“We in America do not have government by the majority, we have government by the majority who participate. All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” Thomas Jefferson

“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln

“Our Constitution works, our great republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here, the people rule.” Gerald R. Ford

Exhibition: Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions

America is unique among nations.  Her citizens from the beginning defined the fundamental principles of our government. From its beginning,  citizens recognized the importance of written guarantees to protect the fundamental rights of all who live the the United States. They established governments with limited powers. These decisions keep the citizens at the heart of the nation.  Not its rulers. The creating governments of, by and for the people is an ongoing process.

The coronavirus has closed the New York Historical Society.  Now this exhibition is available on-line with a virtual tour and commentary by the curator. This virtual tour includes all 40 books and documents from the New York Historical Society Exhibition. All items are from the collection of collector and philanthropist Dorothy Tapper Goldman.

National Documents

National documents include: the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, 1776 and the Constitution of the United States, 1787. Read the Anti-Federalist attacks  and the Federalist defense of the Constitution. See the Bill of Rights proposed by the House of Representatives (17 Amendments), 1789.

State Documents

The collection of state documents cover 1732 to 1910. The earliest document is Georgia’s 1732 Charter.  The most recent is  New Mexico’s bi-lingual Constitution from 1910.  Included are 22 State constitutions.

Unique Documents

There are documents you studied in school. The Stamp Act of 1765. The Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776. Constitution of the Republic of Texas, 1836. Choctaw Nation Constitution, 1838. The Constitution of the Confederate States, 1861 to name only a few.

This exhibition covers the history of the country as it expanded across the continent. It serves as a reminder of our country’s democratic foundations.  Our goal for improvement. The exhibition, Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic, is now unavailable at the New York Historical Society. To see the virtual tour, the documents and more. https://colonistscitizensconstitutions.org/documents/; https://colonistscitizensconstitutions.org/virtual-exhibition/

Our thanks to Dorothy Taper Goldman for allowing us to share these links and On-line exhibition with you.