Historic case reenactments. The site provides scripted reenactment resources for six historic cases, and lessons that can be used in courtrooms and classrooms. Cases include the Amistad, about the rebellion of African slaves on a schooner that docked in Connecticut; the murder trial of Old West lawman Wyatt Earp; and the conviction of women’s suffrage heroine Susan B. Anthony for voting illegally in 1872, nearly 50 years before women won the right to vote.
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation brings together online the
records and acts of Congress from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention through the 43rd Congress, including the first three
volumes of the Congressional Record, 1873‐75. Beginning with the Continental Congress in 1774, America's national legislative bodies have kept
records of their proceedings. The records of the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention, and the United States Congress make up
a rich documentary history of the construction of the nation and the development of the federal government and its role in the national life.
These documents record American history in the words of those who built our government.
Constitution Facts is where you'll see the entire text of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the
Declaration of Independence – and more! You'll find interesting insights into the men who wrote the Constitution, how it was created, and how
the Supreme Court has interpreted the United States Constitution in the two centuries since its creation. What is your Constitution IQ?
A Guide to the U. S. Federal Legal System Web‐based Public
Accessible Sources By Gretchen Feltes / She is Faculty Services/Reference Librarian at New York University School of Law Library.
How laws Are Made. Revised and Updated by John V. Sullivan Parliamentarian,
United States House of Representatives. Presented by Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania July 24, 2007.
iCivics is founded and led by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics provides students with the tools they need for active
participation and democratic action, and teachers with the materials and support to achieve this. Their free resources include print‐and‐go
lesson plans, award‐winning games, and digital interactives. The iCivics games place students in different civic roles and give them agency to
address real‐world problems and issues. They are rooted in clear learning objectives and integrated with lesson plans and support materials.
Inside the Federal Court. One of the Federal Judicial Center's duties is to teach federal court
employees about how the courts work, how they are organized, and how they fit into the U.S. system of government. The site is developed as
an easy reference to help court employees understand aspects of the federal courts outside of their specific responsibilities. It’s on the public
website to help students, the media, and the public learn more about the federal courts. Navigate the site using the arrows at the bottom of
each page, click on a topic heading in the menu bar on the left to explore a particular subject, such as What the Federal Courts Do. Use the Site
Map to see a detailed list of the site’s contents. To find a particular word or phrase, use Search at the top of a page. To find the meaning of
particular words, browse the Definitions , or click on an underlined word to view its definition. Go Inside the Federal Courts.
Kids in the House website is a public service provided by the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of
Representatives. The mission is to provide educational and entertaining information about the legislative branch of the United States
Government to students of all ages. Topics covered include the role of the U.S. House of Representatives, the legislative process, & House
history. Created and maintained by the Office of the Clerk U.S. Capitol, Room H154 ‐ Washington, DC 20515‐6601 (202) 225‐7000.
Regulations and the Rulemaking Process : the basics. This website provides a
primer and pedagogical overview of the federal regulatory rulemaking process in a simple Frequently Asked Question format.
Inside the Legislative
Process is a nationally‐recognized, valuable research tool, providing some of the best information on state legislative processes. It is produced
through a cooperative effort between the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries (ASLCS) and the National Conference of State
Legislatures (NCSL).
Most Americans have more daily contact with their state and local governments than with the federal government. Police departments,
libraries, and schools — not to mention driver's licenses and parking tickets — usually fall under the oversight of state and local governments.
Each state has its own written constitution, and these documents are often far more elaborate than their federal counterpart. The Alabama
Constitution, for example, contains 310,296 words — more than 40 times as many as the U.S. Constitution. State Government Under the Tenth
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states and the people. All state
governments are modeled after the federal government and consist of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The U.S. Constitution
mandates that all states uphold a "republican form" of government, although the three‐branch structure is not required.
Several videos on Bankruptcy law and procedure; careers in the courts; and education resources including videos on the Bill of Rights, an Impartial Judiciary (with Judges Huff and Gonzalez), We The People (Naturalization Ceremonies), and short biographies of judges (Pathways to the Bench).
The National Constitution Center (Philadelphia, PA) is the only institution created by Congress to disseminate non-partisan information and awareness about the United States Constitution. It serves as a hands-on multimedia museum, a national town hall, and a civic education headquarters. Visit its Interactive Constitution, where constitutional experts of various perspectives discuss what they agree upon and disagree about. Contributed by Sarah Griffith (Seattle).