50 Core American Documents
Required Reading for Students, Teachers, and Citizens
Edited by Christopher Burkett

© 2016 Ashbrook Center, Ashland University

About the Interactive Constitution
The National Constitution Center unites America’s leading scholars from diverse legal and philosophical perspectives to explore the text, history, and meaning of the U.S. Constitution.

What is the Interactive Constitution?
Since its launch in 2015, this nonpartisan tool has allowed learners of all ages to engage with the text of the Constitution, discover how experts agree and disagree about its history and meaning, and explore arguments on all sides of the constitutional debates at the center of American life.

How it Works:
We selected two scholars for each clause with guidance from the American Constitution Society and the Federalist Society—America’s leading legal organizations representing different perspectives on the Constitution. The Common Interpretation, signed by both scholars, is a joint statement of what they agree about the provision’s history and meaning. Matters of Debate represents each scholar’s individual views.

Common Interpretation: Check out this essay first to see where our scholars agree. It’s like a unanimous Supreme Court opinion, where every word represents common ground.

Matters of Debate: Dive into these essays to discover areas where our scholars disagree about the text and history of the Constitution, and what it means today.

The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson. It was a list of grievances against the king of England intended to justify separation from British rule, and it expressed "self-evident truths" of liberty and equality.

Mar-a-Lago Search Warrant Support Affavadit (released 8/26/22 redacted)