Primary Source Library

These are the original documents and official datasets we use. Read them yourself.

Founding documents

• Declaration of Independence (National Archives transcript): https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
• Jefferson's "original Rough draught" (Library of Congress): https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/ruffdrft.html
• U.S. Constitution (National Archives): https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
• Bill of Rights (National Archives): https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript
• Amendments 11–27 (National Archives): https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/amendments-11-27
• The Federalist Papers (Avalon Project): https://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/fed.asp
• Madison's Notes of the Constitutional Convention (Avalon Project), e.g. July 19, 1787: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/debates_719.asp
• Washington's Farewell Address (Avalon Project): https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp
• Founders Online (National Archives): https://founders.archives.gov/
• Marbury v. Madison (1803), U.S. Reports (Library of Congress): https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep005/usrep005137/usrep005137.pdf

Later milestones

• Emancipation Proclamation: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/emancipation-proclamation
• 13th Amendment: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/13th-amendment
• 19th Amendment: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/19th-amendment

Economic classics

• Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3300
• Marx & Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party (1848): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61

Official data

• FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/
• U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data: https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/
• Census Bureau, income and poverty: https://www.census.gov/topics/income-poverty/poverty.html
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/
• Maddison Project Database (University of Groningen): https://www.rug.nl/ggdc/historicaldevelopment/maddison/