Since the founding of the republic, great thinkers and politicians have set out their visions for America through formal documents, impassioned speeches and momentous treaties. This collection includes some of the most important works that helped define the country that America was to become. Politicians like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton helped define the founding values of the United States of America. Their bold and revolutionary ideas did not come about unopposed, and they found themselves called upon to explain their reasoning to the wider public. The words of these incredible individuals ring just as true today as when they were first made and provided a firm foundation for the country that is the America we know and love today. This volume features documents as: - The Declaration of Independence - Benjamin Franklin's Final Speech to the Constitutional Convention - The Constitution and the Amendments - The Federalist Papers - President George Washington's Farewell Address - The Emancipation Proclamation.