In this Book

  • Colonial Origins of the American Constitution
  • Book
  • Donald S. Lutz
  • 2012
  • Published by: Liberty Fund
summary

"Local government in colonial America was the seedbed of American constitutionalism." So begins the introductory essay to this landmark collection of eighty documents created by the American colonists—and not English officials—that are the genesis of American fundamental law and constitutionalism. Most of these documents, commencing with the Agreement of the Settlers at Exeter in New Hampshire, July 5, 1639, and concluding with Joseph Galloway's Plan of Union, 1774—"the immediate precursor to the Articles of Confederation"—have never before been accessible to the general reader or available in a single volume. As Professor Lutz points out, the documents are chosen to make possible "a careful examination of [the American] people's attempt at self-interpretation." All of the principal colonial documents are included, as are all documents attempting to unite the colonies, beginning with the New England Confederation of 1643. Bicameralism, popular sovereignty, the separation of powers, checks and balances, limited government, and religious freedom—in sum, the hallmarks of American constitutionalism—were first presented to the world in these writings.

Donald S. Lutz is Professor of Political Science at the University of Houston.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
  2. p. 1
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  1. Title Page, Copyright
  2. pp. 2-5
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. v-xiv
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  1. Preface
  2. pp. xv-xix
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  1. Introductory Essay
  2. pp. xx-xl
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  1. 1. Agreement of the Settlers at Exeter in New Hampshire, July 5, 1639
  2. pp. 3-4
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  1. 2. General Laws and Liberties of New Hampshire, March 16, 1680
  2. pp. 5-30
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  1. 3. Agreement Berween the Settlers at New Plymouth (The Mayflower Compact), November 11, 1620
  2. pp. 31-32
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  1. 4. Plymouth Oath of Allegiance and Fideliry, 1625
  2. pp. 33-34
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  1. 5. The Salem Covenant of 1629
  2. pp. 35-76
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  1. 6. Agreement of the Massachusetts Bay Company at Cambridge, England, August 26, 1629
  2. pp. 36-37
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  1. 7. The Watertown Covenant of July 30, 1630
  2. pp. 38-39
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  1. 8. Massachusetts Election Agreement, May 18, 1631
  2. pp. 40-81
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  1. 9. The Oath of a Freeman, or of a Man to Be Made Free, 1631
  2. pp. 41-42
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  1. 10. The Massachusetts Agreement on the Legislature, May 9,1632
  2. pp. 43-44
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  1. 11. Cambridge Agreement, December 24, 1632
  2. pp. 45-86
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  1. 12. Dorchester Agreement, October 8, 1633
  2. pp. 46-47
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  1. 13. Cambridge Agreement on a Town Council, February 3, 1634
  2. pp. 48-49
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  1. 14. Massachusetts Agreement on the Legislature, May 14, 1634
  2. pp. 50-51
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  1. 15. The Oath of a Freeman, May 14, 1634
  2. pp. 52-53
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  1. 16. Salem Oath for Residents, April 1, 1634
  2. pp. 54-55
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  1. 17. Watertown Agreement on Civil Officers, August 23, 1634
  2. pp. 56-97
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  1. 18. The Enlarged Salem Covenant of 1636
  2. pp. 57-59
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  1. 19. Plymouth Agreement, November 15, 1636
  2. pp. 60-101
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  1. 20. Pilgrim Code of Law, November 15, 1636
  2. pp. 61-67
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  1. 21. Dedham Covenant, 1636
  2. pp. 68-69
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  1. 22. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties, December 1641
  2. pp. 70-87
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  1. 23. The Combination of the Inhabitants upon the Piscataqua River for Government, October 22, 1641
  2. pp. 88-89
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  1. 24. Massachusetts Bicameral Ordinance, March 7, 1644
  2. pp. 90-91
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  1. 25. Massachusetts Ordinance on the Legislature, November 13, 1644
  2. pp. 92-94
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  1. 26. The Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts, 1647
  2. pp. 95-135
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  1. 27. Massachusetts Ordinance on Legislative Procedure, October 18, 1648
  2. pp. 136-138
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  1. 28. Towns of Wells, Gorgiana, and Piscataqua Form an Independent Government, July 1649
  2. pp. 139-140
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  1. 29. The Cambridge Agreement of October 4, 1652
  2. pp. 141-142
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  1. 30. Puritan Laws and Liberties, September 29, 1658
  2. pp. 143-157
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  1. 31. An Act of the General Court, June 10, 1661
  2. pp. 158-160
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  1. 32. Providence Agreement, August 20, 1637
  2. pp. 161-162
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  1. 33. Government of Pocasset, March 7, 1638
  2. pp. 163-164
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  1. 34. Newport Agreement, April 28, 1639
  2. pp. 165-206
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  1. 35. The Government of Portsmouth, April 30, 1639
  2. pp. 166-167
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  1. 36. Plantation Agreement at Providence, August 27, 1640
  2. pp. 168-171
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  1. 37. Organization of the Government of Rhode Island, March 16-19, 1642
