Legal History, Selected Resources

Northwestern Community only (available only to Northwestern faculty, students, and staff)

• Pritzker Legal Research Center
  
  
• America: History & Life
  Citations and abstracts from more than 2,100 journals of American and Canadian history.
  
  
• ArchiveGrid
  
  
• ArchivesUSA
  
  
• Avalon Project (Yale Law School)
  
  
• CQ Press Political Reference Suite
  Brings together seven reference tools: Congress and the Nation (perspective and analysis of the U.S. Congress 1945-2004); Historical Documents Series; Political Handbook of the World; Politics in America; Supreme Court Yearbook; Vital Statistics on American Politics (includes House and Senate election results, by Congress, 1788-2004); and Washington Information Directory.
  
  
• English Reports
  Consists of decisions of the English courts through 1867. Digital version of The English Reports (Edinburgh: W. Green; London: Stevens, 1900-1932.)
  
  
• Government and Geographic Information and Data Services Department
  
  
• Historical Abstracts
  Citations and abstracts from more than 2,100 journals in approx. 50 languages, covering world history (excluding the U.S. and Canada).
  
  
• Homicide in Chicago, 1870-1930
  
  
• House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (HCPP), 19th and 20th Centuries
  Between 1801 and 2000, around 9.5 million pages for over 184,000 parliamentary papers were published. Since 2001, the number of papers has grown by approximately 4,000 for each parliamentary session. HCPP delivers searchable full text for each paper, along with a detailed index. Currently contains an index for 1801-2004, full text for the entire 19th century, and for 1901-1945. Further installments forthcoming.
  • For information on Parliamentary Papers for the 18th century, see BOPCRIS 18th Century Parliamentary Publications (BOPCRIS is not restricted to NU users.)
    
    
• Illinois Blue Books, 1900-2000
  Made available from the collections of the Illinois State Library, these books contain a variety of information, including legislative apportionments, the popular vote of Illinois, chronological outline of Illinois history, etc.
  
  
• LexisNexis
  Includes online guides to microfilm collections in U.S. history, among other things.
  • LexisNexis Online Microfilm Guides
    
    
• Making of Modern Law: Legal Treatises 1800-1926
  Provides digital images on every page of 22,000 legal treatises on U.S. and British law published from 1800 through 1926. Full-text searching on more than 10 million pages provides researchers access to critical legal history in ways not previously possible.
  
  
• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
  
  
• Past Masters
  Full text of major theorists. Click on the link above for a full listing of available works in the Past Masters series, but note that it is important to explore the groups such as Continental Rationalists, which contains the works of Descartes and Leibniz; British Philosophy, 1600-1900, which contains Bacon and Adam Smith, among others; and Political Philosophy: Machiavelli to Mill.
  
  
• Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
  Recent material available online. For older material, consult Government and Geographic Information and Data Services Department. See also University of Michigan Digital Library.
  
  
• U.S. Congressional Serial Set
  
  
• U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs, 1832-1978
  

For further information, contact:

Harriet Lightman
Head, Academic Liaison Services
Subject Librarian for History, Economics, and Philosophy
Northwestern University Library
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston, IL 60208-2300
h-lightman@northwestern.edu
(847) 491-2920
Office Location: Room 2622, 2nd Floor, East Tower, Main Library