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Morrill Act & Land-Grant Universities

This guide is for researchers interested in learning more about the history of the Morrill Act and land-grant universities in the U.S. Each tab contains links to web-accessible resources and tips for finding additional information.

In-Depth Databases

Useful for locating books, journal articles, dissertations, and other publications related to the Morrill Act and the land-grant college movement:

JSTOR
JSTOR spans many disciplines, primarily in the humanities, social sciences, and life sciences. It includes digitized current and back issues of academic journals, books and primary source materials.
America: History and Life
America: History and Life is the definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present.
Core Historical Literature of Agriculture
Electronic collection of classic agricultural texts published between the early 19th century and the middle to late 20th century.
Dissertations & Theses Global
A collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, from 1743 to the present day and offering full text for graduate works added since 1997, along with selected full text for works written prior to 1997. NOTE: Those that are not available in full-text online can be requested through Interlibrary Loan.
Dissertations & Theses Global tutorial

Recommended Articles:

The 'Father' of the Land-Grant College
Written by Earle D. Ross (ISU Emeritus Faculty) and published in Agricultural History, vol.12, no.2 (April 1938), 151-186. Talks about the dispute over whether the idea for the land-grant college was originated by Turner or Morrill.
Origin and Development of the Land-Grant College in the United States
A bit old, but a very nice summary article that talks about Morrill, Turner, and related legislation such as the Hatch Act. Written by Jay Richter and published in the Journal of Negro Education, v. 31, no.3 (1962), pp. 230-239. (Link via JSTOR.)
Jonathan Baldwin Turner and the Land-Grant Idea
Written by Donald R. Brown and published in Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (1908-1984), Vol. 55, No. 4 (Winter, 1962), pp. 370-384. (Link via JSTOR.)
Misconceptions About the Early Land-Grant Colleges
Written by Eldon L. Johnson. Published in The Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 52, No. 4 (Jul. - Aug., 1981), pp. 333-351. (Link via JSTOR.)

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Last Updated: Feb 24, 2025 11:13 AM
URL: https://instr.iastate.libguides.com/Morrill
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Subjects: Agriculture, Education, History

Tags: land-grant, morrill act