their disavowal.

About the Author:

Robert R. Reilly is Director of the Westminster Institute. In his twenty-five years of government service, he served as Special Assistant to the President and as Director of the Voice of America, and he was also Senior Advisor for Information Strategy to the Secretary of Defense, and taught at National Defense University. He attended Georgetown University and the Claremont Graduate University, and he has published widely on American politics and morals, foreign policy, and classical music. His other books include Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing Homosexual Behavior Is Changing Everything, Surprised by Beauty: A Listener's Guide to the Recovery of Modern Music, and The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis.

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Ignatius Press (April 15, 2020)


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The Constitution For The United States

Its Sources and Its Application

by Thomas James Norton

(Retrieved from archive.org)
The research, work, and dedication
Of
Barefoot Bob Hardison
August 8th, 1933 - January 31st, 2009



TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Constitutional Convention September 17, 1787 - Signing Members
Constitutional Convention September 17, 1787 - Signing Members
Constitutional Convention September 17, 1787
Signing Members


The Constitution For The United States
Its Sources and Its Application


Contents

Preface
Preamble
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Article 4
Article 5
Article 6
Article 7
Ratification
1st 12 Amendment Proposals
"Bill of Rights" Amend. I - X
Amend. XI -XXVII
Missing Original 13th Amendment
Letter of Transmittal
Landmark Court - Case Index
Constitution History
A Quiz for Loyal Americans
Index
Constitution 1787
Constitution 1787


Article VII


Section 1. The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same. 137


137 As the Articles of Confederation (Art. XIII) provided that no alteration should ever be made in them unless "agreed to in a Congress of the United States and be afterwards confirmed by the legislature of every State ," this complete superseding of the Articles by the action, not of "a congress," but of a Constitutional Convention, and the ratifying of that action by nine States instead of every one of the thirteen, has been described as revolutionary. However, the people ratified the Constitution as prepared, and it was within their power to make any change that seemed desirable. It has been seen129 that the provision requiring unanimity of State action was in practice destructive of government. It was the belief in the Constitutional Convention that the new instrument could not at first secure the approval of every State. That was correct. The Constitution went into operation with George Washington as President and a Congress of two Houses sitting before North Carolina and Rhode Island ratified it. "To have required the unanimous ratification of the thirteen States," wrote Madison in "The Federalist," . . . "would have marked a want of foresight in the Convention which our own experience would have rendered inexcusable." There was much debate over a proposal that the Constitution be submitted for ratification to the legislatures of the States instead of to "conventions," but the proposal was rejected. Some feared that the legislatures might not ratify. It has been seen, however 129, that amendments to the Constitution may be ratified in either way.

On September 20, 1787, three days after the Constitutional Convention had finished at Philadelphia the drafting of a Constitution, a copy of the new instrument was laid before the Congress, sitting in New York, accompanied by a letter from George Washington, who had presided over the Convention. "And thus the Constitution," he wrote, referring to the many conflicting opinions and interests which had been adjusted, "which we now present is the result of a spirit of amity, and of that mutual deference and concession which the peculiarity of our political situation rendered indispensable." Congress at once sent a copy of the Constitution, with a copy of Washington's letter, to the legislature of each State and urged the calling of ratifying conventions. Then began the great battle in each of the thirteen States over ratification. The little State of Delaware, the only fear of which had been removed by the grant of a vote in the Senate equal to that of the largest State 18, 131, was the first to ratify, on December 16, less than three months after the Constitutional Convention adjourned. But in Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Maryland the opposition was strong and it had able leadership -- although most of the objections raised look unimportant now when viewed in the light of experience. It was objected that the vote in each House of Congress was to be by individuals instead of by States; that Congress was to have an unlimited power of taxation; that too much power was given to the National judiciary; that paying the salaries of senators and representatives out of the National treasury would make them independent of their own States; that an oath of allegiance to the National Government was to be required; that laws impairing the obligation of contracts were to be prohibited: that the document was the production of "visionary young men," like Hamilton and Madison; that the election of members of the House of Representatives for so long a term as two years would be dangerous; that the new Congress might make itself a perpetual oligarchy and tax the people at will; that a National capital in so vast an area as ten miles square (the District of Columbia), independent of the State, would foster tyranny; that the power to maintain an army would bring oppression; that Congress would use the power granted with respect to elections to destroy freedom of the ballot; that assent, should not be given to the continuance of the slave trade until 1808; that the Constitution contained no bill of rights, and that it gave no recognition to the existence of God.

