Historical Context and Background Information
Understanding a legal document is more than a matter of reading and analyzing a text. Often it's helpful and, indeed, critical to know something about the context in which a particular event occurred and/or the document was written.
Both primary and secondary sources are used to create historical context.
Sources for primary resources: Try the History Research Guide - General and the History Research Guide - United States. The General Guide provides instruction on identifying primary sources and both guides provide lists of primary sources.
If you're focusing on local history, consider contacting the NU Library Archives and Special Collections. Collection strengths include materials from Boston area organizations and advocacy groups in addition to University publications. Use the ArchivesSpace catalog to explore the collections.
Sample primary sources:
- The Sixties: Primary Documents and Personal Narratives, 1960-1974Potential use - Investigate the Chicago Eight.
- Freedom House PapersRecord of civil rights activism in Boston, primarily 1949-1986. NU Archives and Special Collections.
- Freedom House Digital PhotographsMaterials digitized and held by the NU Library Archives and Special Collections Department.
- Internet ArchiveThe Archive is self-described as "...a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more." The Archive is also the home of the Wayback Machine which captures websites at different points in time.
Historical Context - Legal Materials
- HeinOnline This link opens in a new windowHeinOnline is available courtesy of the Northeastern School of Law Library. This resource is a rich source of historical legal materials. In addition to large collections of law reviews, cases, Congressional materials, Presidential documents, and state legal resources, HeinOnline provides a number of specialized collections of potential interest.
- ProQuest Congressional This link opens in a new windowAccess to historical and contemporary Congressional publications.
- History Vault (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowPrimary source archival materials like letters, papers, photographs, scrapbooks, financial records, and diaries. NU Libraries' subscription is selective, see "more info" below.
