Rick Gardiner has created a very impressive site, called "The American Colonist’s Library." This Web site contains full-length transcriptions of thousands of documents that were significant to American history.
Here is a brief list of just a few items I found:
• Mayflower Compact (1620). The first political covenant of the New England migration.
• Of Plymouth Plantation (Written 1630-1654, first published 1854). This is Governor William Bradford's eyewitness history of the first English settlers of New England, the most comprehensive primary source available on early Plymouth.
• The Flushing Remonstrance (1657) Proclamation granting liberty to "Jews, Muslims, and Quakers" on Long Island, New York, on the grounds of New Testament graciousness. Extremely progressive for the American colonies.
• The Status of Religion in Virginia (1661)
• Court Records Dealing with Runaway Slaves in Virginia
• The Works of John Wesley. An English preacher, Wesley developed the practice of itinerant preaching: out of doors, traveling long distances on horseback. Wesley was a strong opponent of the Calvinism which was prevalent in America.
• Letters of John Wesley
• Works of Benjamin Franklin
• Works of Sam Adams
• Works of George Washington
• First-hand Account of the Midnight Ride, Paul Revere (1775)
• The Kentucky Resolutions (1799)
The above is a very brief list but will give you an idea of what can be found in the American Colonist’s Library. There are thousands of such papers available on this site. These documents provide an insight into the ideas that affected our ancestors' lives.
You can see the American Colonist’s Library for yourself at: http://www2.pitnet.net/primarysources/
