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SMU |
Underwood Law Library |
| Dedman School of Law |
| United States Constitution Text | Drafting and Ratification |
|---|---|
| HTML text (Cornell Legal Information Institute) Contains hyperlinks from the text of the United States Constitution to the related amendments. | Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 by James Madison (Yale Avalon Project) The text of Madison's notes is arranged chronologically. |
| HTML text (Emory U. School of Law). Reference endnotes; and adoption notes for the individual amendments. | Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 by James Madison (Constitution Society) Arranged chronologically; or keyword search. |
| HTML text (NARA) Contains hyperlinks from the text of Constitutional provisions to the related amendments. | The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787 by Max Farrand. (3 volumes) (Library of Congress) Integrated collection of the official proceedings, Madison's notes, and other delegates' notes. |
| JPEG images of original document (NARA) | The Federalist Papers (Yale Avalon Project) Browse or keyword search. |
| The Constitution of the United States of America as Amended, Unratified Amendments, Analytical Index, H.R. Doc. No. 108-95 (2003) (PDF format only) (requires Acrobat Reader) | The Anti-federalist Papers (Constitution Soc.) Collection of speeches and articles by opponents to ratification of the 1787 draft constitution. |
| Interpretation | Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution ... by Jonathan Elliot (1836) (Constitution Soc.) Often referred to as "Elliot's Debates." |
| The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation (Congressional Research Service) 2002 ed. with 2004 & 2006 supplements. Also 1992 ed. and supplements. | The Founders' Constitution edited by Kurland & Lerner (U. Chi. Press & Liberty Fund) Index or keyword search. Documents & extracts arranged by theme and by individual provisions of the Constitution. |
| Browsable and keyword searchable text of the Cong'l Research Service publication plus the text of the Constitution Easy to use. (Findlaw) | Annals of Congress (Lib. of Cong.) Records of the 1st-18th Congresses (1789-1824). Browse index or keyword search. Texts are digital images. |
| U.S. Supreme Court opinions (from 1893) (search by case name, citation, or keyword) (Findlaw) |
Register of Debates (Lib. of Cong.) Records of the 18th Cong., 2nd Session thru 25th Cong., 1st Session (1824-1837). Browse index or keyword search. Digital images. |
| U.S. Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, Memoranda and Opinions including documents on constitutional topics. (from 1992) (US Dept. of Just.) | Congressional Globe (Lib. of Cong.) Records of the 23rd-42nd Congresses (1833-1873). Browse index or keyword search. Digital images. |
| Congressional Record, bound volumes (GPO) (106th Cong., v. 145- , 1999- ). | |
| Treatises and Historical Documents |
James Madison Papers from the Library of Congress Manuscript Division. |
| Liberty Library of Constitutional Classics (Constitution Society) Extensive collection of treatises and historical documents in multiple formats. (450 B.C. to 1997) | Predecessor: Articles of Confederation |
| For English language texts of current foreign constitutions, see Oceana's Constitutions of the Countries of the World on library's Research Tools-Find Articles & Database restricted access page or in print at K3157 E5 B42.) | Text (Yale Avalon Project) |
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Alternate Starting Points |
Journals of the Continental Congress (Library of Congress) Records of the 1st & 2nd Continental Congresses (1774-1789). Browse index or keyword search. Texts are digital images. |
| The American Constitution, A Documentary Record (Yale Avalon Project) | Letters of Delegates to Congress (1774-1789) (Library of Congress). Letters of delegates to the Continental Congress. |
| Researching Constitutional Law on the Internet. (U. Chi.) Links to U.S. and non-U.S. constitutions world-wide. |
State & Tribal Constitutions (U.S.) |
| Links to individual state constitutions (Constitution Soc.) | |
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Non-U.S. Constitutions |
Alternate source for links to state constitutions (Findlaw) |
| Constitution Finder (U. of Richmond). Constitutions, amendments, charters, and related documents of other nations linked by jurisdiction name. | Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project (U. Okla. Law Center & National Indian Law Library). Text of tribal constitutions and codes. |
| LKA SMU Underwood Law Library |