Ratification was vigorously opposed by such men as Patrick Henry, Benjamin Harrison, John Tyler, and Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, Luther Martin and Samuel Chase of Maryland, Thomas Sumter of South Carolina, and George Clinton and Melanchton Smith of New York.

While much pamphleteering and debating was done in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, the great battle was waged in New York. Not only was that State necessary to the Union because it lay between northern and southern States which had already ratified and which could not, be close commercially or politically if divided by a foreign State, but more than two thirds of the members of the convention called in New York to ratify or reject were opposed to the Constitution. Alexander Hamilton conceived the idea of explaining each part of the Constitution in a series of short articles which appeared in different publications. James Madison and John Jay aided in the work. Of the eighty-five letters published and signed Publius, five were written by Jay, twenty-nine by Madison, and fifty-one by Hamilton. They helped to carry the day, and New York entered the Union on July 26, 1788, of which it became the Empire State. In book form those letters are known as the "Federalist," the most brilliant work on our Constitution. During the French Revolution, which followed ours, the "Federalist" was translated into French. Later it appeared in German during dreams of a republic. It appeared in Spanish and Portuguese in South America, for fifteen republics south of us framed constitutions after ours. While the correspondence of the time throws much light upon the workings of the Constitutional Convention, the sessions of which were secret, like those of the British Parliament, the main source of information is the Madison Papers or the Madison Journal, made up from the shorthand notes of the great delegate from Virginia. Congress caused the publication of the notes in 1843.

"No man could say whether argument or interest had won the fight for the Constitution," says Woodrow Wilson ("A History of the American People" Vol. 3, p. 98), referring to the "Federalist" and the other discussions of the time, "but it was at least certain that nothing had been done hastily or in a corner to change the forms of Union. These close encounters of debate had at least made the country fully conscious of what it did. The new Constitution had been cordially put through its public ordeal. All knew what it was and for what purpose it was to be set up. Opinion had made it, not force or intrigue; and it was to be tried as a thing the whole country had shown itself willing to see put to the test."


DONE in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present. 138


138 Rhode Island was not present. While there was "unanimous consent of the States present," some delegates of States refused to sign. For New York the only signature was that of Alexander Hamilton.

Only fifty-five of the sixty-five delegates chosen by the States sat in the Constitutional Convention. Of those, forty-two were present at the signing. Three of those present (Randolph and Mason of Virginia and Gerry of Massachusetts) refused to sign because they believed that too much power was taken away from the States.


the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth. IN WITNESS whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names, 139

G°. Washington
Presidt and deputy from Virginia Attest: William Jackson, Secretary.



Click the under-dashed links below for biography and pictures. Click the picture for a bigger view and if there's a big X on the bottom right click that for the biggest view.

Use the Signers' Hall Map to locate the position of each signer's statue at the National Constitution Center.

Signers' Hall Map
Signers' Hall Map
Signers' Hall Map

Delaware

Maryland

Virginia

North Carolina

South Carolina

Georgia

New Hampshire

Massachusetts

Connecticut

New York

New Jersey

Pennsylvania


139 "Thus after four months of anxious toil," says Fiske ("Critical Period of American History" p. 304), "through the whole of a scorching Philadelphia summer, after earnest but sometimes bitter discussion, in which more than once the meeting had seemed on the point of breaking up, a colossal work had at last been accomplished, the results of which were most powerfully to affect the whole future career of the human race so long as it shall dwell upon the earth." The calculation has been made that the Constitutional Convention spent upon its task eighty-six working days.

"The establishment of our institutions," wrote President Monroe, "forms the most important epoch that history hath recorded. They extend unexampled felicity to the whole body of our fellow-citizens, and are the admiration of other nations."

"To preserve and hand them down in their utmost purity to the remotest ages will require the existence and practice of virtues and talents equal to those which were displayed in acquiring them. It is ardently hoped and confidently believed that these will not be wanting."


