T Citizen’s Almanac

M-76 (rev. 07/10)
I

n 1876, to commemorate 100 years of independence from Great 

Britain, Archibald M. Willard presented his painting, Spirit of ‘76, at 

the U.S. Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, PA. The painting 

depicts three generations of Americans fighting for their new nation’s 

freedom, one of whom is marching along though slightly wounded in 

battle. Willard’s powerful portrayal of the strength and determination of 

the American people in the face of overwhelming odds inspired millions. 

The painting quickly became one of the most popular patriotic images in 

American history. This depiction of courage and character still resonates 

today as the Spirit of ‘76 lives on in our newest Americans.

“Spirit of ‘76” (1876) by Archibald M. Willard. 

Courtesy of the National Archives, NARA File # 148-GW-1209
T Citizen’s Almanac

Fundamental

Documents, Symbols, and Anthems

of the United States
ii

U.S. GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL EDITION NOTICE

Use of ISBN 

This is the Official U.S. Government edition of this publication and is herein identified 

to certify its authenticity. Use of the ISBN 978-0-16-078003-5 is for U.S. Government 

Printing Office Official Editions only. The Superintendent of Documents of the U.S. 

Government Printing Office requests that any reprinted edition clearly be labeled as a 

copy of the authentic work with a new ISBN. 

The information presented in The Citizen’s Almanac is considered public information and 

may be distributed or copied without alteration unless otherwise specified. The citation 

should be: 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Office 

of Citizenship, The Citizen’s Almanac, Washington, DC, 2010.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has purchased the right to use many 

of the images in The Citizen’s Almanac. USCIS is licensed to use these images on a non-exclusive and non-transferable basis. All other rights to the images, including without limitation and copyright, are retained by the owner of the images. These images are not in the 

public domain and may not be used except as they appear as part of this publication.

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ISBN 978-0-16-078003-5
iii

Table of Contents

Message From the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Citizenship in America: Rights and Responsibilities of U.S. Citizens . . . 1

Rights of a Citizen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Responsibilities of a Citizen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Patriotic Anthems and Symbols of the United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Star-Spangled Banner (1814). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

America the Beautiful (1893). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

God Bless America (1938). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

I Hear America Singing (1860). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Concord Hymn (1837). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The New Colossus (1883). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Flag of the United States of America. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Pledge of Allegiance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Great Seal of the United States. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Motto of the United States. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Presidential and Historical Speeches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Farewell Address—George Washington (1796). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

First Inaugural Address—Abraham Lincoln (1861). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Gettysburg Address—Abraham Lincoln (1863). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

The Four Freedoms—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1941). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Inaugural Address—John F. Kennedy (1961). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

I Have a Dream—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate—Ronald Reagan (1987). . . . . . . . 43
iv

Fundamental Documents of American Democracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

The Mayflower Compact (1620). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

The Declaration of Independence (1776). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

The Federalist Papers (1787–1788). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

The Constitution of the United States (1787). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

The Bill of Rights (1791). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Emancipation Proclamation (1863). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Landmark Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

John Marshall—Delivering the Opinion of the Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

John Marshall Harlan—Delivering the Dissenting 

Opinion of the Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)

Robert Jackson—Delivering the Opinion of the Court. . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Earl Warren—Delivering the Opinion of the Court. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Presidential Statements on Citizenship and Immigration . . . . . . . . . . 75

Prominent Foreign-Born Americans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
v

Today you are a citizen of the United States of America—

becoming “a peer of kings” as President Calvin Coolidge once said. This 

occasion is a defining moment that should not soon be forgotten, for it 

marks the beginning of a new era in your lifetime as a U.S. citizen.

Naturalized citizens are an important part of our great democracy, bringing a wealth of talent, ability, and character to this Nation. Your fellow 

citizens recognize the sacrifices you have made to reach this milestone 

and with open arms we welcome you. The United States offers an abundance of freedom and opportunity for all its citizens and we wish you all 

the best along the way.

As you will read in this booklet, The Citizen’s Almanac, naturalized citizens 

have played an important role in shaping this country. From Alexander 

Hamilton to Albert Einstein, foreign-born Americans have contributed 

to all aspects of society—literature, motion pictures, public service, and 

athletics, to name just a few. As a citizen of the United States, it is now 

your turn to add to this great legacy.

For more than 200 years, we have been bound by the principles and 

ideals expressed in our founding documents, but it is up to citizens 

like you to carry on this legacy for future generations. 

Upon taking the Oath of Allegiance, you claimed for yourself the Godgiven unalienable rights that the Declaration of Independence sets forth 

as a natural right to all people. You also made a commitment to this 

country and were therefore awarded its highest privilege—U.S. citizenship; but great responsibilities accompany this privilege. You now have 

certain rights and responsibilities that you must exercise in order to 

Message from the Director 
vi

maintain our system of government. By becoming an active and participatory citizen, you further strengthen the foundation of our Nation. 

The United States of America is now your country and The Citizen’s Almanac

contains information on the history, people, and events that have brought 

us where we are today as a beacon of hope and freedom to the world. We 

hope the contents of this booklet will serve as a constant reminder of the 

important rights and responsibilities you now have as a U.S. citizen. By 

continuing to learn about your new country, its founding ideals, achievements, and history, you will enjoy the fruits of responsible citizenship 

for years to come. Through your efforts, the freedom and liberty of 

future generations will be preserved and ensured. 

May you find fulfillment and success in all your endeavors as a citizen of 

this great Nation. Congratulations and welcome. May the United States of 

America provide you peace, opportunity, and security.
1

Citizenship in America:

Rights & Responsibilities 

 of U.S. Citizens

All people in 

the United 

States have 

the basic freedoms 

and protections 

outlined in our 

founding documents, 

the Declaration of 

Independence and 

the Constitution. 

For more than 200 

years, we have been 

bound by the ideals 

expressed in these 

documents. Because 

of these ideals, our 

society has prospered. 

The U.S. government, 

as established in the 

Constitution, protects 

the rights of each 

individual, without 

“ 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.”

— Declaration of Independence
2

regard to background, culture, or religion. To 

keep our system of representative democracy 

and individual freedom, you should strive to 

become an active participant in American 

civic life.

When you took the Oath of Allegiance, you 

promised your loyalty and allegiance to the 

United States of America. You now have other 

rights and responsibilities only given to United 

States citizens. These include the right to vote 

in federal elections and the ability to serve 

on a jury. Citizenship is a privilege that offers 

you the extraordinary opportunity to be a part 

of the governing process. The strength of the 

United States is in the will of its citizens.

Former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis 

once said, “The only title in our democracy 

superior to that of President [is] the title of 

citizen.” In the United States, the power of 

government comes directly from people like 

you. To protect freedom and liberty, U.S. citizens must participate in the democratic process 

and in their communities. The following is a 

Adopted son of a U.S. serviceman becomes a U.S. citizen in 

U.S. District Court, Madison, 

WI, May 28, 1971. 

Photo taken by L. Roger Turner, Wisconsin State 

Journal, courtesy of the USCIS Historical Library

Early 20th century 

immigrants.

Courtesy of the USCIS Historical Library
3

list of some of the most important rights and 

responsibilities that all citizens should exercise 

and respect. We encourage you to read the 

Constitution to learn 

more about all of the 

rights and responsibilities of United 

States citizenship.

Rights of a Citizen

H Freedom to 

express yourself.

“Freedom of expression” includes several 

individual rights. It 

includes freedom of 

speech, freedom to 

peaceably assemble, 

and the freedom to 

petition the government for a redress 

of grievances. In a 

representative democracy, individual 

beliefs and opinions 

are important to our 

national dialogue and necessary to maintain a 

responsible citizenry. Americans can speak and 

act as they wish as long as it does not endanger 

others or obstruct another’s freedom of expression in the process.

H Freedom to worship as you wish.

In the United States, the freedom to hold any 

religious belief, or none at all, is considered 

a basic, or unalienable right. The government 

cannot violate this right. Religious intolerance 

is unacceptable in a society where everyone has 

In 1963, nearly 250,000 

people gathered in Washington, 

DC, to speak out against segregation and petition for equal 

rights for all Americans.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-U9-10363-5
4

individual freedom. In cases where religious practices hurt the common 

good or endanger the health of others, the Supreme Court has imposed 

minor limitations on the way some religious practices are performed.

H Right to a prompt, fair trial by jury.

People accused of a crime have the right to a speedy and fair trial by 

a jury of peers. In a free society, those accused of a crime are assumed 

innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The American system of 

justice treats all people fairly, ensuring the rights of the individual are 

maintained.

H Right to keep and bear arms. 

The Constitution protects the rights of individuals to have firearms 

for personal defense. This privilege is subject to reasonable restrictions 

designed to prevent unfit persons, or those with the intent to criminally 

misuse guns or other firearms, from obtaining such items. 

H Right to vote in elections for public officials.

By voting in federal, state, and local elections, citizens choose their government leaders. The right to vote is one of the most important liberties 

granted to American citizens. It is the foundation of a free society. 

H Right to apply for federal employment.

Public service is a worthy endeavor and can lead to an extremely rewarding career working for the American people. Many federal government 

jobs require applicants to have U.S. citizenship. As a U.S. citizen, you 

can apply for federal employment within a government agency or 

department. 

H Right to run for elected office.

U.S. citizenship is required for many elected offices in this country. 

Naturalized U.S. citizens can run for any elected office they choose with 

the exception of President and Vice President of the United States, which 

require candidates to be native-born citizens.

H Freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

As a society based on individual freedom, it is the inherent right of all 

Americans to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The 

United States is a land of opportunity. People are able to choose their 
5

own path in life based on personal goals and 

objectives. Americans can make their own decisions and pursue their own interests as long as 

it does not interfere with the rights of others. 

Responsibilities of a Citizen

H Support and defend the Constitution 

against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

The Constitution establishes the U.S. 

system of representative democracy and 

outlines the inherent principles of freedom, 

liberty, and opportunity to which all citizens 

are entitled. The continuity of this Nation’s 

unique freedoms depends on the support of its 

citizens. When the Constitution and its ideals 

are challenged, citizens must defend these 

principles against all adversaries.

Until 1920, women were not 

allowed to vote in political 

elections. This image shows two 

women, known as suffragettes, 

petitioning for the right to vote 

(ca. 1917) in New York State.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-USZ62-53202
6

H Stay informed of the issues affecting your 

community.

Before casting your vote in an election, be 

sure to gain information about the issues and 

candidates running for office. Staying informed 

allows citizens the opportunity to keep the 

candidates and laws responsive to the needs of 

the local community.

H Participate in the democratic process.

Voting in federal, state, and local elections is the 

most important responsibility of any citizen. 

Voting ensures that our system of government 

is maintained and individual voices are clearly 

heard by elected officials.

H Respect and obey federal, state, and local 

laws. 

Laws are rules of conduct that are established 

by an authority and followed by the community to maintain order in a free society. Every 

person living in the United States must follow 

laws established through federal, state, and 

local authorities.

H Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of 

others.

Though the United States is a nation of diverse backgrounds and cultures, our common 

civic values unite us as one nation. Tolerance, 

through courtesy and respect for the beliefs 

and opinions of others, is the hallmark of a 

civilized society and ensures the continuity of 

liberty and freedom for future generations.

A citizen casts his vote in 

Barnesville, MD, 1944.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-USW3-055965-D

Red Cross volunteer poster, 

1917.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-USZC4-10138
7

H Participate in your local community.

Being a responsible member of one’s local 

community is important to the success of representative democracy. Community engagement 

through volunteerism, participation in town 

hall meetings and public hearings, joining a local parent-teacher association, and running for 

public office are ways individuals can actively 

contribute to the well-being of the community.

H Pay income and other taxes honestly, 

and on time, to federal, state, and local 

authorities.

Taxes pay for government services for the 

people of the United States. Some of these 

services include: 

educating children 

and adults, keeping 

our country safe and 

secure, and providing 

medical services to 

the elderly and less 

fortunate. Paying 

taxes on time and in 

full ensures that these 

services continue for 

all Americans.

H Serve on a jury 

when called upon.

Serving on a jury is a very important service 

to your community. In the United States, the 

Constitution guarantees that all persons accused 

of a crime have the right to a “speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.” Jury service gives 

you the opportunity to participate in the vital 

task of achieving just, fair results in matters that 

come before the court. 

Volunteers tutoring children 

at the South Baton Rouge 

Community Development 

Association in Louisiana, 

1986.

Courtesy of the Corporation for National and 

Community Service

During World War I, 300 

soldiers from Camp Upton 

in New York take the Oath 

of Allegiance as a result of a 

law granting U.S. citizenship 

to immigrants in the Armed 

Forces.

Courtesy of the USCIS Historical Library
8

H Defend the country if the need should arise.

