You might want to take a look at some of the lectures and writings of Michael Faraday, the most important pioneer in electromagnetism in the early 19th century. There’s a biography of Faraday here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1225/1225-h/1225-h.htm#2HCH0001
William Gilbert’s treatise on magnetism and electricity (ca. 1600) is often considered the first really scientific treatment of the subject. It’s called “On the Loadstone”: http://archive.org/details/ontheloadstonean030331mbp
