LibGuides: HISTORY RESEARCH GUIDE: Primary Source Databases

U.S. History Primary Sources Online

19th Century U.S. Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search an archive of newspapers published in the 1800s by a variety of groups, including political parties, African Americans, Native Americans, women's rights groups, labor groups, and the Confederacy. This collection includes newspapers from every one of the 50 modern-day US states. (Gale)
AAS Historical Periodicals Collection This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from a collection of periodicals from the American Antiquarian Society that documents the life of people in the United States from the Colonial Era through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Note: The series included in this collection are Series 1 (1691-1820), Series 2 (1821-1837), Series 3 (1838-1852), Series 4 (1853-1865), and Series 5 (1866-1877). (EBSCO)
Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from American newspapers from the 18th and 19th centuries, including African American newspapers and women's suffrage newspapers. (Accessible Archives)
African American Newspapers, 1827-1998 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from US newspapers that chronicle 150 years of the African American experience, including the Antebellum South, growth of the Black church, the Jim Crow Era, the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights movement, and more. Note: UR has access to Series 1 only. (Newsbank/Readex)
African Americans and Jim Crow, 1883-1922 This link opens in a new window
Search an archive of thousands of fully searchable printed works from the beginning of Jim Crow to post-World War I. These works provide insights into African American culture and life during this period of segregation and disenfranchisement and include such topics as African American identity, relationships with peoples of other nations, and literature. (Newsbank/Readex)
African Americans and Reconstruction, 1865-1883 This link opens in a new window
Search an archive of thousands of printed works from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of Jim Crow. It includes documents related to African Americans and citizenship, voting rights, literacy, land rights, and employment. (Newsbank/Readex)
AIDS Crisis Response: Records of the National Commission on AIDS, 1983-1994 This link opens in a new window
The National Commission on AIDS was an independent body created in 1989 to advise Congress and the President on the development of a "consistent national policy" concerning the HIV epidemic. This database contains records connected to their work, including briefing books, hearing and meeting transcripts, reports, and press clippings. (Gale)
American Historical Imprints This link opens in a new window
Cross-search both the Evans and Shaw-Shoemaker databases and find scanned copies of primary sources from early American history. (Newsbank/Readex)
American History, 1493-1945 This link opens in a new window
Find primary source documents (mostly manuscripts) that illuminate American history from the earliest settlers to the mid-twentieth century. (AM)
American History in Video This link opens in a new window
Watch both documentaries about historical events in American history, as well as newsreels and other footage shot as events were happening. (Alexander Street Press)
American Periodicals Series Online This link opens in a new window
Search for articles published between 1740-1940 in special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, and children's and women's magazines. Topic covered include history, law, politics, religion, education, art, and more. (ProQuest)
American West This link opens in a new window
Find primary source documents on the westward expansion of the United States. Topics covered include exploration by early pioneers, the Gold Rush, evolution of Western towns, the growth of the railroad, agricultural transformation, Texas/Mexico history, and Native American history and culture. (AM)
AM Explorer: Americana This link opens in a new window
Search a broad collection of primary source documents and papers from American history and popular culture. Includes the databases: American History, 1493-1945; American Indian Histories; American West; Everyday Life and Women in America, c. 1800-1920; Popular Culture, 1950-1975; Slavery, Abolition, and Social Justice; and Virginia Company Archives. (AM)
Archival Resources of the Virginias (ARVAS) This link opens in a new window
Search for information on archival materials housed in historical societies, libraries, museums, colleges, and universities across Virginia and West Virginia. The online finding aids help researchers discover primary source materials that document the history, culture, and people of these two states. (ARVAS)
ArchiveGrid This link opens in a new window
Access archival finding aids for historical documents, personal papers, and family histories held in archives from thousands of libraries, museums, and archives from around the world. (OCLC)
Archives of Sexuality and Gender This link opens in a new window
Search for primary sources on the historical study of sex, sexuality, and gender. The content dates from the sixteenth century to the present. (Gale)
Archives Unbound This link opens in a new window
Access over 50 archival collections on a variety of topics, including FBI surveillance, law, literature, film, and civil rights. (Gale)
Black Freedom: Struggle in the 20th Century This link opens in a new window
This collection includes federal government records related to the civil rights movement, including records from the FBI investigations into its leaders and records from the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Reagan administrations. It also contains organizational papers from major civil rights organizations, such as SCLC and SNCC, and personal papers from activists like A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin. (ProQuest)
Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
Search a collection of nonfiction writings by major American Black leaders, including books, letters, speeches, essays, interviews, and political leaflets. Researchers can study the historical development of Black culture by examining the ideas of one individual over time or compare the thinking of various figures on a given topic. (Alexander Street Press)
City and Business Directories: Virginia, 1801-1929 This link opens in a new window
Search for information on the inhabitants and businesses in Richmond and other cities in Virginia. Find addresses, city/county officers, heads of families, firms, and names of those doing business in Virginia, lists of city residents, occupations, and street directories. (Gale)