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TABLE OF CONTENTS


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Disclaimer

Disclaimer:
Some material presented will contain links, quotes, ideologies, etc., the contents of which should be understood to first, in their whole, reflect the views or opinions of their editors, and second, are used in my personal research as "fair use" sources only, and not espousement one way or the other. Researching for 'truth' leads one all over the place...a piece here, a piece there. As a researcher, I hunt, gather and disassemble resources, trying to put all the pieces into a coherent and logical whole. I encourage you to do the same. And please remember, these pages are only my effort to collect all the pieces I can find and see if they properly fit into the 'reality aggregate'.

Personal Position

Personal Position:
I've come to realize that 'truth' boils down to what we 'believe' the facts we've gathered point to. We only 'know' what we've 'experienced' firsthand. Everything else - what we read, what we watch, what we hear - is what someone else's gathered facts point to and 'they' 'believe' is 'truth', so that 'truth' seems to change in direct proportion to newly gathered facts divided by applied plausibility. Though I believe there is 'truth', until someone representing the celestial realm visibly appears and presents the heavenly records of Facts And Lies In The Order They Happened, I can't know for sure exactly what "the whole truth' on any given subject is, and what applies to me applies to everyone. Until then I'll continue to ask, "what does The Urantia Book say on the subject?"
~Gail Bird Allen

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Founding Documents of the United States of America (Deluxe Library Edition) Founding Documents of the United States of America (Deluxe Library Edition)

Founding Documents of the United States of America (Deluxe Library Edition) Founding Documents of the United States of America (Deluxe Library Edition)

The Founding Documents of the United States of America includes the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, all Amendments to the Constitution, The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, and Common Sense by Thomas Paine.

The Federalist Papers is a collection of 85 articles and essays written under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution. The Federalist Papers are notable for their opposition to what later became the United States Bill of Rights. The idea of adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution was originally controversial because the Constitution, as written, did not specifically enumerate or protect the rights of the people, rather it listed the powers of the government and left all that remained to the states and the people. Alexander Hamilton, the author of Federalist No. 84, feared that such an enumeration, once written down explicitly, would later be interpreted as a list of the only rights that people had.

Common Sense was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution, and became an immediate sensation.

About the Authors

Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757 - July 12, 1804) was an American statesman, politician, legal scholar, military commander, lawyer, banker, and economist. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the founder of the nation's financial system, the Federalist Party, the United States Coast Guard, and the New York Post newspaper. His vision included a strong central government led by a vigorous executive branch, a strong commercial economy, national banks, support for manufacturing, and a strong military.

James Madison (March 16, 1751 - June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, expansionist, philosopher and Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. He is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the United States Bill of Rights. He co-wrote The Federalist Papers, co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party, and served as the fifth United States secretary of State from 1801 to 1809.

Thomas Paine (February 9, 1737 - June 8, 1809) was an English-born American political activist, philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary. He authored the two most influential pamphlets at the start of the American Revolution and inspired the patriots in 1776 to declare independence from Great Britain. His ideas reflected Enlightenment-era ideals of transnational human rights. Born in Thetford in the English county of Norfolk, Paine migrated to the British American colonies in 1774 with the help of Benjamin Franklin, arriving just in time to participate in the American Revolution. Virtually every rebel read (or listened to a reading of) his powerful pamphlet Common Sense (1776), which crystallized the rebellious demand for independence from Great Britain. Common Sense was so influential that John Adams said: "Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain". Paine lived in France for most of the 1790s, becoming deeply involved in the French Revolution. The British government, worried by the possibility that the French Revolution might spread to England, had begun suppressing works that espoused radical philosophies. Paine's work, which advocated the right of the people to overthrow their government, was duly targeted, with a writ for his arrest issued in early 1792. Paine fled to France in September where, despite not being able to speak French, he was quickly elected to the French National Convention. The Girondists regarded him as an ally. Consequently, the Montagnards, especially Maximilien Robespierre, regarded him as an enemy. In December 1793, he was arrested and was taken to Luxembourg Prison in Paris. While in prison, he continued to work on The Age of Reason (1793-1794). James Monroe, a future President of the United States, used his diplomatic connections to get Paine released in November 1794. In 1802, he returned to the U.S. where he died on June 8, 1809.