The Armed Forces of the United States, the military, is currently an 

all-volunteer force. However, should the need arise in time of war, it 

is important that all citizens join together and assist the Nation where 

they are able. This support could include defending the Nation through 

military, noncombatant, or civilian service. 

A World War II B-24 bomber crew at their base in Nadzab, New Guinea, following a mission 

in 1944.

Courtesy of the Maloney family
9

Patriotic Anthems 

 & Symbols 

of the United States

Beginning early in our The values and history of the 

Nation’s history, citizens United States are also expressed 

have used songs, poems, through visual symbols, such as 

and symbols to express the ideals the Great Seal of the United States 

and values of the United States. and the Flag of the United States of 

From solemn oaths, such as the America. Around the world, these 

Pledge of Allegiance and the Oath two emblems are used to symbolof Allegiance, which one must ize our solidarity as a nation. As 

take to become a citizen, to the a U.S. citizen, you can take pride 

more informal tradition of singing in these symbols and the fact 

“The Star-Spangled Banner” before that they represent you and your 

sporting events, spoken expres- country. The following section will 

sions have always been an impor- introduce you to the history and 

tant part of American civic life. As meaning behind some of our most 

you will learn in this section, these important patriotic anthems and 

songs and poems often came from symbols.

a writer’s personal interpretation 

of America’s ideals, as with the 

story of Emma Lazarus and “The 

New Colossus.”
10

T Star-Spangled 

 Banner

by Francis Scott Key

(1814)

The Star-Spangled Banner” 

is the national anthem 

of the United States. It 

was written by Francis Scott Key 

after a critical battle in the War of 

1812. Key, a lawyer and amateur 

poet, had been sent to Baltimore, 

Maryland, to secure the release of 

Dr. William Beanes, an American 

taken prisoner by the British. 

Boarding a British 

ship for the 

negotiations, 

Key was treated 

with respect by the 

British officers who 

agreed to release Dr. 

Beanes. Although 

the mission was 

completed, the 

British were about to 

attack Fort McHenry, 

the American fort 

guarding Baltimore, 

and so they did not 

allow the Americans 

to return to shore. 

For twenty-five 

hours, British 

“The Star-Spangled Banner,” the flag that inspired the national anthem. 

Courtesy of the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

“
11

gunboats shelled Fort McHenry. 

The Americans withstood the 

attack, and on the morning of 

September 14, 1814, Key peered 

through clearing smoke to see an 

enormous American flag waving 

proudly above the fort. Key was 

so inspired by this sight of the 

American flag that he began a 

poem to commemorate the occasion. He wrote the poem to be 

sung to the popular British song, 

“To Anacreon in Heaven.”

The significance and popularity of the song spread across the 

In “The Star Spangled Banner,” a painting by Percy Moran, Francis Scott Key reaches out towards the 

flag flying over Fort McHenry. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-1764
12

United States. In 1916, President 

Woodrow Wilson ordered that 

the song be played at military 

and naval occasions. In 1931, 

“The Star-Spangled Banner” 

became the official national 

anthem of the United States.

The Star-Spangled Banner

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight;

O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.

And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
13

America the Beautiful (1893)

revised the lyrics in 1904 after 

receiving many requests to use the 

song in publications and special 

services. In 1913, Bates made an 

additional change to the wording 

of the third verse, creating the 

version we know today.

For several years, “America the 

Beautiful” was sung to just about 

any popular or folk tune that 

would fit with the lyrics. In 1926, 

the National Federation of Music 

Clubs held a contest to put the 

by Katharine Lee Bates

“

America the Beautiful” 

was written in 1893 by 

Katharine Lee Bates, a 

professor of English literature at 

Wellesley College in Massachusetts. 

Bates wrote the lyrics while on a 

trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

Describing the extraordinary 

view at the top of Pike’s Peak she 

said, “It was then and there, as I 

was looking out over the sea-like 

expanse of fertile country spreading away so far under those ample 

skies, that the opening lines of the 

hymn floated into my mind.” 

On July 4, 1895, 

“America the 

Beautiful” first appeared in print in 

the Congregationalist, a 

weekly journal. A few 

months later, the lyrics 

were set to music by 

Silas G. Pratt. Bates 

The view from Pike’s Peak, 

which inspired the writing of 

“America the Beautiful.”

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-DIG-stereo-1s01262
14

poem to music, but failed to select 

a winner. Today, “America the 

Beautiful” is sung to Samuel A. 

Ward’s 1882 melody “Materna.” 

America the Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain.

America! America! God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea.

O beautiful for pilgrim feet,

Whose stern impassion’d stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness.

America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov’d

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved,

And mercy more than life.

America! America! May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness,

And ev’ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years.

Thine alabaster cities gleam,

Undimmed by human tears.

America! America! God shed his grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea.
15

I

rving Berlin, a Russian 

immigrant who became a 

naturalized U.S. citizen in 

1918, wrote the song “God Bless 

America” while serving in the 

U.S. Army. Originally composed 

for a musical revue, Berlin made 

a few slight alterations to the 

lyrics and introduced the song 

in 1938. Singer Kate Smith sang 

the song for the first time to a 

national audience during her radio 

broadcast on November 11, 1938, 

in honor of Armistice Day (now 

Veterans Day). The song became 

popular almost immediately, and 

soon after its introduction, Berlin 

God Bless America

established the God Bless America 

Fund with which he dedicated the 

royalties from the song to the Boy 

and Girl Scouts of America. “God 

Bless America” is recognized today 

as America’s unofficial national 

anthem.

by Irving Berlin (1938)

God Bless America

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,

Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free,

Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,

As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God Bless America.

Land that I love.

Stand beside her, and guide her

Thru the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans, white with foam

God Bless America.

My home sweet home.

Boy and Girl Scouts march in an Armistice Day 

parade, 1940. Courtesy of the LOC, LC-USF33-020711-M1
16

I Hear America Singing From Leaves of Grass (1860 Edition)

Walt Whitman, who 

lived from 1819 to 

1892, is one of the 

most influential and beloved of 

American poets. As a young man, 

Whitman worked as a teacher 

in one-room schools on Long 

Island, New York. He taught until 

1841 when he decided to begin 

a full-time career in journalism. 

Whitman established the LongIslander, a weekly newspaper in 

New York, and often edited other 

newspapers in the surrounding 

area. He also spent 

time in New Orleans, 

Louisiana, and 

Washington, DC. By 

traveling to different 

cities in the United 

States, Whitman 

was exposed to how 

Americans lived in 

a variety of places. 

These experiences 

provided inspiration for some of 

Whitman’s famous 

poems about his 

fellow countrymen, 

including “I Hear 

America Singing.”

This poem was included in Whitman’s 

by Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsca-07549
17

most cherished work, the poetry collection, Leaves of Grass. 

Throughout his life, Whitman 

produced several editions of Leaves 

of Grass, a varied collection that began with only twelve poems in the 

1855 first edition and contained 

nearly four hundred poems by 

the time the final edition was 

published in 1891. “I Hear 

America Singing,” a celebration 

of the American people, was added 

to the collection in 1860.

I Hear America Singing

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,

Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,

The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,

The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,

The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand

singing on the steamboat deck,

The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,

The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or

at noon intermission or at sundown,

The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing 

or washing,

Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,

The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows,

robust, friendly,

Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
18

Concord Hymn(1837) by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a 

celebrated American 

author, poet, philosopher, 

and public speaker. He became 

the leader of a famous intellectual 

movement known as transcendentalism. Emerson had strong ties to 

the beginning of America’s fight 

for independence. His grandfather 

was present at the opening battle 

of the American Revolution, the 

Battle of Lexington and Concord, 

in Massachusetts on April 19, 

1775. His family home was also 

located next to the battlefield site.

“Concord Hymn” was written 

originally as a song for the dedication of the Obelisk, a monument 

commemorating the valiant effort 

of those who fought in the Battle 

of Lexington and Concord. The 

gunshot which began this battle 

is considered the beginning of 

America’s fight for independence, 

and is referred to by Emerson as 

“the shot heard round the world.” 

This phrase has since become 

famous and is often used in 

discussions of the American 

Revolution. 

The Obelisk at the battlefield in Concord, MA 

(ca.1900).

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-D4-11872

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ61-279
19

C

¢
20

As part of an auction held 

in 1883 to raise funds for 

a pedestal to be placed beneath the Statue of Liberty, which 

was a gift to America from France 

as part of the centennial celebration of 1876, Emma Lazarus 

wrote “The New Colossus.” Her 

poem spoke to the millions of 

immigrants who came to America 

in search of freedom and opportunity. She saw the new statue as a 

symbol of hope and an inspiration 

to the world. In 1902, the poem 

was engraved on a bronze plaque 

at the base of the Statue of Liberty. 

TNew Colossus (1883) by Emma Lazarus

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, 

With conquering limbs astride from land to land; 

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand 

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame 

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name 

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand 

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command 

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. 

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she 

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, 

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. 

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, 

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Inauguration of the Statue of Liberty in 1886, 

partly clouded by smoke from a military 

and naval salute marking President Grover 

Cleveland’s arrival at the ceremony. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-19869A
21

As America fought for its 

independence from Great 

Britain, it soon became 

evident that the new nation 

needed a flag of its own to identify 

American forts and ships. A design 

Flag of the

United States of America

of thirteen alternating red and 

white stripes and thirteen stars 

in a blue field was accepted by 

the Continental Congress on June 

14, 1777. These stars and stripes 

honored the thirteen states that 

had joined together to form the 

United States of America.

As the United States expanded, 

however, more states were added 

to the Union. To celebrate the 

Nation’s growth, Congress 

The flag that was authorized by Congress on June 

14, 1777. 

decided that the flag should 

become a visible symbol of change 

and established that the American 

flag would have one star for every 

state. The design of the American 

flag has changed twenty-seven 

times, and since 1959 it has had 

fifty stars and thirteen stripes. 

The American flag is called 

the “Star-Spangled Banner,” the 

“Stars and Stripes,” the “Red, 

The U.S. flag today.

White, and Blue,” and “Old Glory.” 

To emphasize the importance of 

the American flag to the Nation 

and its people, Congress established June 14 of each year as 

Flag Day. On this day, Americans 

take special notice of the flag and 

reflect on its meaning. 
22

Pledge of 

 Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance 

was first published on 

September 8, 1892, in 

the Youth’s Companion magazine. The 

original pledge read as follows, 

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag 

and the Republic for which it 

stands: one Nation indivisible, 

with Liberty and Justice for all.” 

Children in public schools across 

the country recited the pledge 

for the first time on October 12, 

1892, as part of official Columbus 

Students recite the Pledge of Allegiance in a 

Washington, DC, classroom (ca. 1899).

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-14693

Citizens of Vale, OR, take off their hats during the Pledge of Allegiance, July 4, 1941.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USF33-013070-M2
23

Day observances to celebrate the 

400th anniversary of his discovery 

of America.

In 1942, by an official act, 

Congress recognized the pledge. 

The phrase “under God” was added to the pledge by another act of 

Congress on June 14, 1954. Upon 

signing the legislation to authorize 

the addition, President Dwight D. 

Eisenhower said, “In this way we 

are reaffirming the transcendence 

of religious faith in America’s 

heritage and future; in this way we 

shall constantly strengthen those 

spiritual weapons which forever 

will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.”

When delivering the Pledge of 

Allegiance, all must be standing 

at attention, facing the flag with 

the right hand over the heart. Men 

not in uniform should remove any 

nonreligious headdress with their 

right hand and hold it at the left 

shoulder, the hand being over the 

heart. Those in uniform should 

remain silent, face the flag, and 

render the military salute.

Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance

to the Flag

of the United States of America

and to the Republic

for which it stands,

one Nation,

under God,

indivisible,

with liberty

and justice for all.

¢
24

Great Seal of the United States

On July 4, 

1776, the 

Continental 

Congress appointed a committee 

to create a 

seal for the 

United States 

of America. 

Following 

the appointment of two 

additional 

committees, 

each building 

upon the other, the 

Great Seal was finalized and approved on 

June 20, 1782. 

The Great Seal has two sides—an 

obverse, or front side, and a 

reverse side. The obverse side 

displays a bald eagle, the national 

bird, in the center. The bald eagle 

holds a scroll inscribed E pluribus 

unum in its beak. The phrase means 

“out of many, one” in Latin and 

signifies one nation that was 

created from thirteen separate 

colonies. In one of the eagle’s 

claws is an olive branch and in 

the other is a bundle of thirteen 

arrows. The olive branch signifies 

peace and the arrows signify war.

