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This landmark collection of eighty documents created by the American colonists -- and not English officials -- is the genesis of American fundamental law and constitutionalism. Included are all documents attempting to unite the colonies, beginning with the New England Confederation of 1643.

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• Preface(p. xv)
• Introductory Essay(p. xx)
• New Hampshire
• Chapter 1 Agreement of the Settlers at Exeter in New Hampshire, July 5, 1639(p. 3)
• The covenant that created Exeter's first town government
• Chapter 2 General Laws and Liberties of New Hampshire, March 16, 1680(p. 5)
• An apparent legal code for the province of New Hampshire that also lays out the government's institutions and powers
• Massachusetts
• Chapter 3 Agreement Between the Settlers at New Plymouth (The Mayflower Compact), November 11, 1620(p. 31)
• The oldest and most famous colonial political covenant
• Chapter 4 Plymouth Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity, 1625(p. 33)
• The oldest surviving citizenship oath-designed to bring post-1620 arrivals into the Mayflower Compact agreement
• Chapter 5 The Salem Covenant of 1629(p. 35)
• Another citizenship oath, but one that functioned for several years as the only basis for town government
• Chapter 6 Agreement of the Massachusetts Bay Company at Cambridge, England, August 26, 1629(p. 36)
• An equivalent to the Mayflower Compact but written by the colonists in England before they set sail
• Chapter 7 The Watertown Covenant of July 30, 1630(p. 38)
• Strictly speaking a church covenant, it is also a political covenant because the settlers were establishing a theocracy
• Chapter 8 Massachusetts Election Agreement, May 18, 1631(p. 40)
• The oldest colonial provision for a formal electoral process
• Chapter 9 The Oath of a Freeman, or of a Man to Be Made Free, 1631(p. 41)
• Until 1631 almost all freemen had been politically bound by the church covenant. This oath covered nonchurch members
• Chapter 10 The Massachusetts Agreement on the Legislature, May 9, 1632(p. 43)
• The first formal specification of Massachusetts political institutions and, although brief, still a protoconstitution
• Chapter 11 Cambridge Agreement, December 24, 1632(p. 45)
• Town meetings predated this document, but it is the oldest surviving agreement formally establishing the institution
• Chapter 12 Dorchester Agreement, October 8, 1633(p. 46)
• Establishes a town meeting and is the oldest document to create an elected council to run government between meetings
• Chapter 13 Cambridge Agreement on a Town Council, February 3, 1634(p. 48)
• An ordinance passed by the town meeting creating a town council
• Chapter 14 Massachusetts Agreement on the Legislature, May 14, 1634(p. 50)
• A revision of, and enlargement upon, The Massachusetts Agreement on the Legislature [10], which looked like a constitution and essentially functioned as one
• Chapter 15 The Oath of a Freeman, May 14, 1634(p. 52)
• Replacement for The Oath of a Freeman [9], which reflects an evolving sense of citizenship by not requiring church membership
• Chapter 16 Salem Oath for Residents, April 1, 1634(p. 54)
• An oath for noncitizen residents
• Chapter 17 Watertown Agreement on Civil Officers, August 23, 1634(p. 56)
• Ordinance establishing the town's first civil offices
• Chapter 18 The Enlarged Salem Covenant of 1636(p. 57)
• Much longer than the document it replaces, The Salem Covenant of 1629 [5], this covenant dwells on the values and commitments held in common
• Chapter 19 Plymouth Agreement, November 15, 1636(p. 60)
• A brief, powerful statement of popular sovereignty-inserted later into the Pilgrim Code of Law [20]
• Chapter 20 Pilgrim Code of Law, November 15, 1636(p. 61)
• Not really a code of law but a political covenant/compact that looks like and serves as a true constitution
• Chapter 21 Dedham Covenant, 1636(p. 68)
• The agreement that established Dedham's town government
• Chapter 22 The Massachusetts Body of Liberties, December 1641(p. 70)
• Important code of law that contains most of the rights in the U.S. Bill of Rights, at least eight of which originate here
• Chapter 23 The Combination of the Inhabitants upon the Piscataqua River for Government, October 22, 1641(p. 88)
• A political compact resting town government on popular sovereignty
• Chapter 24 Massachusetts Bicameral Ordinance, March 7, 1644(p. 90)
• The first explicit creation of a bicameral legislature
• Chapter 25 Massachusetts Ordinance on the Legislature, November 13, 1644(p. 92)
• An ordinance altering the size and mode of electing the legislature
• Chapter 26 The Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts, 1647(p. 95)
• A codification of earlier laws, this organic act also functioned as a constitution for the colony
• Chapter 27 Massachusetts Ordinance on Legislative Procedure, October 18, 1648(p. 136)
• The earliest formal specification of internal legislative procedures in the colonies