  2. pp. 172-175
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  1. 38. Warwick Agreement, August 8, 1647
  2. pp. 176-177
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  1. 39. Acts and Orders of 1647
  2. pp. 178-203
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  1. 40. Charter of Providence, March 14, 1649
  2. pp. 204-206
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  1. 41. General Assembly of Rhode Island Is Divided into Two Houses, March 27, 1666
  2. pp. 207-208
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  1. 42. Plantation Covenant at Quinnipiack, April 1638
  2. pp. 209-250
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  1. 43. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, January 14, 1639
  2. pp. 210-215
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  1. 44. Guilford Covenant, June 1, 1639
  2. pp. 216-257
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  1. 45. Structure of Town Governments, October 10, 1639
  2. pp. 217-220
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  1. 46. Fundamental Articles of New Haven, June 4-14, 1639
  2. pp. 221-226
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  1. 47. Connecticut Oath of Fidelity, 1640
  2. pp. 227-228
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  1. 48. Capitall Lawes of Connecticut, Established by the Generall Court the First of December, 1642
  2. pp. 229-231
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  1. 49. The Government of Guilford, June 19, 1643
  2. pp. 232-234
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  1. 50. New Haven Fundamentals, October 27, 1643
  2. pp. 235-238
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  1. 51. Majority Vote of Deputies and Magistrates Required for the Passage of Laws in Connecticut, February 5, 1645
  2. pp. 239-240
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  1. 52. Connecticut Code of Laws, 1650
  2. pp. 241-249
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  1. 53. Preface to the General Laws and Liberties of Connecticut Colony Revised and Published by Order of the General Court Held at Hartford in October 1672
  2. pp. 250-252
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  1. 54. Division of the Connecticut General Assembly into Two Houses, October 13, 1698
  2. pp. 253-294
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  1. 55. A Letter from Governor Richard Nicolls to the Inhabitants of Long Island, February 1665
  2. pp. 254-255
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  1. 56. Charter of Liberties and Privileges, October 30, 1683
  2. pp. 256-262
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  1. 57. Fundamentals of West New Jersey, 1681
  2. pp. 263-265
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  1. 58. Concessions to the Province of Pennsylvania, 1681
  2. pp. 266-270
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  1. 59. Charter of Liberties and Frame of Government of the Province of Pennsylvania in America, May 5, 1682
  2. pp. 271-286
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  1. 60. An Act for Freedom of Conscience, December 7, 1682
  2. pp. 287-289
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  1. 61. Pennsylvania Charter of Liberties, 1701
  2. pp. 290-296
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  1. 62. Orders Devised and Published by the House of Assembly to be Observed During the Assembly, February 25, 1638
  2. pp. 297-298
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  1. 63. Act for Establishing the House of Assembly and the Laws to Be Made Therein, 1638
  2. pp. 299-301
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  1. 64. An Act for Church Liberties, 1638
  2. pp. 302-343
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  1. 65. An Act for Swearing Allegeance, 1638
  2. pp. 303-304
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  1. 66. An Act What Persons Shall Be Called to Every General Assembly and an Act Concerning the Calling of General Assemblies, 1638
  2. pp. 305-307
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  1. 67. An Act for the Liberties of the People, 1638
  2. pp. 308-349
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  1. 68. Maryland Toleration Act, April 21, 1649
  2. pp. 309-313
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  1. 69. Articles, Laws, and Orders, Divine, Politic, and Martial for the Colony in Virginia, 1610-1611
  2. pp. 314-326
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  1. 70. Laws Enacted by the First General Assembly of Virginia, August 2-4, 1619
  2. pp. 327-335
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  1. 71. Constitution for the Council and Assembly in Virginia, July 24, 1621
  2. pp. 336-338
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  1. 72. Laws and Orders Concluded by the Virginia General Assembly, March 5, 1624
  2. pp. 339-344
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  1. 73. Act Relating to the Biennial and Other Assemblies and Regulating Elections and Members in North Carolina, 1715
  2. pp. 345-349
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  1. 74. Act to Ascertain the Manner and Form of Electing Members to Represent the Province, 1721
  2. pp. 350-358
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  1. 75. Act to Ascertain the Manner and Form of Electing Members to Represent the Inhabitants of This Province in the Commons House of Assembly, June 9, 1761
  2. pp. 359-364
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  1. 76. The New England Confederation, 1643
  2. pp. 365-369
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  1. 77. The Albany Plan of Union, 1754
  2. pp. 370-375
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  1. 78. The Articles of Confederation, November 15, 1777
  2. pp. 376-386
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  1. Appendix: Unadopted Colonial Plans of Union
  2. pp. 387-388
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  1. 79. William Penn's Plan of Union, February 8, 1697
  2. pp. 389-390
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  1. 80. Joseph Galloway's Plan of Union, 1774
  2. pp. 391-394
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  1. Bibliography
  2. pp. 395-396
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