A shield with thirteen red and 

white stripes covers the eagle’s 

breast. The eagle alone supports the shield to signify that 

Americans should rely on their 

own virtue and not that of other 

nations. The red and white stripes 

of the shield represent the states 

Obverse side of the Great Seal of the 

United States. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of State
25

united under and supporting the 

blue, representing the President 

and Congress. The color red 

signifies valor and bravery, the 

color white signifies purity and 

innocence, and the color blue 

signifies vigilance, perseverance, 

and justice. Above the eagle’s head 

is a cloud that surrounds a blue 

field containing thirteen stars, 

which form a constellation. The 

constellation represents the fact 

that the new Nation is taking its 

place among the sovereign powers.

The reverse side contains 

a thirteen-step pyramid with the year 

1776 in Roman 

numerals at its 

base. Above 

the pyramid 

is the Eye of 

Providence 

and the motto 

Annuit Coeptis, 

meaning “He 

[God] favors 

our undertakings.” Below the 

pyramid, Novus Ordo 

Seclorum, meaning 

“New Order of the Ages,” 

is written on a scroll to signify 

the beginning of the new 

American era.

The obverse side of the Great Seal 

is used on postage stamps, military 

uniforms, U.S. passports, and 

above the doors of U.S. embassies 

worldwide. Both sides are present 

on the one dollar bill.

Reverse side of the Great Seal of the 

United States. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of State
26

Motto of the

United States

On July 30, 1956, 

President Dwight D. 

Eisenhower approved 

a Joint Resolution of the 84th 

Congress officially establishing 

the phrase, “In God We Trust,” as 

the national motto of the United 

States. “In God We Trust” replaced 

the phrase, E Pluribus Unum, which 

had been selected as the Nation’s 

official motto in 1776.

The motto, “In God We Trust,” 

can be traced back nearly 200 

years in U.S. history. During the 

War of 1812, as the morning light 

revealed that the American flag was 

still waving above Fort McHenry, 

Francis Scott Key wrote the poem 

that would eventually become our 

national anthem. The final stanza 

of the poem read, “And this be 

our motto: ‘In God is our trust!’”

In 1864, Key’s phrase was changed 

to “In God We Trust” and included 

on the redesigned two-cent coin. 

The following year, Congress 

authorized the Director of the 

Philadelphia Mint to place the 

motto on all gold and silver coins. 

The motto began appearing on all 

U. S. coins in 1938. “In God We 

Trust” became a part of the design 

of U. S. currency (paper money) 

in 1957. The Bureau of Engraving 

and Printing has incorporated the 

motto on all currency since 1963.

“In God We Trust” is also engraved 

on the wall above the Speaker’s 

dais in the Chamber of the House 

of Representatives and over the 

entrance to the Chamber of the 

Senate.

President Lyndon B. Johnson delivering his State 

of the Union address before a joint session of 

Congress, January 8, 1964. Engraved above the 

Speaker’s dais is the motto “In God We Trust.”

Courtesy of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
27

Presidential &

 Historical 

 Speeches

People in the United States 

greatly value their current and historical leaders. 

Following our democratic tradition, these leaders are remembered 

not only for their actions, but also 

for their speeches and proclamations to the American people. 

Beginning with President George 

Washington’s call for unity in his 

1796 Farewell Address, American 

leaders often emphasized similar 

themes when addressing the 

Nation. 

President Abraham Lincoln 

perhaps best expressed the concept 

of unity and a common civic 

identity during the American Civil 

War, when our Nation’s unity 

was severely threatened. Lincoln’s 

speeches are also famous for 

referring to America, with its 

values and democratic system, 

as an important example for the 

rest of the world. 

Much later, Presidents Franklin 

D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy 

called upon these same ideas in 

important speeches during times 

of crisis, and President Ronald 

Reagan was clearly inspired by 

these principles in his call for 

freedom around the world during the Cold War. In this section, 

you will also read about a leader 

who, rather than looking outside 

our borders, called on America 

itself to live up to its promise as 

a land of liberty and equality.
28

Farewell Address (1796)

George Washington

After leading the 

Continental army to 

victory over the British 

during the American Revolution, 

George Washington was the 

obvious choice to become the 

first president of the United States. 

Known as the “Father of Our 

Country,” Washington performed 

honorably during his two terms 

as president in helping form the 

new government and guiding the 

young country through several 

foreign and domestic crises. Early 

in the year 1796, Washington 

decided not to seek reelection for 

a third time and began drafting a 

farewell address to the American 

people.

With the help of Treasury 

Secretary Alexander Hamilton, 

Washington 

completed 

his farewell 

address and the 

final version 

was printed in Philadelphia’s 

American Daily Advertiser on 

September 19, 1796. Washington 

was concerned that increasing 

geographical sectionalism and the 

rise of political factions would 

threaten the stability of the eightyear-old Constitution and he used 

his address to urge Americans to 

unite for the long-term success of 

the Nation. He called for a distinctly “American character” that 

concentrated on the good of the 

country and would avoid potentially troublesome alliances with 

foreign nations.

On February 22, 1862, when 

America was engulfed in the 

Civil War, both houses of the U.S. 

Congress agreed to assemble and 

read aloud Washington’s Farewell 

“Washington 

Crossing the 

Delaware,” by 

Emanuel Leutze. 

Courtesy of the National Archives, 

NARA File # 066-G-15D-25
29

Address. This practice was later 

revived and performed annually 

by both houses of Congress. Since 

1893, the U.S. Senate has observed 

our first president’s birthday by 

selecting one of its members to 

read aloud Washington’s Farewell 

Address from the Senate floor. 

Excerpts

...Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you in your national 

capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism, more than any appellation 

derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same 

religion, manners, habits and political principles. You have in a common cause, fought 

and triumphed together; the independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint 

councils and joint efforts, of common dangers, sufferings, and successes.... 

It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who that is a sincere friend to it can look with indifference upon attempts to 

shake the foundation of the fabric? 

Promote, then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public 

opinion, it is essential that the public opinion should be enlightened. 

“George Washington at Princeton,” 

by Charles Willson Peale.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-96753
30

First Inaugural 

 Address

Abraham Lincoln

(1861)

Abraham Lincoln was sworn 

in as the 16th president of 

the United States on March 

4, 1861. This was a difficult time 

in our Nation’s history. The issues 

of how much control the federal 

government should have over 

the states and whether to permit 

slavery in the newly acquired 

western territories divided the 

Union. In December 1860, 

shortly after Lincoln’s election was 

declared final, the state of South 

Carolina seceded from the Union. 

By February 1861, six additional 

states seceded and formed the 

Confederate States of America under provisional president Jefferson 

Davis. 

In an effort to calm the fears of 

the Southern states, Lincoln turned 

to four historic documents when 

preparing his inaugural remarks. 

Each of these references were 

concerned with states’ rights: 

Daniel Webster’s 1830 reply 

to Robert Y. Hayne; President 

Andrew Jackson’s Nullification 

Proclamation of 1832; Henry 

Clay’s compromise speech of 

1850; and the Constitution of the 

United States. Lincoln believed that 

secession was illegal, and as chief 

executive, it was his responsibility 

to preserve the Union. The resulting speech was a message of unity 

to a troubled nation.

President Abraham Lincoln. 

Courtesy of the National Archives, NARA File # 111-B-3656
31

Inauguration of President Abraham Lincoln on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, March 4, 1861. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-48090

Excerpts

...By the frame of the government under which we live, this same people have wisely 

given their public servants but little power for mischief; and have, with equal wisdom, 

provided for the return of that little to their own hands at very short intervals. While 

the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of 
32

wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in the short space of four 

years.... 

I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though 

passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords 

of memory, stretching from every battle-field, and patriot grave, to every living heart 

and hearth-stone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when 

again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.
33

Gettysburg Address(1863) Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln’

Considered one of the most on November 19, 1863. The entire 

important speeches in speech lasted just two minutes.

American history, Abraham The Battle of Gettysburg took s Gettysburg Address place July 1-3, 1863, in the rural successfully expressed the prin- town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, ciples of liberty and equality that roughly 50 miles northwest of the United States was founded Baltimore, Maryland. Confederate upon and proudly honored those forces, led by General Robert E. that fought and perished for the Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia survival of the Union. During invaded Union territory, seeking his remarks, he spoke of “a new to take the war out of Virginia and birth of freedom” for the Nation. put the Union army in a vulner- Lincoln delivered this speech at able defensive position. General the dedication of the Soldiers’ Lee’s soldiers fought the Union’s National Cemetery at Gettysburg 

Crowd at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863. President Abraham Lincoln in center. 

Courtesy of the National Archives, NARA File # 111-B-4975
34

Army of the Potomac under the 

command of General George C. 

Meade. When the fighting ended 

on July 3, the two sides suffered 

more than 45,000 casualties, 

making it one of the bloodiest 

battles to date. Confederate forces 

retreated back to Virginia on the 

night of July 4, 1863, and the 

Battle of Gettysburg is considered 

by most scholars to be the turning 

point in the American Civil War. 

Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, 

conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so 

conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that 

war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those 

who here gave their lives that the nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper 

that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not 

hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long 

remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the 

living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here 

have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task 

remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that 

cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve 

that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a 

new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, 

shall not perish from the earth.
35

T Four Freedoms(1941) Franklin D. Roosevelt

I

n January 1941, as 

much of Europe 

had fallen victim to 

the advancing army of 

Nazi Germany, Franklin 

D. Roosevelt began his 

unprecedented third 

term as president of 

the United States. Great 

Britain was finding it 

increasingly difficult 

to hold off the aggressive German army and 

Roosevelt considered 

the Germans to be a 

significant threat to 

U.S. national security. 

During his annual State of the 

Union address on January 6, 1941, 

Roosevelt pledged his support for 

Great Britain by continuing aid 

and increasing production at war 

industries in the United States. By 

aiding in the war effort, Roosevelt 

explained that the United States 

would be protecting the universal 

freedoms and liberties to which 

all people are entitled, not just 

Americans.

In his speech, Roosevelt staunchly 

defended democracy around the 

world and stated that the United 

States would not be “intimidated 

by the threats of dictators.” He 

concluded by eloquently describing “four essential human 

freedoms” that the United States 

hoped to secure and extend to 

all individuals. These universal 

freedoms were: freedom of speech 

and expression, freedom of every 

person to worship God in his own 

way, freedom from want, and 

freedom from fear. 

President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-117121
36

In 1943, following America’s entry 

into World War II, artist Norman 

Rockwell captured the idea of 

these four basic freedoms in a 

series of paintings published in 

the popular magazine, The Saturday 

Evening Post. The paintings served 

as the centerpiece of an exhibition that toured the United States 

to help raise money for the war 

effort.

President Franklin 

D. Roosevelt delivering his State of 

the Union address 

before a joint session of Congress, 

January 6, 1941. 

Courtesy of the Library of 

Congress, LC-USZ62-78575

Excerpts

I address you, the Members of the Seventy-seventh Congress, at a moment unprecedented in the history of the Union. I use the word “unprecedented,” because at no previous 

time has American security been as seriously threatened from without as it is today....

As a nation, we may take pride in the fact that we are softhearted; but we cannot afford 

to be soft-headed.... 

Just as our national policy in internal affairs has been based upon a decent respect for 

the rights and the dignity of all our fellow men within our gates, so our national policy 

in foreign affairs has been based on a decent respect for the rights and dignity of all 

nations, large and small. And the justice of morality must and will win in the end....

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded 

upon four essential human freedoms. 
37

The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world. 

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in 

the world. 

The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic 

understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its 

inhabitants—everywhere in the world. 

The fourth is freedom from fear—which, translated into world terms, means a 

world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion 

that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any 

neighbor—anywhere in the world. 

That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world 

attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of 

the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of 

a bomb. 

To that new order we oppose the greater conception—the moral order. A good society 

is able to face schemes of world domination and foreign revolutions alike without fear. 

Since the beginning of our American history, we have been engaged in change—in a 

perpetual peaceful revolution—a revolution which goes on steadily, quietly adjusting 

itself to changing conditions—without the concentration camp or the quick-lime in 

the ditch. The world order which we seek is the cooperation of free countries, working 

together in a friendly, civilized society. 

This nation has placed its destiny in the hands and heads and hearts of its millions 

of free men and women; and its faith in freedom under the guidance of God. Freedom 

means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who 

struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose. 

To that high concept there can be no end save victory.
38

Inaugural Address 

John F. Kennedy (1961)

I

n 1960, John F. Kennedy 

defeated Richard M. Nixon 

to become the 35th president 

of the United States. A World War 

II hero and former representative 

and senator from Massachusetts, 

Kennedy and his young family 

brought an optimistic, youthful 

spirit to the White House. At the 

time, America’s Cold War struggle 

with the Communist-led Union 

of Soviet Socialist Republics was 

becoming increasingly volatile 

around the world. From Germany 

to Cuba to Southeast Asia, tension 

between U.S.-supported forces and 

Soviet-supported forces threatened 

to unleash a devastating nuclear 

exchange. 

