Documents Section 1: 1776-1840
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1776
Address on government in general and recommending a particular form (Fragment)
Carter Braxton
PDF (5 MB)
 

1788
Debates in Massachusetts on ratifying the Constitution (Selected Pages)
PDF (22 MB)

Debates in North Carolina on ratifying the Constitution (Selected Pages)
PDF (5 MB)

Debates in Virginia on ratifying the Constitution (Selected Pages)
PDF (16 MB)
 

1794
Disunion sentiment in Congress in 1794
John Taylor of Caroline
PDF (26 MB)

The Constitutionalist
"Americanus" [Timothy Ford]
PDF (40 MB)
 

1796
Dissertation on slavery with a proposal for the general abolition of it in the State of Virginia
St. George Tucker
PDF (70 MB)


1798
Enquiry whether the Act of Congress [Sedition Bill] is unconstitutional or not
"Philodemos" [Judge Nelson]
PDF (5 MB)

Letter to his friend [St. George Tucker] justifying the conduct of the citizens of Kentucky
George Nicholas
PDF (36 MB)
 

1799
Letter to a member of Congress respecting the Alien and Sedition Laws
"Columbus" [St. George Tucker]
PDF (66 MB)
 

1800
Analysis of the report of the Committee of the Virginia Assembly [Madison's Report]
Alexander Addison
PDF (59 MB)
 

1803
Reflections on the cession of Louisiana to the United States
"Sylvestris" [St. George Tucker]
PDF (20 MB)
 

1809
Patriotick Proceedings of the Legislature of Massachusetts
PDF 1 (17 MB)
PDF 2 (29 MB)
PDF 3 (w/ McClellan's Notes) (17 MB)
 

1812
Argument on the right of the constituent to instruct his representatives in Congress
Anonymous
PDF (28 MB)
 

1813
Thought in answer to a question respecting the division of the states
"A Massachusetts Farmer"
PDF (14 MB)
 

1815
Report and resolutions of the Hartford Convention
Hezekiah Niles
PDF (12 MB)
 

1821
Defence of a liberal construction of the powers of Congress as regards internal improvement
George McDuffie
PDF (20 MB)
(Third Philadelphia Edition published in 1832, see document below)

National and state rights considered in reply to the Trio
"One of the People" [George McDuffie]
PDF (24 MB)
 

1824
Consolidation an account of parties in the United States from the Convention of 1787 to the present period (Part 1)
Thomas Cooper
PDF (23 MB)
(Note: Part 2 was published in 1834)

Otis' letters in defence of the Hartford Convention
James Otis
 PDF (47 MB)

Remarks on State Rights
"A Citizen of Massachusetts"
 PDF (33 MB)
 

1825
Concise view of the critical situation and future prospects of the slave-holding states
Whitemarsh Seabrook
PDF (22 MB)

Letters of Dr. Thomas Cooper (1825-1832)
Thomas Cooper  
PDF (15 MB)
 

1826
"Onslow" to "Patrick Henry" on the powers of the Vice-President as president of the Senate (Papers of Calhoun)
John C. Calhoun
PDF (22 MB)
 

1827
The crisis or essays on the usurpations of the federal government
"Brutus" [Robert Turnbull]
PDF 1: Essays 1-13 (37 MB)
PDF 2: Essays 14-22 (42 MB)
PDF 3: Essays 23-33 (40 MB)
 

1828
Report of the Senate of South Carolina on a resolution relating to states rights
(with McClellan Notes)
Robert Turnbull
PDF (11 MB)

Review of the late pamphlet by Brutus [Robert Turnbull]
"Hamilton"
 PDF (74 MB)

South Carolina Exposition (Original Draft from Papers of Calhoun)
John C. Calhoun
PDF (43 MB)
 

1830
Address to the people in opposition to disunion convention and nullification
"Jefferson" [J.S. Richardson]
PDF (29 MB)

Defense of the South!!
General [Robert] Hayne
PDF (13 MB)

Documents regarding nullification in South Carolina (1830-1834)
Various
PDF (70 MB)

Essays on the origin of the federal government
"Brutus" [Robert Turnbull]
PDF (17 MB)

Proceedings and the resolutions and address adopted by the State Rights Party in Charleston
PDF (12 MB)

Proceedings of the State Rights Celebration at Charleston
William Drayton, Robert Hayne and others
PDF: Dark Copy (35 MB)
PDF: Light Copy (35 MB)
(As this document was damaged, please consult both copies as needed.)

Proceedings of the state rights meeting
PDF (33 MB)

Reply to Chancellor Harper in opposition to nullification and convention
J.S. Richardson
PDF (10 MB)

Report of the Select Committee of the Senate of South Carolina concerning convention (with related speeches)
PDF 1 (76 MB)
PDF 2 (59 MB)
PDF 3 (120 MB)

The remedy by state interposition or nullification explained and advocated
Chancellor Harper
PDF (18 MB)

Resolutions of the General Assembly of Kentucky concerning the powers of the central government over tariffs and internal improvements
PDF (16 MB)

Southern Review Vol. 6 (Reviews of Martin v. Hunters Lessee, Cohens v. Virginia, and John Taylor's new views on the Constitution)
[Judge Samuel Prioleau]
PDF (60 MB)
(Missing pages 446-447 and 504-505)

Speech on Mr. Foot's resolution to abolish the office of Surveyor-General
of Public Lands
Mr. Livingston
PDF (16 MB)
 

