Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789

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Go directly to the collection, Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, in American Memory, or view a Summary of Resources related to the collection.

The collections can be used to support discussions of literary themes such as courage and risk, achieving independence, vision and ideals, growth and change, and conflict and resolution.

Persuasive Argument

This collection is an excellent resource for studying persuasive literature and the techniques used to put forth an argument. The Declaration of Independence, for example, is an excellent source for examining the presentation of an ordered argument. Using the documents, students can analyze the strength and persuasiveness of a broadside's argument. Students can search in other parts of the collection or other sources for evidence that a broadside's arguments bore fruit over time.

Creative Writing

Using the collection, students might write and produce their own broadsides on contemporary issues of importance to them. Students can test the persuasiveness of their arguments on their classmates.