Research Guides: Reconstruction, 1865-1877: Government Info

State Historic Documents

The Robert R. Muntz Library has a small State Depository for state documents. The collection includes General and Special Laws, Senate Journals, House Journals, and archeological reports, among other documents. All are listed in the catalog. In addition, the Muntz Library has the Texas General and Special Laws for the 19th century on microfiche in the reference area.

Gammel's Laws of Texas, 1822-1897
Consists of documents not only covering each congressional and legislative session but comprise other documents of significance, including the constitutions, select journals from the constitutional conventions, and early colonization laws.
Texas Constitutions, 1824-1876
Includes both page images of the Constitutions, as well as .html files providing the full and clear text of the documents in an easily searchable format.

Federal Historic Documents

US Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1875
Includes House and Senate Journals, Congressional Globe, Statutes at Large, and the Serial Set.
Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy
Yale University's Avalon Project--Includes much more than just US documents.
Historic Court Cases
Search by topic or by case name, both state and federal.
United States Serial Set
Scroll down to the 39th Congress to links to reports on the Conduct of the War, the Memphis Riot and Massacres, and Laws in Relation to Freedmen. In the 41st Congress the United States reported on claims against Great Britain.
Report of the Joint Select Committee
Volumes 2-13 of the Report of the Joint Select Committee Appointed to Inquire in to the Condition of Affairs in the Late Insurrectionary States (1872)
Records of the Field Offices for the State of Texas, Bureau of Refugees, Freemen, and Abandoned Lands, 1865-1870
Two reels of microfilm on the 2nd floor of the library, far right end of the metal cabinets, E185.93 .T4 R43 reel 26-27, includes Seguin, Sterling, Sumpter, Tyler, and Waco. Readers and scanners on the same floor--print or scan to flash drive free.
Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records
Links to digitized handwritten records of Field Offices for towns across Texas, including Boston, Clarksville, Cotton Gin (Freestone Co.), Crockett, Huntsville, Jefferson, Marshall, Nacogdoches, Palestine, San Augustine, Sumpter (Trinity Co.), and Tyler.

Historic Census Information

Summaries of each census since 1790 are included in the series America in Two Centuries, an Inventory, with a volume for each census. The years 1790, 1800, 1830, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1920, and 1930 are at HA 201 (regular sized books). The years 1810, 1820, 1840, 1850, 1910, 1940, 1950, and 1960 are at HA 201 (oversized books).

Heritage Quest
Search for individuals in the 1790-1940 census data. Full images of original handwritten pages. Advanced search gives good options. Note that the 1870 census is the first one in which freedmen are listed by name. Heritage Quest also allows you to search for individuals in the Freedman's Bank (1865-1874), which was founded to serve African Americans.
Historical Census Browser
Retrieves statistics based on census questions, makes comparisons and maps results. Does not include information on individuals. Results down to county level.
Census Report summaries, 1790-2000
The printed census summaries of the various schedules (population, agriculture, industry, etc.), plus the instructions to the census takers.


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