Books:
Encyclopedia of the American Constitution 342.73 E 5th floor, Mid-Manhattan History Reference Collection – Excellent multi-volume reference work on the US Constitution. Offers extensive entries on landmark cases (Plessy v. Ferguson, Gibbons v. Ogden), constitution concepts (war powers, voting rights), individuals (Earl Warren, Louis Brandeis), historical moments (women’s suffrage, World War I) and amendments. Every entry is cross-referenced for further study with a bibiliography of additional resrources for further study.
In addition to the Encyclopedia of the American Constituion, we have additional reference works on Law and the US Constitution including:
Landmark Supreme Court Cases 342.73 L 5th Floor, Mid-Manhattan Reference Collection
Constitutional Law 342.73 C 5th Floor, Mid-Manhattan Reference Collection
American Constitutional Law 342.73A 5th Floor, Mid-Manhattan Reference Collection
In addition, the following books are available for check-out. The 342.73 section at the Mid-Manhattan Library can prove helpful for issues surrounding Constitutional History.
Constitutional Analysis in a Nutshell 342.73 B 5th Floor, Mid-Manhattan
Constitutional Law in a Nutshell 342.73 C 5th Floor, Mid-Manhattan
Constitutional Law and Young Adults 342.73 R 5th Floor, Mid-Manhattan
Power and Rights in US Constitutional Law 342.73 L 5th Floor, Mid-Manhattan
Databases Offered through www.nypl.org:
History Resource Center – Offers several introductory essays and articles about basic constitutional concepts (“second amendment” “war powers”). This database can be accessed at home with a valid NYPL Library Card # and PIN # (you can get your PIN # at any branch location throughout Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island).
Academic Search Premier - Great resource for researching full text articles about constitutional questions that are in the news today. This database can be accessed at home with a valid NYPL Library Card # and PIN # (you can get your PIN # at any branch location throughout Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island).
Web Resources:
Cornell University Law School Annotated Constitution
[www.law.cornell.edu/constitution]
This resource breaks down the entire US Constitution by Articles, Sections and Amendments with multi-paragraph annotations that document the history and context of each itemized principle. Every annotation is thoroughly sourced.
Documents from the Continental Congress
The Library of Congress has placed a large collection of documents from the Continental Congress as well as the Constitutional Convention Broadsides on the Internet. This web site is key word searchable and has useful links to chronology, bibliographies and important links to documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.
[www.wikipedia.com]
Wikipedia is great for initial steps you may need to take for your research–but it is unwise to rely on the source for hard information; much less citations in your paper.
Wikipedia can prove very useful in beginning your research on Constitutional History. Most major constitutional concepts and history can be found in the online encyclopedia. However, it is best to use Wikipedia first as a launching pad to more reputable, traditional sources.
For example, if we were to search for the “elastic clause” in Wikipedia we would learn:
- the elastic clause is more formally known as the “necessary and proper” clause
- it is found strictly at Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 in the US Constitution
- the US Supreme Court Case McCulloch v. Maryland was an important first test of the elastic clause
Now, with this information, we have some guidelines that will help steer our search in books, databases and reputable websites…
For instance, we know that if we are not having any luck searching with the term “elastic clause,” we should probably try “necessary and proper.” In addition, if we would like to see the original source text of the elastic clause, we now have the exact citation. And finally, it would probably be shrewd to investigate the background and legacy of McCulloch v. Maryland.
It is always best to consult your instructor about the proper use of Wikipedia in your research…