Hardcover: 600 pages
Publisher: Engage Classics (February 2, 2021)

Founding Fathers: The Fight for Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty Founding Fathers: The Fight for Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty

Founding Fathers: The Fight for Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty Founding Fathers: The Fight for Freedom and the Birth of American Liberty

Kostyal tells the story of the great American heroes who created the Declaration of Independence, fought the American Revolution, shaped the US Constitution--and changed the world. The era's dramatic events, from the riotous streets in Boston to the unlikely victory at Saratoga, are punctuated with lavishly illustrated biographies of the key founders--Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and James Madison--who shaped the very idea of America. An introduction and ten expertly-rendered National Geographic maps round out this ideal gift for history buff and student alike. Filled with beautiful illustrations, maps, and inspired accounts from the men and women who made America, Founding Fathers brings the birth of the new nation to light.

About the Author

K. M. KOSTYAL is a longtime writer for National Geographic. She has authored books on a wide range of subjects, including war heroes and child survivors of war. The author of Abraham Lincoln's Extraordinary Era, a former senior editor at National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Books, and a contributor to National Geographic Traveler, Kostyal is the recipient of two Lowell Thomas Awards.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: National Geographic; First Edition (October 28, 2014)

Documenting America: Making The Constitution Documenting America: Making The Constitution

Documenting America: Making The Constitution Documenting America: Making The Constitution

The development of the U.S, Constitution, in response to the failing Articles of Confederation, happened in a few years following the Revolution. This book looks at a number of key documents from those years: analysis of the problem, pre-Convention debates, the Convention deliberations, post-Convention debates in the press and in State conventions, and the Bill of Rights. The discussions of those days are then tied to an issue we still deal with in the 21st Century.

About the Author

David A. Todd is a civil engineer by profession, and a writer by passion. His interests include history (especially American history), politics, and genealogy. He writes novels in multiple genres, non-fiction books in USA history, poetry, and Bible studies. A native Rhode Islander, he has lived in Kansas City, Saudi Arabia, North Carolina, Kuwait, and Arkansas since 1991.

His engineering career has been in consulting civil engineering, primarily in public infrastructure. He had written articles for six different print publications and three on line publications on the subject of infrastructure, flood control, and construction contracting.

Paperback: 265 pages
Publisher: Independently published (September 10, 2019)

The Urantia Book The Urantia Book
The Urantia Book The Urantia Book

Love

Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. (p. 2018) “Devote your life to proving that love is the greatest thing in the world.” (p. 2047) “Love is the ancestor of all spiritual goodness, the essence of the true and the beautiful.” (p. 2047) The Father’s love can become real to mortal man only by passing through that man’s personality as he in turn bestows this love upon his fellows. (p. 1289) The secret of a better civilization is bound up in the Master’s teachings of the brotherhood of man, the good will of love and mutual trust. (p. 2065)

Prayer

Prayer is not a technique of escape from conflict but rather a stimulus to growth in the very face of conflict. (p. 1002) The sincerity of any prayer is the assurance of its being heard. … (p. 1639) God answers man’s prayer by giving him an increased revelation of truth, an enhanced appreciation of beauty, and an augmented concept of goodness. (p. 1002) …Never forget that the sincere prayer of faith is a mighty force for the promotion of personal happiness, individual self-control, social harmony, moral progress, and spiritual attainment. (p. 999)

Suffering

There is a great and glorious purpose in the march of the universes through space. All of your mortal struggling is not in vain. (p. 364) Mortals only learn wisdom by experiencing tribulation. (p. 556)

Angels

The angels of all orders are distinct personalities and are highly individualized. (p. 285) Angels....are fully cognizant of your moral struggles and spiritual difficulties. They love human beings, and only good can result from your efforts to understand and love them. (p. 419)

Our Divine Destiny

If you are a willing learner, if you want to attain spirit levels and reach divine heights, if you sincerely desire to reach the eternal goal, then the divine Spirit will gently and lovingly lead you along the pathway of sonship and spiritual progress. (p. 381) …They who know that God is enthroned in the human heart are destined to become like him—immortal. (p. 1449) God is not only the determiner of destiny; he is man’s eternal destination. (p. 67)

