LAMP (formerly the Latin American Microform Project) supported the digitization of approximately 5,000 documents dated between 1844 and 1900 in a collection held by the University of Connecticut. These consist of legal court cases, mostly civil, from the Corte de Primera Instancia (Apellate Court) of the district of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. In 2000, the University of Connecticut Thomas J. Dodd Research Center acquired these unique materials about the Arecibo appellate court district, which includes the towns of Arecibo, Barceloneta, Camuy, Ciales, Hatillo, Manatí, Morovis, Quebradillas, and Utuado.

The cases cover the full range of civil litigation that might have been brought to court during that period. Cases about disputes over economic holdings such as land, slaves, and livestock hold special interest. The collection is also a treasure trove for genealogists, historians, legal researchers, and other social-sciences researchers interested in Puerto Rico’s social dynamic during the 19th century.

To learn more, see our latest issue of FOCUS on Global Resources.