President John F. Kennedy delivering his inaugural address, January 20, 1961. 

Courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
39

On January 20, 1961, Kennedy 

delivered his inaugural address 

on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in 

Washington, DC. His remarks focused on the critical foreign policy 

issues of the time. In stating that 

the United States would “pay any 

price, bear any burden,” he was 

signaling American resolve to support the forces of freedom in the 

face of the Communist challenge. 

Kennedy, however, also presented 

an alternate vision, calling on the 

Soviets and Americans to pursue 

arms control, negotiations, and 

the “struggle against the common 

enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, 

disease and war itself.” 

As a young president, Kennedy 

saw himself as part of a “new generation of Americans,” and he was 

not afraid to ask his generation to 

work toward a better world. In the 

most famous part of the speech, 

Kennedy challenged Americans 

to move beyond self-interest and 

work for their country, saying

“Ask not what your country can 

do for you—ask what you can do 

for your country.”

President John F. Kennedy. 

Courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Excerpts

We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an 

end as well as a beginning—signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn 

before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a 

century and three-quarters ago.

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish 

all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe—the belief 
40

that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand 

of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go 

forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed 

to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined 

by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage—and unwilling to witness or 

permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been 

committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear 

any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival 

and the success of liberty....

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of 

defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility—I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any 

other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring 

to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it—and the glow from that 

fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what 

you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what 

together we can do for the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here 

the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good 

conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth 

to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on 

earth God’s work must truly be our own.
41

On August 28, 1963, 

nearly 250,000 people 

gathered in Washington, 

DC, as part of the March on 

Washington for Jobs and Freedom. 

The demonstrators marched 

from the Washington Monument 

to the Lincoln Memorial where 

individuals from all segments of 

society called for civil rights and 

equal protection for all citizens, 

regardless of color or background. 

I Have a Dream(1963) Martin Luther King, Jr. The last speaker of the day was 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose 

“I Have a Dream” speech encompassed the ideals set forth in the 

Declaration of Independence “that 

all men are created equal.” King’s 

message of freedom and democracy for all people, of all races and 

backgrounds, is remembered as 

the landmark statement of the civil 

rights movement in the United 

States. 

Demonstrators at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, DC, 

August 28, 1963. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ppmsca-03128
42

The following year, Congress 

passed the Civil Rights Act of 

1964, which prohibited segregation in public places, provided 

for the integration of public 

schools and facilities, and made 

employment on the basis of race 

or ethnicity illegal. This act was 

the most comprehensive civil 

rights legislation since the reconstruction era following the 

American Civil War.

Excerpts

...I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and 

tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. 

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its 

creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”...

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will 

not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character....

This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing 

with new meaning: “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land 

where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, From every mountainside, let freedom 

ring!”...

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that 

day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants 

and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: 

“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” 

 

 
43

Remarks at the (1987)

 Brandenburg Gate

Ronald Reagan

On June 12, 1987, 

President Ronald Reagan 

delivered a formal address to the people of West Berlin 

in front of the Brandenburg Gate, 

a once proud symbol of German 

unity. At the time, a wall surrounding West Berlin separated 

the city from East Berlin and 

other areas of East Germany. 

The barrier, known as the Berlin 

Wall, was heavily guarded and 

East Germany’s Communist 

government did not allow its 

people access to West Berlin. The 

Berlin Wall was a symbol of the 

tyranny that restrained freedom 

and individual liberty throughout 

the Communist bloc of Eastern 

Europe.

Because of the gate’s proximity to 

East Berlin, Reagan’s speech could 

be heard on the Eastern side of 

the wall as well. In his remarks, 

he spoke of the increasing divide 

President Ronald Reagan delivering his address at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, June 12, 1987. 

Courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
44

between the freedom and entitled to all individuals. Reagan’s 

prosperity of the West and the direct challenge to Soviet leader 

political slavery of Communist Mikhail Gorbachev, saying “If you 

Eastern Europe, dominated at seek peace, if you seek prosperity 

the time by the Union of Soviet for the Soviet Union and Eastern 

Socialist Republics. Reagan imag- Europe, if you seek liberalizained a world in which East and tion...Mr. Gorbachev, tear down 

West were united in freedom this wall!” is considered by many 

rather than oppression. He be- to have affirmed the dissolution of 

lieved that ultimately totalitarian- the Soviet Union and the end of 

ism and oppression could not the Communist stronghold over 

suppress the freedoms that are Eastern Europe.

Excerpts

...Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of a vast 

system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe. From the Baltic, south, 

those barriers cut across Germany in a gash of barbed wire, concrete, dog runs, and 

guard towers. Farther south, there may be no visible, no obvious wall. But there remain 

armed guards and checkpoints all the same—still a restriction on the right to travel, 

still an instrument to impose upon ordinary men and women the will of a totalitarian 

state. Yet it is here in Berlin where the wall emerges most clearly; here, cutting across 

your city, where the news photo and the television screen have imprinted this brutal 

division of a continent upon the mind of the world. Standing before the Brandenburg 

Gate, every man is a German, separated from his fellow men. Every man is a Berliner, 

forced to look upon a scar....

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet 

Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. 

Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
45

Fundamental 

 Documents of

American Democracy

I

n its most basic form, the U.S. 

system of government is a 

mutual agreement between 

the people and the government to 

ensure that individual liberties are 

maintained and continue to prosper under a free society. This idea 

was established upon the signing 

of the Mayflower Compact by 

some of America’s first settlers, the 

Pilgrims, in 1620. The Declaration 

of Independence, signed on July 4, 

1776, listed America’s reasons for 

independence from Great Britain, 

but also further explained the 

rights of free people and how they 

should live under a responsible 

government. 

As it developed into a nation, 

based upon the firm foundation 

of the Constitution, the United 

States government has continued 

to adapt in order to live up to its 

promise of liberty and equality for 

all individuals. The Federalist Papers, 

written between 1787 and 1788, 

give today’s citizens a remarkable look into the framing of our 

government more than 200 years 

ago. Through the Bill of Rights 

and seventeen subsequent amendments, the Constitution has been 

changed over the years to solidify 

America’s promise of liberty for all 

its citizens. The following section 

introduces you to these, and other 

important documents, that have 

helped make the United States the 

land of opportunity it is today.
46

T Mayflower Compact (1620)

I

n the late 1500s, several 

religious groups in England 

wanted to establish a new 

church completely independent 

from the Church of England. 

These individuals were called 

“separatists” and were often 

persecuted because of their 

religious practices and beliefs. One 

of these groups became known as 

the Pilgrims. After continuously 

being denied the right to establish 

their own church in England, the 

Pilgrims decided to move their 

families to Holland. While Holland 

allowed them to worship freely, 

the Pilgrims soon began to miss 

the language and customs of life 

in England. After much discussion, 

the Pilgrims decided to move the 

entire community to America, 

where they could practice their 

religious beliefs and still maintain 

an English lifestyle.

On September 6, 1620, their ship, 

called the “Mayflower,” set sail for 

America. Two months later, the 

Pilgrims landed off the coast of 

Massachusetts, much further north 

than they originally intended. 

Since this land was outside the 

Signing the Mayflower Compact. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ61-206
47

jurisdiction of the Virginia 

Colony’s government in 

Jamestown, the group agreed to 

draft a social contract for selfgovernment based on consent of 

the governed and majority rule. 

All male adults signed the contract 

and agreed to be bound by its 

rules. This agreement became 

known as the Mayflower Compact 

and was the first act of European 

self-government in America. The 

concept that government is a form 

of covenant between two parties, 

the government and the people, 

was a major source of inspiration to the framers of the U.S. 

Constitution.

The Mayflower Compact

We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King 

James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the 

Faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and 

Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern 

Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God 

and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic, 

for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and 

by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, 

Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and 

convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape 

Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, 

of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno 

Domini 1620. 
48

T Declaration of 

 Independence (1776)

The British began tightening control over the colonies by bypassing 

colonial legislatures and imposing 

direct taxes and laws that angered 

many American colonists. In 1764, 

the Sugar Act was enacted by the 

British Parliament and became the 

first law with the specific goal of 

raising money from the colonies. 

This law was followed by the 

Currency Act which prohibited 

the colonies from issuing their 

own currency, the Quartering 

Act, which required the colonies 

to provide housing and supplies 

for British troops, and the Stamp 

F

ollowing the end of the 

French and Indian War 

in 1763, Great Britain 

established itself as the dominant 

power in North America. The victory greatly increased the British 

presence in North America, but 

left the British government with 

a significant amount of debt. 

Frustrated by what was perceived 

as a lack of cooperation during 

the French and Indian War, Great 

Britain demanded that, at the very 

least, the colonists should pay for 

the cost of their own government 

and security. 

The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor, 1773. Courtesy of the National Archives, NARA File # 148-GW-439
49

Act, which directly taxed the 

colonies by requiring all documents and packages to obtain a 

stamp showing that the tax had 

been paid. Violations of these acts 

often led to harsh judgments by 

British-appointed judges without 

the consent of local juries.

American colonists responded 

to these acts with organized 

protest, arguing against taxation 

without proper representation in 

Parliament. They believed that the 

strong measures enacted by the 

government violated their rights as 

British citizens. The colonists also 

believed that government should 

not interfere in the daily lives of 

its citizens, but should serve to 

secure and protect the liberty and 

property of the people. 

On September 5, 1774, delegates 

from twelve of the thirteen 

colonies convened in Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania, for the First 

Continental Congress. During the 

meeting, they prepared a petition, 

called the Declaration of Rights 

and Grievances, for King George 

III, king of the United Kingdom 

of Great Britain and Ireland. They 

also established the Association of 

1774, which urged the colonists 

to avoid using British goods. 

Before adjourning, the delegates 

planned for a Second Continental 

Congress to meet on May 10, 1775, 

in case the British failed to respond adequately to its petition.

The Second Continental Congress 

convened in May 1775 and 

following much debate, agreed 

that reconciliation with Britain 

was impossible. On June 7, 1776, 

Virginia delegate Richard Henry 

Lee called for a resolution of 

independence. Congress then 

appointed John Adams, Benjamin 

Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert 

R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman 

to draft a statement of independence for the colonies, with 

Jefferson assigned to perform the 

actual writing of the document.

In writing the Declaration of 

Independence, Jefferson drew 

heavily upon the idea of natural 

rights and individual liberty. These 

The committee of Congress drafting the 

Declaration of Independence, 1776. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-17878
50

ideas had been widely expressed 

by 17th century philosopher John 

Locke, and others, at that time. 

The beginning of the document 

explains 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.” Jefferson then listed 

formal grievances against Great 

Britain, thus justifying the colonies’ decision to completely break 

away from the mother country. On 

July 2, 1776, the document was 

sent to Congress for consideration 

and debate. Two days later, on 

July 4, 1776, Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of 

Independence.

Of the fifty-six signers of the 

Declaration of Independence, eight 

were foreign-born. They included: 

Button Gwinnett (England), 

Francis Lewis (Wales), Robert 

Morris (England), James Smith 

(Ireland), George Taylor (Ireland), 

Matthew Thornton (Ireland), 

James Wilson (Scotland), and John 

Witherspoon (Scotland).

In “Declaration of Independence,” a painting by John Trumbull, Thomas Jefferson and his committee 

present the formal statement of independence from Great Britain. 

Courtesy of the National Archives, File # 148-GW-662
51

The DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Action of Second Continental Congress, July 4, 1776

The Unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to 

dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume 

among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of 

Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind 

requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

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—That to secure these Rights, Governments 

are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, 

that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the 

Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its 

Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall 

seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that 

Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and 

accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while 

Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they 

are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably 

the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their 

Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for 

their future Security. Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is 

now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. 

The History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and 

Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over 

these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public 

Good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing 

Importance, unless suspended in their Operation till his Assent should be obtained; and 

when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the Accommodation of large Districts 

of People, unless those People would relinquish the Right of Representation in the 

Legislature, a Right inestimable to them, and formidable to Tyrants only. 
52

He has called together Legislative Bodies at Places unusual, uncomfortable, and 

distant from the Depository of their public Records, for the sole Purpose of fatiguing 

them into Compliance with his Measures. 

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly 

Firmness his Invasions on the Rights of the People.

He has refused for a long Time, after such Dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; 

whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at 

large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the Dangers 

of Invasion from without, and Convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the Population of these States; for that Purpose 

obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to 

encourage their Migrations hither, and raising the Conditions of new Appropriations of 

Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for 

establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the Tenure of their Offices, 

and the Amount and Payment of their Salaries.

