Using Legal Documents as Primary Sources

Legal documents, such as statutory laws and court cases, provide historians with a rich primary source base upon which they can draw well documented information for the purposes of reconstructing the past.  But legal decisions do not take place in a vacuum; placing legal documents in their historical context can shed light on the political mood of a particular time and place.  After reviewing the tutorial, "How to Use Legal Documents as Primary Sources," practice placing the 1900 North Carolina Voter Registration Laws in their broader historical context by engaging in the activities in this exhibit.  Because the activites build upon one another, proceed through them in the order listed.