American Legal History Research Guide

This research guide in American legal history includes materials dealing with settlement through the twentieth century.

Slavery and the Abolition Movement

The intuition of slavery in American history as well as efforts to end the practice are well documented.  Between public discourse, personal correspondence, newspapers affiliated with a specific perspective, extensive record keeping, and more a legal history researcher may find a substantial trove of materials to work with.  Slavery and abolition topics are not limited to the American Civil War Era, resources listed here can extend back to the Founding Era or earlier.  Remember to at least cursorily examine other pages in this guide, as resources listed there will likely interweave with this expansive topic.

In this section "Books" offer titles with broad overviews as well as narrow interests.  "Databases" will link to ideal places to find digitized or transcribed primary resources.  While "Web Resources" will point searchers towards other guides for extensive primary resource searches and interesting digital projects.

Books

Databases

Web Resources