• Chapter 28 Towns of Wells, Gorgiana, and Piscataqua Form an Independent Government, July 1649(p. 139)
• Three towns in an area claimed by Massachusetts later to become Maine use a compact to create a joint government
• Chapter 29 The Cambridge Agreement of October 4, 1652(p. 141)
• The Cambridge town meeting lays out the basic values and principles that are to guide Cambridge's elected representatives
• Chapter 30 Puritan Laws and Liberties, September 29, 1658(p. 143)
• A revision of the Pilgrim Code of Law [20] and thus, in effect, an amending of the constitution of the Plymouth Colony
• Chapter 31 An Act of the General Court, June 10, 1661(p. 158)
• The basic principles of Massachusetts government and also an attempt to define the relationship between colony and king
• Rhode Island
• Chapter 32 Providence Agreement, August 20, 1637(p. 161)
• A brief political compact resting on popular sovereignty, and the earliest colonial attempt to separate church and state
• Chapter 33 Government of Pocasset, March 7, 1638(p. 163)
• The political covenant that established the Pocasset town government
• Chapter 34 Newport Agreement, April 28, 1639(p. 165)
• A brief, general compact establishing town government on the basis of popular sovereignty
• Chapter 35 The Government of Portsmouth, April 30, 1639(p. 166)
• An unusual foundation document in that town government is grounded on an implicit civil covenant
• Chapter 36 Plantation Agreement at Providence, August 27, 1640(p. 168)
• A compact written and adopted by representatives specifically elected to design a system of government by arbitration
• Chapter 37 Organization of the Government of Rhode Island, March 16-19, 1642(p. 172)
• A compact that explicitly establishes a "Democracie," or "Popular Government," for the combined towns of Rhode Island
• Chapter 38 Warwick Agreement, August 8, 1647(p. 176)
• The representatives of Warwick establish town government on popular approval of a civil covenant sanctioned by the king
• Chapter 39 Acts and Orders of 1647(p. 178)
• This code of law also contains the institutional description that allows it to function as a constitution for the colony
• Chapter 40 Charter of Providence, March 14, 1649(p. 204)
• Providence is granted a charter for its government by the colony government at the request of the freemen
• Chapter 41 General Assembly of Rhode Island Is Divided into Two Houses, March 27, 1666(p. 207)
• The colony's legislature amends the Acts and Orders of 1647 to divide itself into two separate houses connecticut [39]
• Chapter 42 Plantation Covenant at Quinnipiack, April 1638(p. 209)
• An interim agreement which, after fourteen months, was replaced by the New Haven Fundamentals [50]
• Chapter 43 Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, January 14, 1639(p. 210)
• A constitution that defined Connecticut's political institutions as both a colony and a state until 1816
• Chapter 44 Guilford Covenant, June 1, 1639(p. 216)
• Written aboard ship, this covenant forms a people who agree to later create a government (see The Government of Guilford [49])
• Chapter 45 Structure of Town Governments, October 10, 1639(p. 217)
• A set of amendments that address the status of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut [43] as a federal system
• Chapter 46 Fundamental Articles of New Haven, June 4-14, 1639(p. 221)
• A summary of basic political principles, with the discussion surrounding its adoption that reveals underlying reasoning
• Chapter 47 Connecticut Oath of Fidelity, 1640(p. 227)
• A citizenship oath that brought those who arrived after 1639 into the 1639 founding compact-the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut [43]
• Chapter 48 Capitall Lawes of Connecticut, Established by the Generall Court the First of December, 1642(p. 229)
• An ordinance that greatly reduces the number of reasons, compared with English common law, for using capital punishment
• Chapter 49 The Government of Guilford, June 19, 1643(p. 232)
• The detailed political covenant these colonists had agreed to establish in the Guilford Covenant [44]
• Chapter 50 New Haven Fundamentals, October 27, 1643(p. 235)
• The Constitution of New Haven that guided the colony as a federation of towns until it united with Connecticut in 1662
• Chapter 51 Majority Vote of Deputies and Magistrates Required for the Passage of Laws in Connecticut, February 5, 1645(p. 239)
• An amendment to the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut [43] clarifying the bicameral relationship
• Chapter 52 Connecticut Code of Laws, 1650(p. 241)
• This code serves as a bill of rights and as part of Connecticut's colonial constitution
• Chapter 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(p. 250)
• Designed to replace the code of laws passed before New Haven joined Connecticut (see Connecticut Code of Laws [52]), the preface shows that the code is considered to be part of the foundation covenant
• Chapter 54 Division of the Connecticut General Assembly into Two Houses, October 13, 1698(p. 253)
