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Civil Rights Movement

A Guide to Research Materials Available at FSU Libraries

What can I find in Government Documents?

Government Documents include any publication of a governing agency, including Federal and State governments. Among these documents is federal legislation which guaranteed certain freedoms, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as reports from agencies dealing with desegregating schools and enforcing labor laws.

Presidential Papers are also a valuable resource when looking at the response to public actions from the highest levels of government. These collections typically include reports from various government agencies submitted to the President, as well as responses from the Executive Office, Cabinet members, and other high-level members of an Administration.

Finally, court cases are important sites of government action, especially on issues of civil and constitutional rights.

Commission on Civil Rights

The United States Commission on Civil Rights has published hundreds of reports since its inception in 1957.

Congressional Documents

United States Capitol buildingStrozier has electronic access to a variety of Congressional documents, including Hearings, Committee Prints, and the Serial Set. These documents provide a wealth of information when it comes to legislative actions and attitudes as civil rights laws were debated.

Presidential Papers


Presidential documents on microfilm:

Court Cases

United States Supreme Court building

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