"An indispensable contribution to the understanding of our heritage." -Robert A. Caro

Here, in a single volume, are the documents (speeches, letters, tweets, Supreme Court decisions, and more) that have forged American history--this 11th edition is now updated with new content on the COVID-19 pandemic, the January 6, 2021 insurrection, and the Biden presidency.

Accompanied by interpretations of their significance by noted historian Richard D. Heffner and journalist Alexander Heffner, among the important documents in this book, you will find:

- The Declaration of Independence
- The complete Constitution of the United States
- The Monroe Doctrine
- The Emancipation Proclamation
- Woodrow Wilson's War Message to Congress
- Franklin D. Roosevelt's Four Freedoms Speech
- John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address
- Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter From a Birmingham Jail
- The National Organization for Women (NOW) Statement of Purpose
- Documents relating to September 11, 2001 and the Iraq War
- Barack Obama's A More Perfect Union Speech
- Articles of Impeachment v. Donald Trump

This edition has been expanded and updated to include a new chapter on the COVID-19 pandemic, the January 6, 2021 insurrection and the inauguration of Joseph R. Biden.
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