This volume in the student-friendly American Eras: Primary Sources series documents the dramatic period when the federal government and the U.S. Constitution were established. The rise of newspapers, the establishment of the federal court system, innovations that made mass production of goods possible, and significant advancements in the construction of roads, canals, and railroads all occurred during this time. Primary sources here include seminal documents—such as the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and groundbreaking Supreme Court opinions—as well as numerous lesser-known documents not readily available to readers. This volume features personal letters, memoirs, laws, sermons, speeches, works of literature, and many other primary source types. Together these sources show the diversity of the American experience.