In addition to book and serial collections, the University Libraries of the State University System of Florida contain invaluable research materials concerning the history of Florida and its citizens. These materials include family papers and records, diaries, letters, business records, maps, photographs, and other materials unique and important for historical research.

Florida Historical Legal Documents Statistics:

As of July 1, 2005:

28 Titles

N Pages

The participating libraries are contributing materials from their collections to this Project. Some of these contributions are legal code, others are legal histories and materials from archival collections that add a local or regional scope to understanding Florida's legal heritage. Over the years, as the universities were established, a number of them specialized in their area's history. For example, the University of West Florida has strong collections concerning the region from Tallahassee to Pensacola while the University of South Florida has resources on the Tampa Bay area.

It is important that researchers should also understand that much of Florida's history is related to France, Spain and Great Britain which established early colonies on the peninsula. The Spanish, which had ruled Florida for almost three hundred years with just two short interruptions, left little impression upon the law of the state. Florida law is founded on the British Common Law as it existed in England on July 4, 1776 rather than on the British law of March 1822, when Florida became a territory of the United States. Information about Florida's history and its former rulers can be found not only in the Florida Historical Legal Documents collection, but also PALMM's other digital collections. Researchers are urged to use these online sources as well as contact individual libraries for further information. Florida's claim to Spanish treasure fades in significance to the historical treasures available in its many archives and libraries!

Florida Historical Legal Documents Collection A State University System of Florida PALMM Project Contact us (c) Copyright 2002, State University System of Florida Updated: 9 April 2002