The great books are not relics — they are living conversations across millennia. This library gathers the essential works of Western civilization: the epics, dramas, and novels that shaped our imagination; the Christian texts that shaped our faith; the educational philosophy behind classical schools; and the founding documents that shaped our republic. Each entry includes a summary, context, and links to buy or read free.
184
Classical Literature
25
Christian Masterworks
32
Books on Classical Education
25
Founding Documents
Founding Documents (25)
11th Amendment
United States Congress · 1795
The Eleventh Amendment limits federal court jurisdiction by prohibiting citizens of one state or foreign nations from suing another state...
13th Amendment
United States Congress · 1865
The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States. It was the first of the Reconstruction...
15th Amendment
United States Congress · 1870
The Fifteenth Amendment prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It was the last of ...
17th Amendment
United States Congress · 1913
The Seventeenth Amendment established the direct election of United States Senators by popular vote, replacing election by state legislat...
19th Amendment
United States Congress · 1920
The Nineteenth Amendment guarantees all American citizens the right to vote regardless of sex. Ratified in 1920, it was the culmination o...
21st Amendment
United States Congress · 1933
The Twenty-First Amendment repealed the Eighteenth Amendment, ending Prohibition. It is the only amendment that repeals a previous amendm...
23rd Amendment
United States Congress · 1961
The Twenty-Third Amendment grants residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections, allotting the District elect...
25th Amendment
United States Congress · 1967
The Twenty-Fifth Amendment establishes procedures for presidential succession and disability, including appointing a new vice president a...
27th Amendment
United States Congress (originally proposed by James Madison) · 1992
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment prohibits congressional pay raises from taking effect until after the next election. Originally proposed by ...
Articles of Confederation
Continental Congress · 1781
The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States, establishing a loose confederation of sovereign states wi...
Bill of Rights (Amendments 1
James Madison (principal author) · 1791
The Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing fundamental liberties including freedom of speech...
Brutus No. 2
"Brutus" (likely Robert Yates) · 1787
Brutus No. 2 warns that the Constitution's "necessary and proper" clause gives Congress effectively unlimited power, enabl...
Centinel No. 1
"Centinel" (Samuel Bryan) · 1787
Centinel No. 1 argues the Constitution lacks sufficient checks on power and will lead to aristocratic government. Samuel Bryan warns the ...
Committee of Detail Report
John Rutledge (chair), Edmund Randolph, others · 1787
The Committee of Detail Report was the first complete draft of the Constitution, produced from the Convention's resolutions during a...
Committee of Style Report
Gouverneur Morris (principal drafter) · 1787
Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise)
Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth · 1787
The Connecticut Compromise resolved the Convention's most divisive dispute by creating a bicameral legislature: the House with propo...
Constitution of the United States
Constitutional Convention (James Madison, principal architect) · 1787
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land, establishing the framework of the federal government with its separ...
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson (principal author) · 1776
The Declaration of Independence announced the separation of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain and articulated the natural...
Federalist No. 1
Alexander Hamilton · 1787
Federalist No. 1 is Hamilton's introduction to the Federalist Papers. He frames the ratification debate as a test of whether good go...
Federalist No. 39
James Madison · 1788
Federalist No. 39 defines the republican character of the proposed government. Madison demonstrates that it is neither purely national no...
Federalist No. 51
James Madison · 1788
Federalist No. 51 is Madison's defense of checks and balances, containing the most quoted line in American political thought: "...
Federalist No. 78
Alexander Hamilton · 1788
Federalist No. 78 defends an independent judiciary and lays the foundation for judicial review. Hamilton calls the judiciary "the le...
Hamilton's Plan
Alexander Hamilton · 1787
Hamilton's Plan proposed a powerful central government with a president and senators serving for life. Though never adopted, Hamilto...
New Jersey Plan
William Paterson · 1787
The New Jersey Plan was a counter-proposal at the Constitutional Convention favoring equal representation for each state regardless of po...
The Complete Federalist Papers
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay · 1787–1788
The Federalist Papers are 85 essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay defending the proposed Constitution. They remain the most important com...
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