This documentary collection traces the development and meaning of democracy in America from colonial times to the present. It includes classic writings and speeches such as Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention," Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address," and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream." Also a part of this collection are lesser-known gems such as Sojourner Truth's "When Woman Gets Her Rights Men Will Be Right," Henry Steele Commager's "Who Is. Loyal to America?," and Fannie Lou Hamer's testimony before the Credentials Committee of the Democratic Party national convention. Written or spoken by presidents and ex-slaves, political theorists and poets, labor leaders and songwriters, Supreme Court justices and suffragettes, liberals and conservatives, these documents reflect the diversity and breadth on which the nation was founded. Each document is organized with a fact summary, up-to-date commentary based on. Recent scholarship, and a list of suggested readings. Forty-seven illustrations complement the text.