One of the best ways to understand America is through its documents, which include speeches, letters, tweets, and Supreme Court decisions. Among the texts here are the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Emancipation Proclamation, as well as "What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?" from Frederick Douglass, John F. Kennedy's inaugural address, and Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter from the Birmingham City Jail. This updated edition includes a chapter on the COVID-19 pandemic, the insurrection of January 6, 2021, and the Biden presidency.