This page provides information and links to information about the structure and history of the US political system, including the political values that underpin it.

• System Overview
• Australia-USA Comparison
• American Political Values
• The Original 13 American Colonies
• Find each state’s capital, date of admission to the union, state flower and state bird (Popup)
• Some US Political links

Historic Documents

This is a selection of key historical documents relevant to the history and growth of the US constitutional and political system.

• Jul 04, 1776: The Declaration of Independence
• The Original 13 Colonies that became the United States
• United States Constitution – The full searchable text of the Constitution, from Cornell University
• Dec 15, 1791: The Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the Constitution
• Sep 22, 1862: Emancipation Proclamation – Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation freeing the slaves during the Civil War
• Nov 19, 1863: Gettysburg Address – Lincoln’s famous civil war speech
• Jan 06, 1941: The Four Freedoms – President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s remarks at the end of his State of the Union Address
• May 25, 1961: President Kennedy’s Moon Speech – the famous 1961 speech in which JFK committed the US to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade.
• Aug 28, 1963: Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ Speech
• May 22, 1964: The Great Society Speech – President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s 1964 speech outlining his domestic policy philosophy
• Nov 07, 1973: War Powers Act – Passed by Congress in 1973, over the veto of President Richard Nixon, this act represents an important attempt by the Legislative branch to assert itself over the Executive arm of government