Family

Almost everything of lasting value in civilization has its roots in the family. (p. 765) The family is man’s greatest purely human achievement. ... (p. 939)

Faith

…Faith will expand the mind, ennoble the soul, reinforce the personality, augment the happiness, deepen the spirit perception, and enhance the power to love and be loved. (p. 1766) “Now, mistake not, my Father will ever respond to the faintest flicker of faith.” (p. 1733)

History/Science

The story of man’s ascent from seaweed to the lordship of earthly creation is indeed a romance of biologic struggle and mind survival. (p. 731) 2,500,000,000 years ago… Urantia was a well developed sphere about one tenth its present mass. … (p. 658) 1,000,000,000 years ago is the date of the actual beginning of Urantia [Earth] history. (p. 660) 450,000,000 years ago the transition from vegetable to animal life occurred. (p. 669) From the year A.D. 1934 back to the birth of the first two human beings is just 993,419 years. (p. 707) About five hundred thousand years ago…there were almost one-half billion primitive human beings on earth. … (p. 741) Adam and Eve arrived on Urantia, from the year A.D. 1934, 37,848 years ago. (p. 828)

From the Inside Flap

What’s Inside?

Parts I and II

God, the inhabited universes, life after death, angels and other beings, the war in heaven.

Part III

The history of the world, science and evolution, Adam and Eve, development of civilization, marriage and family, personal spiritual growth.

Part IV

The life and teachings of Jesus including the missing years. AND MUCH MORE…

Excerpts

God, …God is the source and destiny of all that is good and beautiful and true. (p. 1431) If you truly want to find God, that desire is in itself evidence that you have already found him. (p. 1440) When man goes in partnership with God, great things may, and do, happen. (p. 1467)

The Origin of Human Life, The universe is not an accident... (p. 53) The universe of universes is the work of God and the dwelling place of his diverse creatures. (p. 21) The evolutionary planets are the spheres of human origin…Urantia [Earth] is your starting point. … (p. 1225) In God, man lives, moves, and has his being. (p. 22)

The Purpose of Life, There is in the mind of God a plan which embraces every creature of all his vast domains, and this plan is an eternal purpose of boundless opportunity, unlimited progress, and endless life. (p. 365) This new gospel of the kingdom… presents a new and exalted goal of destiny, a supreme life purpose. (p. 1778)

Jesus, The religion of Jesus is the most dynamic influence ever to activate the human race. (p. 1091) What an awakening the world would experience if it could only see Jesus as he really lived on earth and know, firsthand, his life-giving teachings! (p. 2083)

Science, Science, guided by wisdom, may become man’s great social liberator. (p. 909) Mortal man is not an evolutionary accident. There is a precise system, a universal law, which determines the unfolding of the planetary life plan on the spheres of space. (p. 560)

Life after Death, God’s love is universal… He is “not willing that any should perish.” (p. 39) Your short sojourn on Urantia [Earth]…is only a single link, the very first in the long chain that is to stretch across universes and through the eternal ages. (p. 435) …Death is only the beginning of an endless career of adventure, an everlasting life of anticipation, an eternal voyage of discovery. (p. 159)

About the Author

The text of The Urantia Book was provided by one or more anonymous contributors working with a small staff which provided editorial and administrative support during the book's creation. The book bears no particular credentials (from a human viewpoint), relying instead on the power and beauty of the writing itself to persuade the reader of its authenticity.

Leather Bound: 2097 pages
Publisher: Urantia Foundation; Box Lea edition (August 25, 2015)

Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics

Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics Founding Partisans: Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, Adams and the Brawling Birth of American Politics

From bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H.W. Brands, a revelatory history of the shocking emergence of vicious political division at the birth of the United States.

To the framers of the Constitution, political parties were a fatal threat to republican virtues. They had suffered the consequences of partisan politics in Britain before the American Revolution, and they wanted nothing similar for America. Yet parties emerged even before the Constitution was ratified, and they took firmer root in the following decade. In Founding Partisans, master historian H. W. Brands has crafted a fresh and lively narrative of the early years of the republic as the Founding Fathers fought one another with competing visions of what our nation would be.

