Irish-born Thomas Burke died before his 40th birthday, but the North Carolinian lived long enough to wield sharp tools in constructing America’s foundation. In the spring of 1777, Burke was laboring ...

For over 230 years, the Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States. Before the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation was the ruling document. But it had its problems, ...

The problem of centralized power The United States is broken, and it’s time to think about what comes next. Images of the ...

The confederation's final years: a chronology -- Introduction -- The search for national identity -- War's aftermath -- America's postwar debts: public faith or anarchy? -- Republic and empire: the ...

The Supreme Court justices might be bemused, or depressed, by this question they implicitly will consider in Thursday’s conference: Should they review — the answer is yes — a decision by a lower court ...