Pappas Law Library Home Page

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Primary Sources: Constitution

Primary Sources: Congressional Journals and
Debates of Congress

Primary Sources: Bills, Resolutions
and Statutes

• Constitution of the United States, 1787 (transcript) and Bill of Rights
• U.S. Constitution S.Doc. 106-11, there is also a pocket edition
• Constitution of the United States: Analysis and Interpretation, 2002 Edition and 2004 Supplement (GPO Access)
  

• Journals of the Continental Congress also on HeinOnline
• House Journal (1789-1875)
• Senate Journal (1789-1875)
• Senate Executive Journal (1789-1875)

• James Madison's Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787
• Maclay's Journal (1789-1791) also on HeinOnline

• Annals of Congress (1789-1824) also on HeinOnline
• Register of Debates (1824-1837) also on HeinOnline
• Congressional Globe (1833-1873) also on HeinOnline
• Congressional Record (1873-current) also on HeinOnline

• Bills and Resolutions (American Memory Project Search Page)
• House Bills and Resolutions, 6th-42nd Congresses (Browse by date, keyword, Committee)
• Senate Bills and Resolutions, 16th-42nd Congresses (Browse by date, keyword, Committee)
• Senate Joint Resolutions, 18th-42nd Congresses (Browse by date, keyword, Committee)
• Statutes at Large (1789-1875) (American Memory Project)
• Statutes at Large Library, (1789-2004) HeinOnline)
• American State Papers
• Federal Judiciary Act, 1789 (transcript)
• LLMC-Digital (BU Law only)
  

Core Documents in American Constitutional History

Primary Sources: Presidential Materials and Collections

Primary Sources: General Databases

• Lee Resolution, 1776 (transcript)
• Declaration of Independence, 1776 (transcript)
• Articles of Confederation, 1777 (transcript)
• Treaty of Alliance with France, 1778 (transcript)
• Treaty of Paris, 1783 (transcript)
• Virginia Plan, 1787 (transcript)
• Emancipation Proclamation, 1862 (transcript) (preliminary version, 1862, be sure to click on page images to enlarge)
• Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) (HeinOnline, BU only)
• Fletcher v. Peck (1810) (HeinOnline, BU only)
• Frederick Douglas Papers
• Elliots' Debates: The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution
• Federalist Papers
• Farrand's Records (of the Constitutional Convention, 1787)

• Abraham Lincoln Papers
• James Madison Papers
• Thomas Jefferson Papers
• Messages and Papers of the Presidents (George Washington - William McKinley) (Presidential Library, HeinOnline, BU only)
• A Compilation of Messages and Papers of the Presidents (George Washington - Woodrow Wilson) (Presidential Library, HeinOnline, BU only)
• List and Index of Presidential Executive Orders, 1789-1941 (Presidential Library, HeinOnline, BU only)
• Presidential Executive Orders, 1862-1938 (Presidential Library, HeinOnline, BU only)

• Early American Newspapers (through Boston Public Library, BPL card necessary to access and available to all MA residents)
• Early American Newspapers (research guide from Mugar Library)
• Legal Classics Library (HeinOnline, BU only)
• Making of Modern Law (BU only)
• New York Times Historical (1851-2001) (BU only)

Secondary Sources: Law Reviews, Journals and other Non-Law Periodicals (full text and indexes)

Secondary Sources: Treatises

Helpful Web Sites, Research Guides, and Databases