Historical Documents
Links are provided to historical archives and documents
along with a brief synopsis of each site.
Links
- These 100 documents from the National Archives and Records Administration chronicle US history from 1776-1965.
100 Milestone Documents
- A listing of Supreme Court events on a particular day: Oyez ® US Supreme Court Multimedia Site
Today in Supreme Court History
- Al Capone: A brief explanation of Al Capone's trial and a copy of the Guilty verdict slip.
American Originals
- Annotated Documents from American Legal History include Government before the US Constitution, the US Constitution, Early Federal Practice, the Marshall Court, the Common Law, the Taney Court, and the 14th Amendment.
American Legal History
- The complete text with names and dates signed.
Articles of Confederation
- Blackstone's Commentaries with Notes of Reference, to the Constitution and Laws, of the Federal Government of the United States; and of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Commentary on Constitution and Laws
- Bracton English Common Law: A brief description about the man and about the work is provided as well as links to 2000+ pages of Bracton Online.
Laws and Customs of England 1220-1230
- Clarence Darrow Information: "How to Pick A Jury" (1936), Scopes "Monkey Trial" (1925),Illinois v. Leopold and Loeb (1924), Bill Haywood Trial, Sweet Trials, and links to other Darrow information.
The Clarence Darrow Home Page
- US Constitution: Annotated US Constitution (Findlaw)
The Charters of Freedom
- Debates in First Convention of 1787: A copy of each day's debates with footnotes from May 14, 1787 to September 17, 1787.
By James Madision
- The Constitution Society has provided a library of classic books and other works on constitutional government from the code of Hammurabi (early Mesopotamian legal code) to International constitutions of Afghanistan to Zambia.
Liberty Library of Constitutional Classics
- Declaration of Independence: Text provided by ushistory.org. Also available are the rough draft, Congress's Draft, a list of signers from their individual colonies, and related information and links.
July 4, 1776
- Text of Documents from the Magna Charta to George Bush's 2001 Inaugural address.
From Revolution to Reconstruction
- Declarations and Resolves of the First Continental Congress (October 1774)
October 1774
- Included are Annotated Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Federalist Papers, Landmark Court Decisions, Documentary History of the Bill of Rights, Athenian Constitution, Constitution of the Iroquois Confederacy, Bouvier Law Dictionary. Remote links include Supreme Court Decisions, Congressional Documents and Debates, Thomas Jefferson Papers, US Historical Document Archive.
Founding Documents
- Primary Documents in American History: Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, The Bill of Rights, The Federalist Papers, Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789, Historical Documents Online.
Constitutional Historical Documents
- The Avalon Project at Yale Law School has gathered digital Documents from pre 18th Century to present relevant to Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government. Documents include Agrarian Law from 111B.C. to Middle East Peace Process 2003.
Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy
- An Online discussion network sponsored by American Society for Legal History. H-LAW solicits "discussion of issues relating to teaching and research in the history of all legal traditions."
H Law - Legal History
- Historical Legal and Political Documents: John Locke, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Franklin Roosevelt, Chief Joseph, Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Chronology of US HIstorical Documents, Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy, Congressional Documents & Debates 1774-1875.
Mercer University
- Glanvill Treatise - 1188. This treatise is organized around writs and procedures detailing common custom in English law of the 12th and 13th Century.
Glanvill Treatise
- A chronology of US Historical Documents from Pre-Colonial (Magna Carta) to George Bush's 2006 State of the Union Address (The University of Oklahoma College of Law)
Historical Document Information
- General links to Historical Information, Biographies of Statesmen, Legal History of Ancient Time, Medieval times, and more modern European History (e.g. Disraeli Project, Marx, Hitler), Legal documents in American History from 1619 (Records of the Virginia Company) to Documents dealing with the Iran-Contra Affair, Famous trial & cases from Joan of Arc to the Oklahoma City Bombing Trial
Legal History
- Government, Law section of the Library of Congress American Memory. Contains 22 collections (Haymarket Affair, Jefferson Papers, Lincoln Papers, Madison Papers, Slavery and Law Documents, Congressional Documents from 1774-1875.
Library of Congress US Documents
- Agreement between settlers at New Plymouth in 1620. Part of the Avalon Project at Yale Law School.
Mayflower Compact
- Archives.gov provides Online exhibits, historical documents that include maps, charts, artifact items, still pictures and text.
The National Archives
- This site, a part of the Avalon Project at Yale Law School, presents the Proceedings Volumes from the Trial of the Major War Criminals Before the International Military Tribunal. You will find Motions, Orders of the Tribunal, Presentation of Cases, Witness Testimony and the Final Report. Key Documents related to the Proceedings and Documents of Post War Military Government are listed. Also shown are Documents cited in the official Records of the Tribunal and the Rules of Procedure.
The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials
- The Internet Public Library: Information on Presidents of the United States (election results, cabinet, major events during their administration, biographical links)
Presidents of the United States
- American Presidents: Life Portraits created for the television series.
Video Archive of Life Portraits Programming
- Today in History: Events listed for the current date by The Library of Congress American Memory.
Historical Information on Anniversary Dates
- Timetable of World Legal History: From 2350 BC (Urukagina's Code) to 1948 (The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)Annotated.
Duhaime's Legal Museum
- Complete text available on this site.
US Constitution
- Scanned Originals of the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and The Declaration of Independence
US Founding Documents
- US History Site created and hosted by the Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia. with emphasis on events that took place in Philadelphia
US Historical Information
- Historical Document Compilation made by Davidson College Library providing links to a variety of sites with a wide range of historical and governmental documents addressing law, legislation, court rulings, Congressional Hearings, treaties with Native Americans, papers and speeches of presidents and more.
US Historical Documents