He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to 

harrass our People, and eat out their Substance.

He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of 

our Legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil 

Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a Jurisdiction foreign to our 

Constitution, and unacknowledged by our Laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of 

pretended Legislation:

For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which 

they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: 

For depriving us, in many Cases, of the Benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended Offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, 

establishing therein an arbitrary Government, and enlarging its Boundaries, so as to 

render it at once an Example and fit Instrument for introducing the same absolute Rule 

into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering 

fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
53

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with Power 

to legislate for us in all Cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and 

waging War against us.

He has plundered our Seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our Towns, and destroyed the 

Lives of our People. 

He is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat 

the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with circumstances 

of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally 

unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear 

Arms against their Country, to become the Executioners of their Friends and Brethren, 

or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic Insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring 

on the Inhabitants of our Frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known Rule of 

Warfare, is an undistinguished Destruction of all Ages, Sexes and Conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most 

humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A 

Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit 

to be the Ruler of a free People.

Nor have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned 

them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable 

Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration 

and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we 

have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, 

which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have 

been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of Consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in 

the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of 

Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General 

Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of 

our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, 

solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be 

Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British 

Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, 

is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have 

full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to 

do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. —And for the 
54

support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, 

we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

Signed by ORDER and in BEHALF of the CONGRESS,

John Hancock, President

Attest.

Charles Thomson, Secretary

SignerS of The deClaraTion of independenCe

Georgia: Maryland: James Smith New Hampshire:

Button Gwinnett Samuel Chase George Taylor Josiah Bartlett

Lyman Hall William Paca James Wilson Matthew Thornton

George Walton Thomas Stone George Ross William Whipple

Charles Carroll of North Carolina: Delaware: Rhode Island:

William Hooper Carrollton Caesar Rodney Stephen Hopkins

Joseph Hewes Virginia: George Read William Ellery

John Penn George Wythe Thomas McKean Connecticut:

Richard Henry Lee South Carolina: New York: Roger Sherman Thomas Jefferson Edward Rutledge William Floyd Samuel Huntington Benjamin Harrison Thomas Heyward, Jr. Philip Livingston William Williams Thomas Nelson, Jr. Thomas Lynch, Jr. Francis Lewis Oliver Wolcott

Francis Lightfoot Lee Arthur Middleton Lewis Morris

Carter Braxton

Massachusetts: New Jersey: Pennsylvania: Samuel Adams Richard Stockton

Robert Morris John Adams John Witherspoon Benjamin Rush Robert Treat Paine Francis Hopkinson Benjamin Franklin Elbridge Gerry John Hart John Morton John Hancock Abraham Clark

George Clymer
55

TFederalist Papers

 by Alexander Hamilton, 

John Jay, and James Madison

(1787-1788)

F

ollowing the Constitutional 

Convention in 1787, a 

national debate began 

concerning whether or not to 

ratify the proposed United States 

Constitution. Newspapers across 

the Nation published essays and 

letters on both sides—for and 

against ratification. The most 

famous of these writings became 

known as the Federalist Papers.

The Federalist Papers were a series 

of eighty-five essays written by 

Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, 

and James Madison under the 

pen name “Publius.” The essays 

were published primarily in 

the Independent Journal and the New 

York Packet and their purpose was 

to urge New York delegates to 

ratify the proposed United States 

Constitution. In 1788, the essays were published in a bound 

volume.

The essays explain particular 

provisions of the United States 

Constitution in specific detail. 

Alexander Hamilton and James 

Madison were both members of 

the Constitutional Convention and 

for this reason the Federalist Papers

offer an exciting look into the 

intentions of those drafting the 

United States Constitution. Today, 

the Federalist Papers are considered 

to be one of the most important 

historical documents on the 

founding principles of the United 

States’ form of government.

Title Page of The Federalist, vol. 1, 1799.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-70508
56

Notable Excerpts

No. 2 (John Jay)

To all general purposes we have uniformly 

been one people; each individual citizen 

everywhere enjoying the same national 

rights, privileges, and protection.

John Jay. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-50375

No. 22 (Alexander Hamilton)

The fabric of American empire ought to 

rest on the solid basis of the consent of 

the people. The streams of national power 

ought to flow from that pure, original 

fountain of all legitimate authority.

Alexander Hamilton. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZC4-6423
57

No. 41 (James Madison)

Every man who loves peace, every man 

who loves his country, every man who 

loves liberty, ought to have it ever before 

his eyes, that he may cherish in his heart 

a due attachment to the Union of 

America, and be able to set a due value on 

the means of preserving it.

No. 46 (James Madison)

[T]he ultimate authority...resides in the people alone.

No. 51 (Alexander Hamilton or James Madison)

But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? 

If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, 

neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.

James Madison. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-87924
58

would create a more powerful 

central government with three 

components: an executive, legislative, and judiciary sharing power. 

The New Jersey Plan would revise 

and amend the current Articles of 

Confederation to give Congress 

control over taxes and trade, but 

still provide each of the states with 

basic autonomy at the local level.

Through extensive debate, it soon 

became clear that amending the 

T Constitution (1787)

of the United States

I

n May 1787, fifty-five 

delegates from each of the 

thirteen states, with the exception of Rhode Island, convened 

in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to 

revise the Articles of Confederation 

and create a more centralized form 

of government for the United 

States. Two competing plans were 

presented to the delegates—

Edmund Randolph’s Virginia Plan 

and William Patterson’s New 

Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan 

In “Scene at the Signing of the Constitution,” artist Howard Chandler Christy depicts Independence 

Hall in Philadelphia, PA, on September 17, 1787. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USA7-34630 
59

Articles of Confederation would 

not be sufficient and a new form 

of government would need to be 

established. The most contentious 

issues included how much power 

the central government would 

have, how the states would be 

represented in Congress, and how 

these representatives would be 

elected. The final document, which 

was signed on September 17, 

1787, combined ideas from both 

the Virginia and New Jersey Plans, 

creating a central government 

with three branches and giving 

states equal representation in the 

Senate regardless of state size. 

Representation in the lower chamber, the House of Representatives, 

was based on state population.

The Constitution of the United 

States is the “supreme law of the 

land” and serves as the basic legal 

framework for the U.S. system 

of government. It has lasted 

longer than any other nation’s 

constitution. It has been revised, 

or amended, only twenty-seven 

times since 1787. James Madison, 

a Virginia delegate and fourth 

president of the United States, 

is known as the “Father of the 

Constitution.”

The Preamble to the Constitution

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish 

Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general 

Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and 

establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

H For the complete text of the Constitution of the United States and its subsequent 

amendments, including the Bill of Rights, see Form M-654.
60

T Bill of Rights (1791)

F

ollowing the successful creation of a new Constitution, 

which outlined the form 

and structure of the U.S. government, a public debate concerning 

the need to protect individual 

freedoms arose. Many believed 

that guarantees of individual rights 

were not needed because, under 

the Constitution, the people held 

all power not specifically granted 

to the central government. Others, 

with the memory of British 

tyranny fresh in their minds, 

demanded a list of individual 

rights that would be guaranteed to 

all citizens.

As the debate wore on, Thomas 

Jefferson, then serving as ambassador to France, wrote a letter to 

James Madison back in America 

stating, “A bill of rights is what 

the people are entitled to against 

every government on earth, 

general or particular, and what no 

just government should refuse, or 

rest on inference.” This position 

quickly gained popularity and a 

compromise was finally reached. 

Several states, in their formal ratification of the Constitution, asked 

for such amendments, while others ratified the Constitution with 

the understanding that the amendments would be offered during 

the first meeting of Congress. 

On September 25, 1789, the First 

Congress of the United States 

offered twelve amendments to 

the Constitution that addressed 

individual freedoms. Two were not 

ratified immediately, but the remaining ten were ratified by threefourths of the state legislatures on 

December 15, 1791. These first ten 

amendments became known as the 

Bill of Rights. 

Copy of the twelve amendments to the 

Constitution as passed by Congress on 

September 25, 1789.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, rbpe 00000600
61

Emancipation 

 Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln (1863)

As the fierce fighting of 

the American Civil War 

entered its third year, 

President Abraham Lincoln acted 

to give a new war aim to the 

soldiers of the Union army. On 

January 1, 1863, Lincoln signed 

the Emancipation Proclamation, 

which effectively freed the slaves 

in the states openly rebelling 

against the United States. The Civil 

War quickly became not only a 

fight to preserve the Union, but 

also a cause for the spread of 

freedom to all Americans. Many of 

the recently freed slaves joined the 

Union army or navy, and fought 

bravely for the freedom of others.

The proclamation was greeted 

with celebration in Boston, New 

York, Washington, DC, and elsewhere. In order for these words 

to become reality, however, much 

more fighting was still to come. 

By the end of the American Civil 

War in 1865, almost 200,000 

African Americans had fought for 

the Union. In December of that 

year, the U.S. Constitution was 

amended to free all slaves living in 

any part of the United States. The 

Thirteenth Amendment completed 

the work that the Emancipation 

Proclamation had begun—ending 

all slavery in the United States.

“First Reading of 

the Emancipation 

Proclamation of President 

Lincoln” by Francis 

Bicknell Carpenter. 

Courtesy of the U.S. Senate, Catalog# 

33.00005.000 
62

Emancipation Proclamation

January 1, 1863

By the President of the United States of America:

A Proclamation.

Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand 

eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United 

States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit:

“That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred 

and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, 

the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, 

thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, 

including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the 

freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of 

them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

“That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, 

designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, 

shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the 

people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the 

United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified 

voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing 

testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not 

then in rebellion against the United States.”

Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power 

in me vested as Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States in 

time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United 

States, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion, do, on this 

first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, 

and in accordance with my purpose so to do publicly proclaimed for the full period of 

one hundred days, from the day first above mentioned, order and designate as the States 

and parts of States wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in rebellion 

against the United States, the following, to wit: 
63

Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, 

St. John, St. Charles, St. James Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, 

St. Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama, 

Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia, (except the fortyeight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, 

Northampton, Elizabeth City, York, Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the cities of 

Norfolk and Portsmouth[)], and which excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely 

as if this proclamation were not issued. 

And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that 

all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and 

henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, 

including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the 

freedom of said persons. 

And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, 

unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when 

allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages.

And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be 

received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, 

and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service. 

And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the 

Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and 

the gracious favor of Almighty God. 

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United 

States to be affixed. 

Done at the City of Washington, this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one 

thousand eight hundred and sixty three, and of the Independence of the United States of 

America the eighty-seventh. 

By the President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
64

President Abraham Lincoln on the battlefield of Antietam, October 1862. The Battle of Antietam 

ended the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia’s first invasion into the North and led to President 

Lincoln’s issuance of the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. 

Courtesy of the National Archives, File # 165-SB-23
65

Landmark 

 Decisions of theU.S. Supreme Court

ince it first convened in the Constitution. The Supreme S1790, the U.S. Supreme 

Court has been the central 

arena for debate on some of 

America’s most important social 

and public policy issues including 

civil rights, powers of government, and equal opportunity. 

As the ultimate authority on 

constitutional law, the Supreme 

Court attempts to settle disputes 

when it appears that federal, 

state, or local laws conflict with 

Court’s decisions determine how 

America’s principles and ideals, 

as expressed in the Constitution, 

are carried out in everyday life. 

These decisions impact the lives 

of all Americans. In the following section, you will read about 

several landmark decisions of the 

Supreme Court that are important 

to know and understand as a 

United States citizen.
66

Marbury v. Madison

 John Marshall(1803) Delivering the Opinion 

 of the Court

While the U.S. Supreme 

Court wields immense 

power in determining the constitutionality of 

federal laws, its authority was still 

uncertain until 1803. Although 

most of the framers expected the 

Supreme Court to perform this 

essential role, the Court’s authority 

was not explicitly defined in the 

Constitution. Chief Justice John 

Marshall’s decision in Marbury v. 

Madison, speaking for a unanimous 

Court, established the power of judicial review, making the Supreme 

Court an equal partner in government along with the Legislative 

and Executive branches. The 

Supreme Court now serves as the 

final authority on the Constitution.

The Marbury case began in 1801, 

during the last few weeks of 

President John Adams’s term as 

president, just before Thomas 

Jefferson assumed the presidency. 

Congress had recently approved 

the appointment of several new 

justices of the peace in and around 

the District of Columbia. President 

Adams made appointments to 

Chief Justice John Marshall. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-8499
67

these positions, and the Senate 

confirmed each just one day 

before Jefferson took office. The 

secretary of state was to deliver 

the formal appointments prior to 

Jefferson taking office, however, 

many of the commissions were 

not delivered on time. One of 

those appointed, William Marbury, 

did not receive his commission 

and immediately filed suit against 

the new Secretary of State, James 

Madison, for failing to deliver it 

promptly.

