LibGuides: Primary Source Databases Research Guide: Government Documents and Legal Resources

ProQuest Congressional

ProQuest Congressional includes PDF copies of Congressional publications spanning 1817-1980. These include published hearings extending back to the 23rd Congress (1833-1834) and unpublished hearings extending back to the 18th Congress (1823-1824). In addition, ProQuest Congressional has added PDF copies of Executive department and agency publications which were not included within the Congressional Serial Set from 1817-1932.

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U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1980

The U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1980 contains over 300,000 scanned and searchable publications issued by Congress, chiefly committee reports and documents. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Serial Set also included many publications issued by the Executive departments, such as annual reports of the War Department. The Serial Set database also includes the American State Papers, 1789-1838, a compilation of both Congressional and Executive documents.

U.S. Congressional Serial Set With American State Papers This link opens in a new window

HeinOnline

HeinOnline provides a fully-searchable, image-based archive of historical United States legal documents, including the Congressional Record (1873- ) and its predecessor series, the Annals of Congress (1789-1824), the Register of Debates (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873). HeinOnline also includes the United States Statutes at Large, the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, and decisions of the United States Supreme Court.

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U.S. Declassified Documents Online

U.S. Declassified Documents Online This link opens in a new window
U.S. Declassified Documents Online provides immediate access to a broad range of previously classified federal records spanning the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The collection brings together over 700,000 of the most sensitive documents from all the presidential libraries and numerous executive agencies in a single, easily searchable database.

The collection is the most comprehensive compilation of declassified documents from the executive branch. The types of materials include intelligence studies, policy papers, diplomatic correspondence, cabinet meeting minutes, briefing materials, and domestic surveillance and military reports.

Nebraska Public Documents

Nebraska Public Documents provides free public access to digitized historic annual reports of state agencies in Nebraska for the use of students, scholars, and the general public. This site is made possible through the funding and support of the Nebraska Library Commission, the Nebraska State Historical Society, the Nebraska State Records Board, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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Making of Modern Law

Making of Modern Law: American Civil Liberties Union Papers This link opens in a new window
For most of the twentieth century, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was the principal defender of the rights that citizens can assert against their government. Its primary aims have been the defense of the freedoms of speech and press, the separation of church and state, the free exercise of religion, due process of law, equal protection of the law, and the privacy rights of all citizens.
Making of Modern Law: Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
The Making of Modern Law: Primary Sources contains a virtual goldmine of information for researchers of American legal history—a fully searchable digital archive of the published records of the American colonies, documents published by state constitutional conventions, state and territorial codes, municipal codes, city charters, law dictionaries, digests, and more. Note that the term "primary sources" is used not in the historian's sense of a manuscript, letter or diary, but rather in the legal sense of a case, statute or regulation. The collection brings together many important documents that have been lost, destroyed, or previously inaccessible to researchers of American legal history around the world.
Making of Modern Law: Trials, 1600-1926 This link opens in a new window
The Making of Modern Law: Trials, 1600–1926 is the world's most comprehensive full-text collection of documents from Anglo-American trials. In addition to works pertaining to English-speaking jurisdictions such as the United States, Britain, Ireland, and Canada, this digital archive also contains English-language titles about trials in other jurisdictions, such as France. Users will find published trial transcripts; popular printed accounts of sensational trials for murder, adultery, and other scandalous crimes; unofficially published accounts of trials, briefs, arguments, and other trial documents that were printed as separate publications; official records of legislative proceedings, , administrative proceedings, and arbitration sessions (domestic and international); and books encompassing multiple trials as well as books and pamphlets about a single trial.

State Papers Online

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State Papers Online provides access to the British State Papers, the papers of the Secretary of State from Henry VIII's accession in 1509 to 1782. Covering a wide range of documents, subjects, and importance, they concern internal English/British affairs and administration of the country, and foreign affairs, marriage alliances, treaties and wars. Here are original letters written by Henry VIII and subsequent monarchs, ministers, officials and clerks, together with those sent from European rulers and their officials, and the people of Britain of all social levels.

Hansard Transcripts of the British Parliament

The official report of all Parliamentary debates. Find Members, their contributions, debates, petitions and divisions from published Hansard reports dating back over 200 years. Daily debates from Hansard are published on this website the next working day.

Hansard: Official Site for U.K. Parliamentary Debates

EuroDocs

EuroDocs links to open access sources which are readily available to all -- without fees or subscriptions. Links connect to European primary historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated. In addition you will find video or sound files, maps, photographs or other imagery, databases, and other documentation. The sources cover a broad range of historical happenings (political, economic, social and cultural).

EuroDocs

ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States

When the U.S. Bureau of the Census ceased publishing the annual Statistical Abstract after 2012, ProQuest stepped in to continue the series. The ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States follows much the same format and achieves similar comprehensiveness. Earlier editions extending back to 1878 remain available from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Historical Statistical Abstracts from the U.S. Census Bureau

My Heritage

MyHeritage is an international genealogy database, including the U.S. Census (1790-1940) and over 800 million public records such as naturalization, military service, probate court, and passenger lists.

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