California Primary Resources
- Library of Congress: Guide to Law Online: U.S. CaliforniaThis guide focuses on California, which became the 31st state in 1850. In compiling this research guide, emphasis has been placed on sites offering the full texts of laws, regulations, and court decisions, along with commentary from lawyers writing primarily for other lawyers. Materials related to law and government that were written by or for lay persons also have been included, as have government sites providing general information. Although this research guide is selective, inclusion of a site or resource does not constitute endorsement by the Law Library of Congress.
National Archives
- America's Historical DocumentsThe National Archives preserves and provides access to the records of the Federal Government. Here is a sample of these records, from our most celebrated milestones to little-known surprises .
Primary Sources
Websites
- UMKC School of Law - Famous TrialsThis website is a list of famous trials. It has clickable links to get additional information including primary documents of the trials you are interested in.
- U.S. Supreme Court CasesWelcome to FindLaw's searchable database of U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1760. Supreme Court opinions are browsable by year and U.S. Reports volume number, and are searchable by party name, case title, citation, full text and docket number.
- Suprme Court CenterIn-depth analysis of Supreme Court cases throughout history
Constitution
- Framing of the United States Constitution: A Beginner’s GuideAt the Law Library of Congress, we often receive questions from patrons who are interested in researching the original intent of the framers of the United States Constitution. Since the framers were not necessarily all of one mind and, on occasion, there was no debate on certain provisions, there is not a perfect answer to this question. This guide presents many of the sources that you can turn to for more information about the framing of the United States Constitution.
Gale Primary Sources
- Crime, Punishment, and Popular Culture 1790-1920 This link opens in a new windowWith 2.1 million pages of trial transcripts, police and forensic reports, detective novels, newspaper accounts, true crime literature, and related ephemera, Crime, Punishment, and Popular Culture, 1790-1920 presents the broadest and deepest collection of materials supporting the study of nineteenth-century criminal history, law, literature, and justice. This quintessential resource enhances understanding of the intersection of law and society during a pivotal era of social change.
- Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers This link opens in a new windowGale's Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers -- a full-text searchable, facsimile-image database -- provides an as-it-happened window on events, culture, and daily life in nineteenth-century America that is of interest to both professional and general researchers. The collection features publications of all kinds, from the political party newspapers at the beginning of the nineteenth century to the mammoth dailies that shaped the nation at the century's end. Every aspect of society and every region of the nation is found in the archive -- rural and urban, large cities and small towns, and coast to coast. Includes major newspapers as well as those published by African Americans, Native Americans, women's rights groups, labor groups, the Confederacy, and other groups and interests. Also included are illustrated papers that bring the nineteenth century to life through the drawings of many artists.