Barbara Moe & James Wolfe 
Understanding the Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony [PDF ebook] 

Early American colonists were optimistic adventurers who helped build a new settlement. But they also experimented with creating a new society. The Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was the first political document written in the United States, a first attempt at self-government. Discover who wrote this document and why, and how it influenced the creation of the United States government.