Document Type

Item set

• Act of Congress
  Acts of Congress are statutes enacted by the U.S. Congress. They are published in the U.S. Statutes at Large.
• Act of Parliament
  An Act of Parliament is a law that has been passed by Parliament and is a part of statute law.
• Agreement
  An agreement refers to a legal contract between two or more parties and documents the agreements that have been decided upon.
• Amicus Brief
  An amicus brief is a legal document filed in a case by third parties who have an interest in the case but are not directly involved. For example, the American Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians submitted an amicus brief in Haaland v. Brackeen regarding the history of child removal in tribal communities.
• Charter
  A charter is the legal document granting colonial governments the right to create a colony. It outlines the rights, privileges, and responsibilities given to colonists by the sovereign.
• Congressional Bill
  A congressional bill is a legislative proposal from either of the two chambers of Congress for a new law or a change to an existing one.
• Constitution
  A constitution is a set of laws and principles that determine the powers and duties of a government and its relationship with and the rights of the people it governs.
• Constitutional Amendment
  A constitutional amendment is a formal revision or addition to the United States Constitution as well as individual state constitutions.
• Correspondence
  Correspondence refers to written communication between people.
• Court Case
  A court case is a legal dispute that is brought before a court. In this instance, the term refers to the unpublished case papers filed by the clerk of the court.
• Essay
  Essay refers to a piece of writing on a topic, both on historical and contemporary matters.
• Executive Order
  An executive order is a directive from the President of the United States that has the force of law.
• Fact Sheet
  A fact sheet is a brief document providing a statement or basic information about the topic of the fact sheet.
• Government Record
  A government record refers to documents created by or filed with a federal or state agency or department.
• Image
  An image of legal or historical interest.
• Legal Code
  Legal code refers to an organized collection of laws covering a certain subject matter or enacted by local, state, or tribal governments.
• Military Order
  A military order is an official directive given by the commander of a military organization to be carried out by the personnel under his or her command.
• Newspaper
  A printed daily or weekly publication that contains news content.
• Political Cartoon
  Political cartoons are illustrations that comment on political or public issues and current events. They often make use of offensive racial, ethnic, or religious stereotypes.
• Proclamation
  A proclamation refers to official edicts, declarations, and announcements by a government or official.
• Report
  A report refers to an official document typically providing information, analysis, and recommendations about the topic of the report.
• Speech
  A speech is a formal address given to an audience.
• Supreme Court Case
  A Supreme Court case refers to a case brought before the United States Supreme Court.
• Treaty
  A formal agreement between nations, including tribal nations. In U.S. history, the federal government used treaties to establish borders, define rights and responsibilities, and acquire land from Native American tribes. The U.S. government frequently violated these treaties in order to exploit tribal resources and dismantle tribal land ownership.
• Webinar
  These videos are part of a webinar series that explores new approaches to research, teaching, and public engagement with the history of law, race, and racialization in the United States. The webinars feature guest speakers, scholars, lawyers, jurists, community members, students, and others who are doing innovative and inspiring work to help us understand the development of U.S. law and race.