Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.

The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 to explain why the American colonies wanted to break away from Great Britain. Its ideas about natural rights and the purpose of government helped shape the values that later appeared in the Constitution.

The Articles of Confederation was the first plan for how the United States would govern itself after independence. It created a weak national government and gave most power to the states. Problems under this system helped convince leaders to write a stronger Constitution.

The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written to persuade people to support the new Constitution in the late 1780s. They explained how the proposed government would work and why checks and balances and a strong national government were important. The essays were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under a pen name.

The Anti-Federalist Papers were essays written by people who worried the new Constitution gave the national government too much power. They argued for stronger protections of individual rights and states’ powers, which helped lead to the Bill of Rights.

Written in 1776 in Virginia, this declaration listed basic freedoms and limits on government power. It helped inspire ideas in the U.S. Constitution and later the Bill of Rights, like protecting individual rights and requiring fair treatment under the law.

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were written in the 1630s and are often called one of the first written constitutions in America. They set up a government with elected leaders and clear rules, which later helped shape ideas about how the U.S. Constitution should organize power.

The Mayflower Compact was an agreement signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims who settled at Plymouth. It set up a simple form of self-government where people promised to make fair laws and follow them. This idea of government by consent helped shape later American political thinking.

The Iroquois Great Law of Peace was a set of rules used by the Iroquois Confederacy to govern several nations together. Some leaders in the American colonies learned about it and were influenced by its ideas of unity and shared decision-making. It helped show that a federation can work while still respecting each group’s independence.