E Pluribus Unum, We the People, self-evident truths—these were the touchstones of the 1770s and 1780s. The historic collaboration between Alexander Hamilton and James Madison on the Federalist essays in the late 1780s quickly gave way to a political disagreement so sharp that it sundered US politics permanently into (at least) two rival parties.

As a classroom teacher, I’m no stranger to feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of resources out there. There’s no shortage of materials online—except, of course, for the one resource we wish we had more of: time.

Teaching American History's philosophy is that the best way to learn American history is to read the words of those who lived it. That's why we maintain an extensive database of original documents.

This volume of primary documents on the causes of the Civil War presents the history of the American political order during its most tumultuous and challenging time. More than a century and a half after the crisis came to an end, Americans remain fascinated by it, as they should be.