Top 10 documents

on 5 th grade U.S. History

 If the world was erased tomorrow, how would we
know our history? If I wasn’t here to tell you my story,
how could you still learn about me? Documents are the
lasting form of communication that allows the past to be
recorded for future generations. Documents are a primary
form of measuring truth – we can physically look at them
and read what was said. We can even authenticate
documents to prove they were written in years before.
Many of these documents not only tell us a story, but
provide essential information needed for today’s society.

Question:
 What truths do you follow? Are they written in a
document you have seen or taught to you verbally?
 If you had to leave behind your story, what documents
or artifacts would you use to describe your life?
 First agreement created
and enforced for self-
governance in America
 Needed as many law-
abiding able-bodied
people as possible for
survival
 Created laws, primarily
along the Christian faith
and for the good of “one
society” working together
 Actual document has
never been “found” but
an accepted translation
is in William Bradford’s
journal, currently in the
State Library of
Massachusetts.
 This is still important today
 OUR nation’s first self-government document
 First American success at democracy
 Determined the survival of this colony
 Influenced other colonies and future independence
 Continental Congress adopted on July
4, 1776
 56 delegates from all 13 colonies signed
 John Hancock signed the largest
 Declared the colonies independent
from British rule:
“We hold these truths to be self-
evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness…”
 Described the reasons for this rebellion
 Currently on display
in the National
Archives in
Washington, D.C.

 This is still important today

 OUR nation’s first stance against tyranny
 The WORLD’s first modern example of freedom and
democracy
 Without this treason to do what was right, our nation and our
world may have more tyrants and less individual liberty
 Federal Convention convened in
Independence Hall, Philadelphia on
May 14, 1787
 These delegates debated all
summer, May through September,
to create a government everyone
was happy with
 This 4 page document details what
powers the government has, places
limits on who can have that power
and lists the individual freedoms
every citizen is born with
 It was not ratified until June 1788
and not effective until March 1789
 Currently on display
in the National
Archives in
Washington, D.C.
 This is still important today
 Creates the offices of President, Congress, and Supreme Court
 Determines checks and balances so that no one person or body has
total power
 Listed as the Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments), ensures specific
individual freedoms for all citizens (speech, religion, etc.)
 Is designed to be changeable so that government continues
throughout cultural advances
 Land belonged to France, who had difficulty maintaining or
profiting from any colonies
 U.S. purchased 828,000 square miles west of the Mississippi
River for only $15 million (about 4 cents per acre)
 Doubled nation’s
size
 Beginning of
Manifest Destiny
 One less European
nation on the
continent
  This is still important
today
 One of the largest
countries
 Development of a
continental power
 Control of the
Mississippi
 Plethora of resources
and land for settlement,
eventually stretching
Currently owned by Walter Scott, Jr. from sea to shining sea
Because it was printed in the newspaper
as public record, this document was not
originally thought to have material value.
 January 1, 1963
 Led to abolishing slavery in
the U.S.
 Allowed African Americans to
become soldiers (almost
200,000 did fight in the Civil
War)
 Was originally limited to
Union states and not
enforceable in Confederate
states unless the North won
the war
 Currently on display in the
National Archives of the
U.S. in Washington, D.C.

 This is still important today

 Gave a moral cause for the North to win the war
 Led to the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments abolishing slavery
and legally giving equal rights to all male citizens
 Unified the country and began an ending to the centuries-old
debate for equality
 January 8, 1918
 Address to Congress for War
Aims and Peace Terms (WWI)
 Blueprint for World Peace
 Abolish secret treaties
 Reduce arms (weapons)
 World security force (League
of Nations)
 Mostly failed due to England
and France thirst for
“reparations”
 Current location
unknown

 This is still important today

 Led to creation of United Nations after WWII
 Warned of issues that would lead to WWII
 Beginning of world cooperation
 Beginning of U.S. as a world leader
 August 14, 1935

 One of FDR’s “abc plans” for

recovery in the Great
Depression
 Established a system of
benefits for workers, victims of
accidents, dependent mothers
and children, physically
handicapped and unemployed
 Currently held in
National Archives in
Washington, D.C.

 This is still important today

 Every citizen issued a Social Security card and number
for authentication and proof
 Taxes taken out of wages for retirement or later need
 Complex governmental system currently being
evaluated for reform
 June 26, 1945 (ratified October 24th)
 San Francisco, California
 50 nations represented including China, France, Russia,
Britain, Spain, and U.S.
 Many of FDR’s and Wilson’s ideas present
 Security Council authority ensures peace (2 year terms)
 “The Big Five” countries have some individual veto powers
 Original
currently
located in
National
Archives in
Washington,
D.C.