The first party, the Federalists, formed around Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and their efforts to overthrow the Articles of Confederation and make the federal government more robust. Their opponents organized as the Antifederalists, who feared the corruption and encroachments on liberty that a strong central government would surely bring. The Antifederalists lost but regrouped under the new Constitution as the Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, whose bruising contest against Federalist John Adams marked the climax of this turbulent chapter of American political history.

The country’s first years unfolded in a contentious spiral of ugly elections and blatant violations of the Constitution. Still, peaceful transfers of power continued, and the nascent country made its way towards global dominance, against all odds. Founding Partisans is a powerful reminder that fierce partisanship is a problem as old as the republic.

About the Author

H. W. BRANDS holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. He has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, including The General vs. the President, a New York Times bestseller, and Our First Civil War, his most recent book. Two of his biographies, The First American and Traitor to His Class, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.

Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Doubleday (November 7, 2023)

History of Colonial America: A Captivating Guide to the Colonial History of the United States, Puritans, Anne Hutchinson, the Pilgrims, Mayflower, Pequot War, and Quakers (Exploring U.S. History) History of Colonial America

History of Colonial America History of Colonial America

Seven captivating manuscripts in one book:

  • Colonial America: A Captivating Guide to the Colonial History of the United States and How Immigrants of Countries Such as England, Spain, France, and the Netherlands Established Colonies
  • The Puritans: A Captivating Guide to the English Protestants Who Grew Discontent in the Church of England and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony on the East Coast of America
  • Anne Hutchinson: A Captivating Guide to the Puritan Leader in Colonial Massachusetts Who Is Considered to Be One of the Earliest American Feminists
  • The Pilgrims: A Captivating Guide to the Passengers on Board the Mayflower Who Founded the Plymouth Colony and Their Relationship with the Native Americans along with Their Legacy in New England
  • The Mayflower: A Captivating Guide to a Cultural Icon in the History of the United States of America and the Pilgrims’ Journey from England to the Establishment of Plymouth Colony
  • The Pequot War: A Captivating Guide to the Armed Conflict in New England between the Pequot People and English Settlers and Its Role in the History of the United States of America
  • The Quakers: A Captivating Guide to a Historically Christian Group and How William Penn Founded the Colony of Pennsylvania in British North America

Paperback: 516 pages
Publisher: Captivating History (January 22, 2022)

America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding

America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding America on Trial: A Defense of the Founding

The Founding of the American Republic is on trial. Critics say it was a poison pill with a time-release formula; we are its victims. Its principles are responsible for the country's moral and social disintegration because they were based on the Enlightenment falsehood of radical individual autonomy.

In this well-researched book, Robert Reilly declares: not guilty. To prove his case, he traces the lineage of the ideas that made the United States, and its ordered liberty, possible. These concepts were extraordinary when they first burst upon the ancient world: the Judaic oneness of God, who creates ex nihilo and imprints his image on man; the Greek rational order of the world based upon the Reason behind it; and the Christian arrival of that Reason (Logos) incarnate in Christ. These may seem a long way from the American Founding, but Reilly argues that they are, in fact, its bedrock. Combined, they mandated the exercise of both freedom and reason.

These concepts were further developed by thinkers in the Middle Ages, who formulated the basic principles of constitutional rule. Why were they later rejected by those claiming the right to absolute rule, then reclaimed by the American Founders, only to be rejected again today? Reilly reveals the underlying drama: the conflict of might makes right versus right makes might. America's decline, he claims, is not to be discovered in the Founding principles, but in their disavowal.

About the Author:

Robert R. Reilly is Director of the Westminster Institute. In his twenty-five years of government service, he served as Special Assistant to the President and as Director of the Voice of America, and he was also Senior Advisor for Information Strategy to the Secretary of Defense, and taught at National Defense University. He attended Georgetown University and the Claremont Graduate University, and he has published widely on American politics and morals, foreign policy, and classical music. His other books include Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing Homosexual Behavior Is Changing Everything, Surprised by Beauty: A Listener's Guide to the Recovery of Modern Music, and The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis.

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Ignatius Press (April 15, 2020)


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