Marbury went directly to the 

Supreme Court, seeking a writ of 

mandamus, a legal order demanding compliance with the law, to 

require Secretary Madison to deliver the commission. Chief Justice 

John Marshall was aware that if the 

Court forced Madison to deliver 

the commission, Jefferson and 

his administration would most 

likely ignore it, and thus undermine the authority of the Court. 

Marshall’s decision stated that 

Madison should have delivered 

the commission to Marbury, but 

the section of the Judiciary Act 

of 1789 that gave the Supreme 

Court the power to issue writs of 

mandamus exceeded the authority of the Court under Article III 

of the Constitution. The decision 

upheld the law as defined in the 

Constitution, limiting the Supreme 

Court’s power at the same time, 

and establishing the fundamental 

principle of judicial review.

Excerpts

...The question, whether an act, repugnant to the constitution, can become the law of 

the land, is a question deeply interesting to the United States;... That the people have 

an original right to establish, for their future government, such principles as, in their 

opinion, shall most conduce to their own happiness, is the basis on which the whole 

American fabric has been erected....

This original and supreme will organizes the government, and assigns to different 

departments their respective powers. It may either stop here, or establish certain limits 

not to be transcended by those departments.

The government of the United States is of the latter description. The powers of the 

legislature are defined and limited; and that those limits may not be mistaken, or 
68

forgotten, the constitution is written.... The distinction between a government with 

limited and unlimited powers is abolished, if those limits do not confine the persons on 

whom they are imposed, and if acts prohibited and acts allowed, are of equal obligation. 

It is a proposition too plain to be contested, that the constitution controls any legislative 

act repugnant to it; or, that the legislature may alter the constitution by an ordinary 

act. Between these alternatives there is no middle ground....

Certainly all those who have framed written constitutions contemplate them as forming 

the fundamental and paramount law of the nation, and consequently, the theory 

of every such government must be, that an act of the legislature, repugnant to the 

constitution, is void.

This theory is essentially attached to a written constitution, and is, consequently, to be 

considered, by this court, as one of the fundamental principles of our society.... 
69

While great strides were 

made in establishing 

the political rights 

of African Americans following 

the American Civil War, the U.S. 

Supreme Court delivered several 

Plessy v. Ferguson

John Marshall Harlan

Delivering the Dissenting (1896)

 Opinion of the Court

decisions, most notably in the case 

of Plessy v. Ferguson, that impeded 

civil rights efforts in the United 

States. 

Beginning in 1887, following 

the passage of the first “Jim 

Crow” laws in Florida, 

states began to require 

that railroads furnish 

separate accommodations for each race. “Jim 

Crow” laws sought to 

restrict the rights of 

African Americans. 

They were named after 

a popular minstrel character in the 1830s. The 

laws were unfair, and 

by this time, segregation 

was extended to most 

public facilities. Many 

saw the extension 

of segregation into 

railroads as a further 

objection of the work 

 that Congress and the Justice John Marshall Harlan. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-BH832-1038
70

federal government had done 

to affirm the rights of African 

Americans.

On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy, 

an African American from New 

Orleans, boarded a train and 

sat in a rail car for white passengers. A conductor asked him 

to move, but Plessy refused, and 

was then arrested and charged 

with violating the Jim Crow 

Car Act of 1890. Plessy challenged his arrest in court and the 

case was tried in New Orleans. 

He argued that segregation 

violated both the Thirteenth and 

Fourteenth Amendments to the 

U.S. Constitution. Through appeal, 

the case was heard before the U.S. 

Supreme Court in 1896. By an 

eight to one decision, the Court 

ruled against Plessy, thus establishing the “separate but equal” 

rule. The “separate but equal” 

rule mandated separate accommodations for blacks and whites 

on buses, trains, and in hotels, 

theaters, and schools. 

In a powerful dissent, Justice John 

Marshall Harlan disagreed with the 

majority, stating “Our Constitution 

is color-blind, and neither knows 

nor tolerates classes among 

citizens.” Harlan’s words provided 

inspiration to many involved in 

the civil rights movement, including Thurgood Marshall, whose arguments in Brown v. Board of Education 

helped overturn the “separate but 

equal” precedent in 1954. 

Excerpts

In respect of civil rights, common to all citizens, the Constitution of the United States 

does not, I think permit any public authority to know the race of those entitled to be 

protected in the enjoyment of such rights.... [I]n the view of the Constitution, in the 

eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. 

There is no caste here. Our Constitution is color-blind and neither knows nor tolerates 

classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The 

humblest is the peer of the most powerful. The law regards man as man and takes no 

account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the 

supreme law of the land are involved.... 
71

West Virginia State

Board of Education v. 

Barnette (1943)

Robert Jackson Delivering

the Opinion of the Court

I

n 1940, as most of Europe 

was at war with Nazi 

Germany and the United 

States was increasing production 

at its war industries in support of 

Great Britain, a wave of patriotism 

swept the country. During this 

time, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 

in Minersville School District v. Gobitis

that public school students were 

required to salute the American 

flag and recite the Pledge of 

Allegiance regardless of personal 

religious beliefs. Despite the ruling, many students, including the 

children of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 

a religious group in the United 

States, continued to resist saluting 

the flag and reciting the Pledge of 

Allegiance due to their religious 

beliefs. Many of these students 

were persecuted for their beliefs 

and intense pressure forced the 

Supreme Court to revisit the issue 

of First Amendment freedoms just 

three years later. 

In 1943, the Court heard arguments in the case of West Virginia 

State Board of Education v. Barnette. 

This case concerned a requirement by the West Virginia Board 

of Education that all teachers 

and students must salute the flag 

A visiting rabbi teaching Orthodox religion to 

children in Jersey Homesteads, NJ, 1936. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USF33-011049-M4
72

as part of their daily program. 

Refusal to do so resulted in harsh 

punishment, including, in some 

cases, expulsion. After reviewing 

arguments on both sides, the 

Court reversed its original ruling 

in Minersville School District v. Gobitis, 

stating that this required activity 

violated the First Amendment. 

Justice Robert Jackson delivered 

the decision of the majority, 

writing that “If there is any fixed 

star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or 

petty, can prescribe what shall be 

orthodox in politics, nationalism, 

religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by 

word or act their faith therein.” 

The Court’s ruling ensured that 

the right to worship freely, as long 

as it does not interfere with the 

rights of others, is protected under 

the Constitution.

Excerpts

...The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjects from the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond the reach of majorities and officials 

and to establish them as legal principles to be applied by the courts. One’s right to life, 

liberty, and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship and assembly, and 

other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote; they depend on the outcome of 

no elections....

If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high 

or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other 

matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there 

are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us....

A church service on Thanksgiving Day, 1942. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USE6-D-006812
73

S

ince the U.S. Supreme and schools. Many civil rights 

Court’s 1896 decision in groups, including the National 

the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, Association for the Advancement 

racially segregated public schools of Colored People (NAACP), 

were accepted under the basis of worked to overturn this ruling 

the “separate but equal” rule. The for several decades. In 1952, the 

“separate but equal” rule man- NAACP brought five cases before 

dated separate accommodations the Supreme Court that directly 

for blacks and whites on buses, challenged the precedent estabtrains, and in hotels, theaters, lished in Plessy v. Ferguson. Due to the 

Brown v. Board of 

 Education (1954)

Earl Warren Delivering the

 Opinion of the Court

Integrated classroom at Anacostia High School, Washington, DC, 1957. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-U9-1033-16
74

divided opinion of the Court on 

whether or not it was possible to 

overturn this ruling, the justices 

called for additional hearings at a 

later date.

Following several setbacks, including the death of Chief Justice 

Frederick Vinson, the Supreme 

Court agreed to hear each case 

once again during its 1953 term. 

The five cases brought before the 

Supreme Court illustrated that 

many public schools in America 

were not providing equal facilities 

and materials to African American 

students. Thurgood Marshall, the 

NAACP’s lead attorney, argued that 

the “separate but equal” rule violated the Fourteenth Amendment 

to the Constitution, which granted 

citizenship to all citizens regardless of color, and provided equal 

protection under the law. 

On May 17, 1954, Chief Justice 

Earl Warren delivered the unanimous ruling of the Court, stating 

that the segregation of public 

schools was in fact a violation of 

the Fourteenth Amendment and 

was therefore unconstitutional. 

This historic decision ended the 

“separate but equal” rule that 

had been in place for nearly six 

decades. The Court’s opinion in 

this landmark case helped expand 

the civil rights movement in 

the United States, advancing the 

idea that every citizen deserves 

America’s promise of equality and 

justice under the law.

Excerpts

...We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of children in public 

schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other 

“tangible” factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal 

educational opportunities? We believe that it does.... To separate them from others of 

similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their heart and minds in a way 

unlikely ever to be undone.... 

We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of “separate but equal” has 

no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal....
75

Presidential

 Statements on

Citizenship & Immigration

The United States has a 

long, cherished history as 

a welcoming country and 

the contributions of immigrants 

continue to enrich the nation. 

While our citizens come from different backgrounds and cultures, 

Americans are bound together 

by shared ideals, based on individual freedom and the rule of law. 

American presidents, beginning 

with George Washington, have 

acknowledged the contributions 

of immigrants and regularly 

spoken about the importance 

of responsible citizenship. 

Speaking on behalf of the United 

States and its citizens, presidential 

speeches are often eloquent and 

endearing, conveying the feelings of the nation. The following 

section includes a collection of 

presidential quotes on citizenship 

and the important contributions 

of immigrants. As you read, note 

that throughout history, U.S. presidents have expressed a consistent 

message on these two themes.
76

George Washington

“The bosom of America is open to receive not only the 

Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed 

and persecuted of all Nations And Religions; whom we 

shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and 

privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they 

appear to merit the enjoyment.” H 1783

President George Washington. 

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-H824-T-P01-016

Thomas Jefferson

“Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy 

in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your 

right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not 

you will do, to our established rules. That these rules 

shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit, 

will certainly be the aim of our legislatures, general and 

particular.” H 1801

President Thomas Jefferson.

Courtesy of the Independence National Historical 

Park Collection, Philadelphia, PA 

Abraham Lincoln

“Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common 

country, and should dwell together in the bonds of fraternal feeling.” H 1860
77

Ulysses S. Grant

“The immigrant is not a citizen of any State or Territory 

upon his arrival, but comes here to become a citizen of 

a great Republic, free to change his residence at will, to 

enjoy the blessings of a protecting Government, where 

all are equal before the law, and to add to the national 

wealth by his industry. On his arrival he does not 

know States or corporations, but confides implicitly 

in the protecting arm of the great, free country of 

which he has heard so much before leaving his 

native land.” 1872 H

“The United States wisely, freely, and liberally offers its citizenship to all who may come 

in good faith to reside within its limits on their complying with certain prescribed 

reasonable and simple formalities and conditions. Among the highest duties of the 

Government is that to afford firm, sufficient, and equal protection to all its citizens, 

whether native born or naturalized.” H 1874

President Ulysses S. Grant.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-USZ62-13018

Grover Cleveland

“Heretofore we have welcomed all who came to us from 

other lands except those whose moral or physical condition or history threatened danger to our national welfare 

and safety. Relying upon the zealous watchfulness of our 

people to prevent injury to our political and social fabric, 

we have encouraged those coming from foreign countries 

to cast their lot with us and join in the development 

of our vast domain, securing in return a share in the 

President Grover Cleveland. blessings of American citizenship.” H 1897

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-USZ62-124416
78

Theodore Roosevelt

“The good citizen is the 

man who, whatever his 

wealth or his poverty, 

strives manfully to do 

his duty to himself, 

to his family, to his 

neighbor, to the State; 

who is incapable of the 

baseness which manifests 

itself either in arrogance 

or in envy, but who 

while demanding justice 

for himself is no less 

scrupulous to do justice 

to others. It is because 

the average citizen, rich or poor, is of just this type that we have cause for our profound 

faith in the future of the Republic.” H 1903

“We are all of us Americans, and nothing else; we all have equal rights and equal obligations; we form part of 

one people, in the face of 

all other nations, paying 

allegiance only to one 

flag; and a wrong to any 

one of us is a wrong to 

all the rest of us.” 

H 1917

President Theodore Roosevelt.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-13026

Arriving in the United States.