 This is still important today

 U.N. still exists and is one of the most important authorities for
keeping world peace
 Alliance has prevented many wars
 Document has been amended to provide organizations like World
Health Organization and UNICEF (Children’s Emergency Fund)
 April 3, 1948

 President Truman signed

 Named after Secretary of State

George Marshall

 U.S. economic assistance to

postwar Europe

 4 years and $13.3 billion in aid

 Provided markets for American

goods
 Original currently
located in National
Archives in
Washington, D.C.

 This is still important today

 Developed significant trade partners
 Established stable democratic governments
 Protected areas against Communism influence
 Made countries economically independent and prosperous
 Changed foreign policy towards today
 July 2, 1964

 President Lyndon Johnson

 Prohibited discrimination/

segregation

 Integrated schools and public

 Employment discrimination

illegal
 Original currently
located in Library of
Congress in
Washington, D.C.

 This is still important today

 Significant legislation for equality in ethnicity
 Key reason for multicultural education today
 Led to equal opportunity advancements in
employment and higher education
 What would society be like without these documents? Would lessons be
passed down with historical truths and accuracy? How do we know what the
Founding Fathers did or what Abraham Lincoln said or what was promised to help
Europe in the midst of crisis and war? We can prove it with documentation!
It has been said that “the pen is mightier than the sword”. Words have power, and
written words can record the events of time to be remembered for centuries. History
is the study of these events, primarily by researching assorted documents. Without
the physical copy of the Declaration, the Founding Fathers could have been accused
of treacherous actions without cause. Without the physical copy of the Constitution,
the laws we follow today could appear baseless and unreferenced. Many of these
physical documents carry emotion and truths that have been the foundation of our
current and future society. Actions follow these written words, giving the words
validity and strength. But without the written word of the “pen”, the actions of the
“sword” are often deemed reckless and forgotten.
5.1 The student understands the causes and effects of European colonization in the United States beginning in 1565, the founding of St. Augustine. The student is
expected to:
(A) explain when, where, and why groups of people explored, colonized, and settled in the United States, including the search for religious
freedom and economic gain; and
(B) describe the accomplishments of significant individuals during the colonial period, including William Bradford, Anne Hutchinson, William
Penn, John Smith, John Wise, and Roger Williams.
5.2 The student understands how conflict between the American colonies and Great Britain led to American independence. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and analyze the causes and effects of events prior to and during the American Revolution, including the French and Indian War and
the Boston Tea Party;
(B) identify the Founding Fathers and Patriot heroes, including John Adams, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Nathan Hale, Thomas Jefferson,
the Sons of Liberty, and George Washington, and their motivations and contributions during the revolutionary period; and
(C) summarize the results of the American Revolution, including the establishment of the United States and the development of the U.S. military.
5.3 The student understands the events that led from the Articles of Confederation to the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the government it established. The
student is expected to:
(A) identify the issues that led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, including the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation; and
(B) identify the contributions of individuals, including James Madison, and others such as George Mason, Charles Pinckney, and Roger Sherman
who helped create the U.S. Constitution.
5.4 The student understands political, economic, and social changes that occurred in the United States during the 19th century. The student is expected to:
(A) describe the causes and effects of the War of 1812;
(B) identify and explain how changes resulting from the Industrial Revolution led to conflict among sections of the United States;
(C) identify reasons people moved west;
(D) identify significant events and concepts associated with U.S. territorial expansion, including the Louisiana Purchase, the expedition of Lewis
and Clark, and Manifest Destiny;
(E) identify the causes of the Civil War, including sectionalism, states' rights, and slavery, and the effects of the Civil War, including
Reconstruction and the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution;
(F) explain how industry and the mechanization of agriculture changed the American way of life; and
(G) identify the challenges, opportunities, and contributions of people from various American Indian and immigrant groups.
5.5 The student understands important issues, events, and individuals in the United States during the 20th and 21st centuries. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze various issues and events of the 20th century such as industrialization, urbanization, increased use of oil and gas, the Great Depression,
the world wars, the civil rights movement, and military actions;
(B) analyze various issues and events of the 21st century such as the War on Terror and the 2008 presidential election; and
(C) identify the accomplishments of individuals and groups such as Jane Addams, Susan B. Anthony, Dwight Eisenhower, Martin Luther King Jr.,
Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, Colin Powell, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
who have made contributions to society in the areas of civil rights, women's rights, military actions, and politics.