1831
Address and constitution of the State Rights and Free Trade Association of Sumter District
PDF (6 MB)

Address on the relation which the states and general government bear each other (Papers of Calhoun)
John C. Calhoun
PDF (25 MB)

Address to the people of South Carolina from the Legislature at the close of its session (Papers of Calhoun)
John C. Calhoun
PDF (17 MB)

Constitution of the State Rights and Free Trade Association of SOuth Carolina with the address prefixed
PDF (7 MB)

Debate in the South Carolina Legislature in December 1830
PDF 1: Report (35 MB)
PDF 2: Debate (Part 1) (99 MB)
PDF 3: Debate (Part 2) (67 MB)
PDF 4: Debate (Part 3) (51 MB)

The Calhoun doctrine on state nullification
"A Democratic Republican "
PDF (23 MB)

The Genuine Book on Nullification
"Hampton" [Francis W. Pickens]
PDF 1: Body (74 MB)
PDF 2: Appendix (Part 1) (57 MB)
PDF 3: Appendix (Part 2) (58 MB)

Introductory address at the first meeting of the Charleston State Rights and Free Trade Association
Governor [James] Hamilton
PDF (13 MB)

Opinions of the Vice President on the relations of the states and general government
John C. Calhoun
PDF (18 MB)

Oration on the Fourth of July
William Drayton
PDF (30 MB)

Oration on the Fourth of July
Robert Hayne
PDF (31 MB)

Proceedings of the celebration of the Fourth of July by the State Rights and Free Trade Party
PDF (52 MB)

Proceedings of the first meeting of the Charleston State Rights and Free Trade Association of South-Carolina
PDF (15 MB)

The Question
"Gracchus"
PDF (17 MB)

Report for the Committee on Federal Relations of the Legislature of South Carolina (Papers of Calhoun)
John C. Calhoun
PDF (23 MB)

Speech against the doctrine of nullification
William Smith
PDF (36 MB)
 

1832
Address by the Free Trade and States Rights Association to the people of South Carolina
PDF: Best Copy (17 MB)
PDF: Dark Copy (14 MB)
PDF: Light Copy (21 MB)
(As this document was damaged, please consult both copies as needed.)

Address to the people of South Carolina by their delegates in convention
Robert Turnbull
PDF (10 MB)

Address to the people of the United States by the Convention of the People of South Carolina
George McDuffie
PDF (11 MB)

Appeal to the people on the question "What shall we do next?"
[Free Trade and State Rights Association of South Carolina]
PDF (8 MB)

The Crisis, an appeal to the good sense of the nation
Matthew Carey
PDF (21 MB)

Constitutional arguments indicating the rights and policy of the Southern states
Charles Stevens
PDF (28 MB)

Defence of a liberal construction of the powers of Congress as regards internal improvements (Third Philadelphia Edition)
George McDuffie
PDF (18 MB)
(Original published in 1821, see document above)

Letter to a committee of the State Rights and Free Trade Party embracing a reply to Col Drayton's late address
Robert Hayne
PDF (19 MB)

Letter to General Hamilton on the subject of state interposition (Papers of Calhoun)
John C. Calhoun
PDF (38 MB)

Memoirs of a nullifier
"A Native of the South" [A.S. Johnston of Virginia]
PDF (70 MB)

Oration on the Fourth of July
Robert Turnbull
PDF (30 MB)

Proceedings of the States Rights and Free Trade Convention
PDF (12 MB)

Proclamation by the Governor of South-Carolina
Robert Hayne
PDF (9 MB)

Report, ordinances and addresses of the Convention of the People of South Carolina
PDF (33 MB)

Speech explaining and enforcing the remedy of nullification
Judge Harper
PDF (9 MB)

State sovereignty and a certain dissolution of the Union...
Benjamin Romaine
PDF (37 MB)

The prospect before us or strictures on the late message of the President of the United States and the report of the Secretary of the Treasury
"Aristides" [William Elliot]
PDF (18 MB)
 

1833
Oration on the Fourth of July
Henry Laurens Pinckney
PDF (37 MB)

Remarks on the Ordinance of nullification, the President's last message, and the Enforcement Bill
"A South Carolinian" [Henry Laurens Pinckney]
PDF (44 MB)

Report on the mediation of Virginia for the Convention of the People of the State of South Carolina
PDF (2 MB)

Speech against nullification and secession
Robert J Walker
PDF (12 MB)

Speech in reply to Mr. Webster on the resolutions respecting the rights of the states
John C. Calhoun
PDF (38 MB)

Speeches delivered in the convention of the state of South-Carolina
Various
PDF (53 MB)
 

1834
Consolidation an account of parties in the United States from the Convention of 1787 to the present period (Part 2)
Thomas Cooper
PDF (29 MB)
(Note: Part 1 was published in 1824)
 

1835
Prospect before us or a series of essays on the presidential election
"A South-Carolinian"
PDF (26 MB)

Remarks on the decision of the Appeal Court of South Carolina in the case of Wells and on the abolition movements at the North 
"A States Rights Man and A South-Carolinian"
PDF (40 MB)
 

1836
Oration on the Fourth of July
James Conquest Cross
PDF (18 MB)
 

1838
Address before the Young Mens Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois (Fragment)
Abraham Lincoln
PDF (6 MB)
 

1839
A discourse on the genius of the federative system of the United States
Nathaniel Beverley Tucker
PDF (16 MB)

Speech in accepting the statue of Senator Wade Hampton in Statuary Hall
Henry St. George Tucker
PDF (6 MB)

 

Continue to Section 2: 1840-1910

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