• A constitutional ordinance that officially established the bicameralism that had been implicit but imperfectly operative since 1639
• New York
• Chapter 55 A Letter from Governor Richard Nicolls to the Inhabitants of Long Island, February 1665(p. 254)
• The order that established a representative legislature in New York
• Chapter 56 Charter of Liberties and Privileges, October 30, 1683(p. 256)
• A constitution and bill of rights adopted by the legislature
• New Jersey
• Chapter 57 Fundamentals of West New Jersey, 1681(p. 263)
• A constitution adopted by the New Jersey legislature
• Pennsylvania
• Chapter 58 Concessions to the Province of Pennsylvania, 1681(p. 266)
• An agreement that established the terms of settlement for Pennsylvania
• Chapter 59 Charter of Liberties and Frame of Government of the Province of Pennsylvania in America, May 5, 1682(p. 271)
• The first Pennsylvania constitution, including a bill of rights, with a preface laying out the principles underlying it
• Chapter 60 An Act for Freedom of Conscience, December 7, 1682(p. 287)
• Establishes freedom of conscience for all those who profess a minimal belief in God
• Chapter 61 Pennsylvania Charter of Liberties, 1701(p. 290)
• The Frame of Government (constitution) that replaced the 1696 frame and defined Pennsylvania government until 1776
• Maryland
• Chapter 62 Orders Devised and Published by the House of Assembly to be Observed During the Assembly, February 25, 1638(p. 297)
• Procedural rules governing the deliberative process in the legislature
• Chapter 63 Act for Establishing the House of Assembly and the Laws to Be Made Therein, 1638(p. 299)
• Political compact that formally established the Maryland legislature
• Chapter 64 An Act for Church Liberties, 1638(p. 302)
• One of the earliest statements on religious freedom, this compact extended that freedom to Catholics in Maryland
• Chapter 65 An Act for Swearing Allegeance, 1638(p. 303)
• A typical oath confirming English citizenship that together with the oath of a local political covenant expresses a dual citizenship in a de facto federal structure
• Chapter 66 An Act What Persons Shall Be Called to Every General Assembly and an Act Concerning the Calling of General Assemblies, 1638(p. 305)
• A temporary constitution that grounds political institutions on popular sovereignty-proposed by the Lord Proprietary and approved by the freemen gathered in a General Assembly
• Chapter 67 An Act for the Liberties of the People, 1638(p. 308)
• A brief, temporary bill of rights
• Chapter 68 Maryland Toleration Act, April 21, 1649(p. 309)
• Established the broadest definition of religious freedom in seventeenth-century colonial America until the establishment of Pennsylvania
• Virginia
• Chapter 69 Articles, Laws, and Orders, Divine, Politic, and Martial for the Colony in Virginia, 1610-1611(p. 314)
• Based on martial law rather than on consent and not in any sense covenantal, the first colonial code of law reflects the importance of religion to Virginia political culture
• Chapter 70 Laws Enacted by the First General Assembly of Virginia, August 2-4, 1619(p. 327)
• The first colonial political compact of any type, this code of law is also the first passed by a representative body
• Chapter 71 Constitution for the Council and Assembly in Virginia, July 24, 1621(p. 336)
• Formally establishes a bicameral legislature for Virginia
• Chapter 72 Laws and Orders Concluded by the Virginia General Assembly, March 5, 1624(p. 339)
• A major amendment to, and update of, Laws Enacted by the First General Assembly [70]
• North Carolina
• Chapter 73 Act Relating to the Biennial and Other Assemblies and Regulating Elections and Members in North Carolina, 1715(p. 345)
• Formalizes the legislature and the electoral process for selecting representatives
• South Carolina
• Chapter 74 Act to Ascertain the Manner and Form of Electing Members to Represent the Province, 1721(p. 350)
• A legislative act that defines the basis for representation in South Carolina and lays out a fair electoral process
• Georgia
• Chapter 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(p. 359)
• The first formal definition of the electoral process underlying representative government in Georgia. Confederations
• Chapter 76 The New England Confederation, 1643(p. 365)
• A true confederation and the first attempt to unite several colonies created by different charters
• Chapter 77 The Albany Plan of Union, 1754(p. 370)
• Although never ratified, the first serious attempt to unite all the colonies under a common compact
• Chapter 78 The Articles of Confederation, November 15, 1777(p. 376)
• The first U.S. Constitution-a compact that created a confederation
• Appendix: Unadopted Colonial Plans of Union(p. 387)
• Chapter 79 William Penn's Plan of Union, February 8, 1697(p. 389)
• The first proposal for uniting all the colonies under a general government
• Chapter 80 Joseph Galloway's Plan of Union, 1774(p. 391)
• The immediate precursor to the Articles of Confederation
• Bibliography(p. 395)