Law Books From the 19th Century

Legal Treatises, also known as legal books, include over 21,000 works done from the beginning of the 19th century up until the dawn of the 20th century. About 14,000 of these works were done in the 19th century with about half as many from just the first twenty-six years of the 20th century alone. Almost every possible topic is discussed in these law books about British Commonwealth law and American law. Information contained in these books are presented in analytical, theoretical and practical forms. The collection of these books are of special interest, especially to scholars interested in domestic and international law, history, business and economics. They were written for practitioners in the law, such as attorneys and judges.

A law book can also be referred to as a monograph about the law, rather than a written account of actual laws or actual cases. It is important to realize that a law book does not contain transcripts, state documents or judicial reports. They are considered secondary source materials that have a purpose of examining a specific law or subject, by analytical, theoretical and practical means.

When these law books are studied, a clear picture of the evolution of American and British law can be painted. The majority of law books are present in Harvard Law School with works by Bentham, Maine and Kent.

A law book is considered to be an essential source for anyone practicing law or interested in law to discover new information about law studies. The law books from the 19th century provide researchers with a snapshot of the way law was practiced during that time and what kind of exceptional changes were made to form modern law.

19th Century Law:
Law books from the 19th century portray an era of economic, political and social change through America and Great Britain. The Industrial Revolution was in full effect and governments, along with institutions tried their best to catch up to the rapid change. The world was also coping with the concept of evolving technology and the constant change that comes along with it.

While the jury system originated further in the past, it was in the 19th century where many modern doctrines were established, according to law books. Modern law concepts began to take shape, including property, tort and contract laws.

The Industrial Revolution created the need for further changes to the law as well. Law books began to document laws pertaining to railroads, corporate business and strict labor laws. Individualism also began to emerge, evidenced in many law books. The American Civil War was the dawn of the concept of civil rights in the United States, including due process and equal protection of the laws.

Legal literature was also a relatively unexplored concept that experienced rapid increase in the 19th century. Law books had to be created to deal with new complications that came with the modern way of life. Lawyers and legal professions began law book writing more than ever to cope with the new complexities. Unfortunately, the circulation of the average law book was very low, and access to them was often limited until the 20th