Courtesy of the USCIS Historical Library
79

Woodrow Wilson

“This is the only country in the world which experiences 

this constant and repeated rebirth. Other countries 

depend upon the multiplication of their own native 

people. This country is constantly drinking strength out 

of new sources by the voluntary association with it of 

great bodies of strong men and forward-looking women 

out of other lands. And so by the gift of the free will of 

independent people it is being constantly renewed from 

generation to generation by the same process by which it 

was originally created....You have just taken an oath of 

allegiance to the United States. Of allegiance to whom? Of allegiance to no one, unless 

it is God—certainly not of allegiance to those who temporarily represent this great 

Government. You have taken an oath of allegiance to a great ideal, to a great body of 

principles, to a great hope of the human race.” H 1915

“We came to America, either ourselves or in the persons of our ancestors, to better the 

ideals of men, to make them see finer things than they had seen before, to get rid of the 

things that divide and to make sure of the things that unite.” H 1915

President Woodrow Wilson.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-USZ62-107577

Warren G. Harding

“Nothing is more important to America than 

citizenship; there is more assurance of our future 

in the individual character of our citizens than 

in any proposal I, and all the wise advisers I can 

gather, can ever put into effect in Washington.” 

H 1920

President Warren G. Harding.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-106243 
80

Calvin Coolidge

“American citizenship is a high estate. He who holds it is 

the peer of kings. It has been secured only by untold toil 

and effort. It will be maintained by no other method. It 

demands the best that men and women have to give. But 

it likewise awards its partakers the best that there is on 

earth.” H 1924

President Calvin Coolidge.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, ppmsc 03670

“Whether one traces 

his Americanism back 

three centuries to the 

Mayflower, or three years 

to the steerage, is not half 

so important as whether 

his Americanism of today is real and genuine. No matter by what various crafts we 

came here, we are all now in the same boat.” H 1925

Asian immigrants arriving at Immigration Station on Angel Island 

near San Francisco, CA, 1931. Courtesy of the National Archives, College Park, MD

Franklin D. Roosevelt

“The principle on which this country was founded and by which it has always been 

governed is that Americanism is a matter of the mind and heart; Americanism is not, 

and never was, a matter of race and ancestry. A good American is one who is loyal to 

this country and to our creed of liberty and democracy.” H 1943
81

Harry S. Truman

“There is no more precious 

possession today than 

United States citizenship. 

A nation is no stronger 

than its citizenry. With 

many problems facing us 

daily in this perplexing 

and trying era, it is vital 

that we have a unity 

of purpose—to the end 

that freedom, justice, 

and opportunity, good 

will, and happiness may 

be assured ourselves and 

peoples everywhere.” 

H 1948

President Harry S. Truman.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-98170

John F. Kennedy

“Everywhere immigrants 

have enriched and 

strengthened the fabric 

of American life.” 

H 1959

Naturalization ceremony in 

Milwaukee, WI, 1963. 

Milwaukee Journal photo courtesy of the USCIS 

Historical Library
82

Lyndon B. Johnson

“Our citizens—naturalized or native-born—must also 

seek to refresh and improve their knowledge of how our 

government operates under the Constitution and how 

they can participate in it. Only in this way can they 

assume the full responsibilities of citizenship and make 

our government more truly of, by, and for the people.” 

H 1967 President Lyndon B. Johnson. 

Courtesy of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum 

Ronald Reagan

“It’s long been my belief that America is a chosen 

place, a rich and fertile continent placed by some Divine 

Providence here between the two great oceans, and only 

those who really wanted to get here would get here. Only 

those who most yearned for freedom would make the terrible trek that it took to get here. America has drawn the 

stoutest hearts from every corner of the world, from every 

nation of the world. And that was lucky for America, 

 because if it was going to endure and grow and protect its 

freedoms for 200 years, it was going to need stout hearts.” H 1984

“I received a letter just before I left office from a man. I don’t know why he chose to 

write it, but I’m glad he did. He wrote that you can go to live in France, but you can’t 

become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Italy, but you can’t become a 

German, an Italian. He went through Turkey, Greece, Japan and other countries. But 

he said anyone, from any corner of the world, can come to live in the United States and 

become an American.” H 1990

President Ronald Reagan.

Courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
83

George H. W. Bush

“Nearly all Americans have ancestors who braved the 

oceans—liberty-loving risk takers in search of an 

ideal—the largest voluntary migrations in recorded 

history. Across the Pacific, across the Atlantic, they 

came from every point on the compass—many passing 

beneath the Statue of Liberty—with fear and vision, 

with sorrow and adventure, fleeing tyranny or terror, 

seeking haven, and all seeking hope...Immigration is 

not just a link to America’s past; it’s also a bridge to 

America’s future.” H 1990

President George H. W. Bush. 

Courtesy of the George H. W. Bush Presidential 

Library

William J. Clinton

“More than any other nation on Earth, America has 

constantly drawn strength and spirit from wave after 

wave of immigrants. In each generation, they have proved 

to be the most restless, the most adventurous, the most 

innovative, the most industrious of people. Bearing different memories, honoring different heritages, they have 

strengthened our economy, enriched our culture, renewed 

our promise of freedom and opportunity for all....And 

together, immigrants and citizens alike, let me say we 

must recommit ourselves to the general duties of citizenship. Not just immigrants, but 

every American should know what’s in our Constitution and understand our shared 

history. Not just immigrants, but every American should participate in our democracy 

by voting, by volunteering and by running for office. Not just immigrants, but every 

American, on our campuses and in our communities, should serve—community service 

breeds good citizenship. And not just immigrants, but every American should reject 

identity politics that seeks to separate us, not bring us together.” H 1998

President William J. Clinton. 

Courtesy of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library
84

George W. Bush

“America has never been united by blood or birth or 

soil. We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our 

backgrounds, lift us above our interests and teach us 

what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught 

these principles. Every citizen must uphold them. And 

every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, makes our 

country more, not less, American.” H 2001

“America’s welcoming society is more than a cultural 

tradition, it is a fundamental promise of our democracy. 

Our Constitution does not limit citizenship by background or birth. Instead, our nation is bound together by a shared love of liberty and 

a conviction that all people are created with dignity and value. Through the generations, Americans have upheld that vision by welcoming new citizens from across the 

globe—and that has made us stand apart.” H 2006

President George W. Bush. 

Official White House Photo

Barack H. Obama

“For more than two centuries, this nation has been a 

beacon of hope and opportunity, a place that has drawn 

enterprising men and women from around the world 

who have sought to build a life as good as their talents 

and their hard work would allow. And generation after 

generation of immigrants have come to these shores 

because they believe that in America all things are 

possible.” H 2009

President Barack H. Obama. 

Official White House Photo
85

Prominent

 Foreign-Born

 Americans

Throughout our nation’s 

history, foreign-born men 

and women have come to 

the United States, taken the Oath 

of Allegiance, and contributed 

greatly to their new communities 

and country. The United States 

welcomes individuals from nations 

near and far and immigrants have 

played an important role in establishing this country as the “land of 

opportunity.” America takes great 

pride in being known as a “nation 

of immigrants.”

The following section provides 

examples of individuals who have 

come to the United States, 

become citizens by choice, and 

left a lasting impression on our 

society. This list is by no means 

all encompassing, as a comprehensive record would be nearly 

impossible. Instead, it serves the 

purpose of highlighting a selection of foreign-born Americans, 

coming from a wide range of 

countries, who have had a significant impact on the United States 

as we know it today.
86

John Paul Jones (1747–1792)

American naval officer.

John Paul was born July 

6, 1747, in Kirkbean, 

Kirkcudbrightshire, 

Scotland (now Dumfries 

and Galloway, Scotland). 

At age 21, he commanded 

his first ship and quickly 

became a very successful 

merchant skipper in the 

West Indies. In the mid 

1770s, he moved to the 

British colonies in North 

America, adopting the last 

name “Jones.” At the beginning of the American 

Revolution, he joined the 

Continental navy and was 

commissioned first 

lieutenant. During the 

war, Jones commanded several vessels, including the Duc de Duras, 

which he renamed Bon Homme Richard in honor of Benjamin Franklin’s 

Poor Richard’s Almanack. Aboard this ship on September 23, 1779, Jones 

engaged the British vessel HMS Serapis off the coast of England. Jones 

defeated the HMS Serapis in one of the most storied battles in United 

States naval history. He is now entombed beneath the chapel of the 

U.S. Naval Academy 

in Annapolis, 

Maryland. 

“John Paul Jones” by George Bagby Matthews.

Courtesy of the U.S. Senate

The Bon Homme Richard.

Courtesy of the National Archives, NARA File # 

019-N-10430
87

Alexander Hamilton (1757–1804)

First Secretary of the Treasury, serving under President George 

Washington. Hamilton was born January 11, 1757, on the island of 

Nevis, British West Indies (now part of the independent country of Saint 

Kitts and Nevis). Hamilton moved to America in 1772, where he attended preparatory school in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. At the outbreak 

of the American Revolution in 1776, Hamilton entered the Continental 

army in New York as captain of artillery. In 1777, he was appointed aidede-camp to General George Washington. Hamilton was one of three men 

responsible for the Federalist Papers, and was a guiding spirit behind the 

adoption of the U.S. Constitution. With the adoption of the Constitution 

in 1787, Hamilton, like all other residents of the new nation, became an 

original “founding” citizen of the United States. He was also a founder 

and leader of the first political party in the United States, the Federalists.

William A. Leidesdorff (1810–1848)

American businessman and first African American diplomat.

Leidesdorff was born in the Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin 

Islands) to a Danish man and an African woman in 1810. He was raised 

by a wealthy English plantation owner and obtained a formal education 

while in the Danish West Indies. Upon his caretaker’s untimely death, 

he moved to the United States, settling in New Orleans, Louisiana. He 

became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1834. Leidesdorff became active in 

the mercantile industry and soon developed a trade route between Yerba 

Buena (now San Francisco), California, and 

Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1844, while living in 

California (then part of Mexico), he became 

a Mexican citizen in order to increase his 

landholdings. On October 29, 1845, Thomas 

O. Larkin, U.S. consul in Monterey, California, 

appointed Leidesdorff as vice consul at Yerba 

Buena. Leidesdorff secretly helped the United 

 States annex the region of California. His 

 service as vice consul lasted until the U.S. 

 occupation of northern California in July 1846.

William Leidesdorff.

Courtesy of the Virtual Museum of the City of 

San Francisco
88

Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922)

American inventor, introduced 

the telephone in 

1876. Bell was born 

March 3, 1847, in 

Edinburgh, Scotland. 

In 1872, he moved 

to the United States, 

where he taught at 

Boston University. 

Bell became a naturalized U.S. citizen 

in 1882. At an early 

age, he was fascinated with the idea of 

transmitting speech. 

While working with 

his assistant, Thomas 

Watson, in Boston, 

Bell shared his idea of 

what would become 

the telephone. In 

1876, Bell introduced 

the telephone to 

the world at the 

Centennial Exposition 

in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The invention of the telephone led to the 

organization of the Bell Telephone Company. Bell was also responsible 

for inventing the photophone in 1880, an instrument that transmitted 

speech by light rays. In addition, he was a 

co-founder of the National Geographic Society, 

and served as its president from 1898 to 1904. 

Alexander Graham Bell.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-14759

Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephone.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-D420-2988
89

Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911)

American newspaper publisher. Pulitzer was born April 10, 1847, in 

Makó, Hungary. He immigrated to the United States in 1864 to serve 

in the American Civil War, joining the First New York Cavalry. Pulitzer 

began his newspaper career as an employee of a German-language daily 

in St. Louis, Missouri. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1867. After 

buying two St. Louis newspapers and merging them into the successful 

St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1878, Pulitzer purchased the New York World in 1883. 

He shifted the newspaper’s focus toward human-interest stories, scandals, and fighting corruption as the World’s circulation grew from 15,000 

to 600,000—the largest in the United States. Before his death in 1911, 

Pulitzer pledged money to set up a school of journalism at Columbia 

University in New York as well as the Pulitzer Prizes for journalists. The 

Pulitzer Prizes are now considered the most prestigious awards in print 

journalism.

Frances X. Cabrini (1850–1917)

American humanitarian and social worker, first U.S. citizen to be 

canonized by the Catholic Church. Cabrini was born July 15, 1850, in 

Sant’Angelo Lodigiano, Italy. After taking vows to become a nun in 1877, 

she began teaching at an orphanage in Codogno, Italy. In 1889, Pope Leo 

XIII sent her to New York to begin ministering to the growing number 

of new immigrants in the United States. She became a naturalized U.S. 

citizen in 1909. Throughout her lifetime, 

Cabrini worked with all those in need, including the poor, the uneducated, and the sick. She 

helped organize schools, orphanages, and adult 

education classes for immigrants in her nearly 

forty years of ministry. In 1946, Pope Pius XII 

canonized her, making her the first U.S. citizen 

to be canonized. Cabrini is now the Catholic 

Church’s patron saint of immigrants. 

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-103568
90

Michael Pupin (1858–1935)

American physicist 

and inventor. Pupin 

was born October 

4, 1858, in Idvor, 

Austria-Hungary 

(now Serbia). In 

1874, he moved to 

the United States, 

settling in New York. 

Pupin graduated from 

Columbia University 

with a degree in 

physics in 1883. He 

became a natural-

 ized U.S citizen that 

 same year. In 1889, 

Pupin obtained his doctorate from the University of Berlin. Upon graduation, he returned to Columbia University where he taught for more 

than forty years. Pupin was well known for his improvement of longdistance telephone and telegraph communication. Throughout his career, 

he received thirty-four patents for his inventions. In 1924, he won the 

Pulitzer Prize for his autobiography, From Immigrant to Inventor. 

Solomon Carter Fuller (1872–1953)

American psychiatrist, first known 

African American psychiatrist in 

the United States. Fuller was born in 

Monrovia, Liberia, in 1872. In 1889, 

he moved to the United States to 

attend Livingston College in Salisbury, 

North Carolina. He received his 

Michael Pupin.

Public domain photo

Solomon Carter Fuller.

Courtesy of Boston University
91

M.D. from Boston University’s School of Medicine in 1894, and began 

teaching there in 1899. Fuller spent a year in Munich, Germany, studying 

psychiatry. Much of his research centered on degenerative brain diseases 

including Alzheimer’s disease, which he attributed to causes other than 

arteriosclerosis, a theory that was fully supported by medical researchers 

in 1953. Fuller became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1920.

Albert Einstein (1879–1955)

American scientist and Nobel laureate in physics, widely considered 

to be the greatest scientist of the twentieth century. Einstein was 

born March 14, 1879, at Ulm, in Württemberg, Germany. In 1921, he 

received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the law of the 

photoelectric effect. Einstein’s special theory of relativity containing the 

famous equation E=mc2 also won him international praise. When the 

Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, he immigrated to the United 

States and joined the newly formed Institute for Advanced Studies at 

Princeton University. Einstein became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1940. 

Albert Einstein 

receiving his 

certificate of 

American 

citizenship, 

October 1, 

1940.

Courtesy of the 

Library of Congress, 

LC-DIG-ppmsca-05649
92

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)

American composer. Stravinsky was born June 17, 1882, in 

Oranienbaum, Russia (now Lomonosov, Russia). His early career was 

spent composing in Switzerland and Paris, France. Stravinsky’s works 

include The Rite of Spring (1913), The Soldier’s Tale (1918), Oedipus Rex (1927), 

and Perséphone (1934). In 1939, he left Europe and settled in the United 

States. Stravinsky became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1945. The various 

styles of music he experimented with made Stravinsky one of the most 

influential composers of his time. He is now widely regarded as one of 

the greatest composers of the twentieth century.

Felix Frankfurter (1882–1965)

American legal 

scholar and U.S. 

Supreme Court 

Justice. Frankfurter 

was born November 

15, 1882, in Vienna, 

Austria-Hungary 

(now Austria). In 

1894, he immigrated 

to the United States 

and attended both 

City College of New 

York and Harvard Law 

School. By virtue of 

his father’s naturalization, Frankfurter 

became a naturalized 

U.S. citizen. He went 

Justice Felix Frankfurter. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 

LC-USZ62-36966
93

on to serve as an assistant U.S. attorney in New York State (1906-1910) 

and a legal officer in the Bureau of Insular Affairs (1911-1914). From 

1914 to 1939, Frankfurter was a professor at Harvard Law School. In 

1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed him an associate justice 

to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Knute Rockne (1888–1931)

American football player and coach. Rockne was born March 4, 1888, 

in Voss, Norway. His father brought the family to the United States in 

1893. By virtue of his father’s naturalization, Rockne became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1896. As the head football coach of the University 

of Notre Dame from 1918 to 1930, he achieved the greatest winning 

percentage of all time at .881 percent. During his years as head coach, 

Rockne collected 105 victories, twelve losses, five ties, and six national 

championships. He also coached Notre Dame to five undefeated seasons. 

Both as a player and a coach, Rockne popularized the use of the forward 

pass, which significantly changed how the game was played.

Knute Rockne, seated, at a Notre Dame football practice in the late 1920s. Courtesy of the University of Notre Dame
94

I

American composer 

and songwriter.

Berlin was born 

May 11, 1888, in 

Mogilyov, Russia 

(now Belarus). In 

1893, his family 

immigrated to the 

United States. He 

became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 

1918. Berlin wrote 

music and lyrics for 

Broadway shows such 

as Annie Get Your Gun

(1946) and Miss Liberty

(1949), as well as for 

films such as Holiday 

Inn (1942), Blue Skies

(1946), and Easter 

Parade (1948). He also 

 wrote popular songs 

 such as “There’s No 

 Business Like 

Show Business,” “God Bless America,” and the holiday classic “White 

Christmas.” In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower recognized Berlin’s 

patriotic songs by presenting him with a special medal authorized by the 

U.S. Congress. In 1986, Berlin was one of twelve naturalized U.S. citizens 

to receive the Medal of Liberty from President Ronald Reagan.

Irving Berlin. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-37541

Frank Capra (1897–1991)

American film director and producer. Capra was born May 18, 1897, 

in Palermo, Italy. In 1903, his family immigrated to the United States, 
95

settling in Los Angeles. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1920. 

Capra is known for directing such films as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

(1939), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), for 

which he won the Academy Award for Best Director. Although it was 

considered a box office failure upon its release, his 1946 film It’s a 

Wonderful Life has become one of the most beloved holiday films 

of all time.

Dalip Singh Saund (1899–1973)

American congressman and 

first Asian American to serve 

in the U.S. Congress. Saund was 

born September 20, 1899, in 

Chhajulwadi, Punjab, India. He 

graduated from the University 

of Punjab in 1919 and moved to 

the United States the following 

year to attend the University 

of California. Saund earned 

both a master’s degree and a 

doctorate from the University 

of California. He then became a 

successful lettuce farmer in the 

Imperial Valley of California. He 

became a naturalized U.S. citizen 

in 1949. In 1952, Saund was 

elected judge of Justice Court 

for the Westmoreland Judicial 

District in California’s Imperial 

County, a position he was 

denied two years earlier because he had not been a U.S. citizen for more 

than a year. In 1956, he was elected to represent the 29th Congressional 

District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the 

first Asian American to serve in the U.S. Congress.

Dalip Singh Saund.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-102603
96

Marlene Dietrich (1901–1992)

American actress and singer. Dietrich was born December 27, 1901, in 

Berlin, Germany. She began her acting career in Berlin where she quickly 

became popular in the theater and in silent films. In 1929, she was cast 

in the film The Blue Angel (1930) by American director Josef von Sternberg. 

Her performance was widely acclaimed and Dietrich promptly moved 

to the United States. She starred in a variety of films during her career, 

including Morocco (1930), The Devil Is a Woman (1935), Desire (1936), and 

Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 

1939. During World War II, Dietrich made over 500 appearances before 

American troops overseas. 

Bob Hope (1903–2003)

American entertainer. Hope was born 

May 29, 1903, in 

Eltham, Great Britain. 

In 1907, his father 

moved the family to 

Cleveland, Ohio. In 

1920, by virtue of his 

father’s naturalization, “Bob”—the 

name he took for the 

rest of his life—became a U.S. citizen. 

Throughout his 

career, he appeared in 

a variety of films and 

television specials, 

and performed many 

shows for American 

Bob Hope. Courtesy of the Bob Hope Collection
97

troops overseas, including World War II (1939–1945), the Korean War 

(1950–1953), the Vietnam War (1959–1975), and the Persian Gulf War 

(1991). In 1997, President William Clinton named him an honorary 

military veteran.

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910–1995)

American scientist 

and Nobel laureate. Chandrasekhar 

was born October 

19, 1910, in 

Lahore, India (now 

Pakistan). He earned 

a bachelor’s degree in 

physics at Presidency 

College in Madras, 

India, and a doctorate from Trinity 

College in England. 

Chandrasekhar immigrated to the United 

States in 1937, where 

he joined the faculty 

of the University of 

Chicago. He became 

 a naturalized U.S. 

 citizen in 1953. 

Chandrasekhar was the first to theorize that not all stars end up as white 

dwarf stars, but those retaining mass above a certain limit, known today 

as “Chandrasekhar’s limit,” undergo further collapse. In 1983, he was 

awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his theoretical studies of the 

physical processes important to the structure and evolution of stars. 

In 1999, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 

named one of its four “Great Observatories” orbiting the Earth in space 

for Chandrasekhar. 

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Courtesy of the University of Chicago
98

Kenneth B. Clark (1914–2005)

American psychologist. Clark was born 

July 14, 1914, in the 

Panama Canal Zone. 

In 1919, he moved 

to the United States, 

settling in New York 

with his mother and 

sister. He became 

a naturalized U.S. 

citizen in 1931. Clark 

obtained a bachelor’s 

degree from Howard 

University in 1935 

and a master’s degree 

in 1936. He went on 

to earn a doctorate 

in experimental 

psychology from 

Columbia University

in 1940, becoming 

the first African American to earn a doctorate in psychology at the 

school. In 1946, he and his wife Mamie founded the Northside Center 

for Child Development in Harlem, New York, where they began conducting research on racial bias in education. A 1950 report from Clark on 

racial discrimination was cited in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education

Supreme Court decision, which ruled public school segregation unconstitutional. Clark was also the first African American to serve as president 

of the American Psychological Association. In 1986, he was one of 

twelve naturalized U.S. citizens to receive the Medal of Liberty from 

President Ronald Reagan.

Kenneth B. Clark. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-115757
99

Celia Cruz (1925–2003)

American singer, 

known as the 

“Queen of Salsa.” 

Cruz was born 

October 21, 1925, 

in Havana, Cuba. She 

became famous in 

Cuba in the 1950s, 

singing with the band 

La Sonora Matancera. 

Cruz left Cuba for the 

United States in 1960, 

after Fidel Castro 

came to power. She 

was soon headlining 

the Hollywood 

 Palladium in 

 California and 

 Carnegie Hall in New 

York. Cruz became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1961. She appeared 

in several films, including The Mambo Kings (1992) and The Perez Family

(1995), and sang a duet with David Byrne for the 1986 film Something 

Wild. During her long career, Cruz received a Smithsonian Lifetime 

Achievement Award, a National Medal of the Arts, and honorary doctorates from Yale University and the University of Miami. 

Celia Cruz. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-118256
100

Naturalization ceremony in the Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, DC, 

December 15, 2005. 

Courtesy of the USCIS Office of Communications
101

Acknowledgements

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Office of Citizenship

would like to extend its appreciation to the following organizations for 

their support and assistance in the development of this publication:

Center for Civic Education

http://www.civiced.org

National Endowment for the Humanities

http://www.neh.gov

National Constitution Center

http://www.constitutioncenter.org

USCIS Historical Reference Library

http://www.uscis.gov

Marilyn Zoidis, formerly Senior Curator, Star-Spangled Banner Project, 

Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History

http://americanhistory.si.edu

“Our nation is not bound together by common ties of blood, race, or religion; we are united 

instead by our devotion to shared ideals. So each generation of Americans—both native-born 

and immigrants—must learn our great founding principles, how our institutions came 

into being, how they work, and what our rights and responsibilities are. For this reason, 

the National Endowment for the Humanities is proud to support the development of The 

Citizen’s Almanac. This valuable resource will help new Americans become educated and 

thoughtful citizens who can fully participate in our government of, by, and for the people.”

 — Bruce Cole, Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities
102

Memories of the Occasion
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us 

to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; 

to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do 

all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with 

all nations.”

— Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865. 

Now inscribed in the chamber of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

“Lincoln at Independence Hall” (1908) by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-101376
History-Study & Teaching/Civics

T Citizen’s Almanac

Americans by birth or by choice, we are all united by the common 

civic values expressed in our founding documents, the Declaration of 

Independence and the Constitution of the United States. This common 

civic identity binds us together as one nation. The Citizen’s Almanac, a collection of America’s most cherished symbols of freedom and liberty, serves 

as a modern day lifeline to our rich civic history. From historic speeches 

to landmark Supreme Court decisions, The Citizen’s Almanac offers a fascinating look into the fundamental civic values that have helped shape the 

country we know today.

In The Citizen’s Almanac, both native-born and naturalized citizens will find 

important information on the rights and responsibilities associated with 

United States citizenship. Becoming an active participant in our system of 

government further strengthens our great democracy. As former Supreme 

Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “The only title in our democracy 

superior to that of President [is] the title of citizen.” Through civic 

participation and further learning about our country, its founding ideals, 

achievements, and history, America’s newest generation of citizens will 

enjoy the fruits of responsible citizenship for years to come.

http://www.uscis.gov

ISBN 978-0-16-078003-5

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