Civil War: Antebellum Period to Reconstruction This link opens in a new window
Search a wide variety of primary source documents from the Civil War period, including newspapers, Congressional documents, broadsides and ephemera. (Newsbank/Readex)
Cold War Intelligence: The Secret War Between the U.S. and the USSR, 1945-1991 This link opens in a new window
Access this database to find formerly classified documents (most at Top Secret level) that showcase the successes and failures of the U.S. intelligence community in its efforts to spy on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. (Brill)
Crime, Punishment, and Popular Culture, 1790-1920 This link opens in a new window
Find primary source material covering the rapid revolution of the justice and penal system during the nineteenth century, as well as the rise of sensationalism around crimes and criminals that captured the public's imagination. On one end of the spectrum, you will find trial transcripts, court proceedings, and the development of the police and forensic techniques; on the other end, you will also find popular fiction and detective novels; and bridging the two are newspaper accounts, true crime literature, and related ephemera. (Gale)
Daily Worker Online (1922-1968) This link opens in a new window
Access the archives of the official newspaper for the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA). (Brill)
Disability in the Modern World This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source materials and videos that cover the community and contributions of people who experience disability. Topics include war and technology, how the media has portrayed the disabled, and the advocacy work of disability rights organizations. (Alexander Street Press)
Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans (1639-1800) This link opens in a new window
Search for books, pamphlets, and broadsides published in America during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most subject areas and genres of literature are represented in this collection. It also includes supplemental material from the the Library Company of Philadelphia. (Newsbank/Readex)
Early American Imprints, Series II: Shaw-Shoemaker (1801-1819) This link opens in a new window
Search for books, pamphlets, and broadsides published in America during the early 19th century. Most subject areas and genres of literature are represented in this collection. It also includes supplemental material from the the Library Company of Philadelphia. (Newsbank/Readex)
Early American Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search for newspaper articles published in the US from the colonial period through Reconstruction. This collection was a gift of Edwin S. Snead III, class of 1951. (Newsbank/Readex)
Education Magazine Archive, 1910-2015 This link opens in a new window
Search an archive of magazines in the field of education, ranging from the early 20th-21st centuries. These titles were originally aimed at teachers, administrators, and other education professionals. Now, they offer insight into the history of education, theory, and trends. (ProQuest)
Electing the President: Proceedings of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions This link opens in a new window
This collection includes the proceedings of the 1832-1988 Democratic National Conventions and the 1856-1988 Republican National Conventions, as well as speeches, debates, votes, and party platforms. Also included are lists of names of convention delegates and alternates. Records of the earliest proceedings are based in part on contemporary newspaper accounts. (Gale)
Environmental History (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Search for primary sources on the many actors and agencies whose efforts shaped modern policy and legislation in conservation and environmental protection in the US and the British Empire. Included are the papers of early environmentalists plus records from US agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and the Forest Service. On the British side, find records from the Colonial Office, Forest Office, and more. (Gale)
Everyday Life & Women in America c.1800-1920 This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents that offer insights into the daily lives of women during the 19th and early 20th centuries. This database contains books, pamphlets, periodicals, and broadsides that address political, social, and gender issues, religion, race, education, employment, marriage, sexuality, home and family life, health, and pastimes. (AM)
FBI Files (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI vigorously investigated and tracked the activities of communist groups, civil rights organizations, and Native Americans in the United States. Explore the archives and find files on Albert Einstein, Alger Hiss, Julius & Ethel Rosenberg, Whittaker Chambers, Freedom Riders, Howard Hughes, HUAC, Martin Luther King, Jr., Abbie Hoffman, Cesar Chavez, Weatherman, Malcolm X, NAACP, SNCC, SCLC, the American Indian Movement and many more. Also included are files on the Watergate scandal. (Gale)
Food and Drink in History This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents that illustrate the links between food and identity, politics and power, gender, race and socio-economic status, as well as chart key issues around agriculture, nutrition, food production, and advertising. Items include manuscript cookbooks, advertising ephemera, correspondence, government reports, and other illustrated content. (AM)
Gale In Context: U.S. History This link opens in a new window
Search for encyclopedia articles, journal articles, news articles, primary source documents, audio, and video on many topics connected to US History. (Gale)
Gale Primary Sources This link opens in a new window
Search across over 20 Gale Primary Sources archives, including Archives of Sexuality and Gender, Archives Unbound, The Making of Modern Law, and various historical newspapers and magazines. (Gale)
HarpWeek, 1857-1912 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from the Harper's Weekly magazine covering the the pre-Civil War through pre-World War I periods in American history. (Alexander Street Press)
Historical Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on all aspects of world history (excluding the US and Canada) from 1450 to the present. (EBSCO)
Historical Newspapers (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from 7 national papers (Atlanta Constitution, Barron's, Christian Science Monitor, LA Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post) and 5 historically Black papers (Atlanta Daily World, Chicago Defender, Los Angeles Sentinel, New York Amsterdam News, and Pittsburgh Courier). Full-text dates vary for each newspaper. (ProQuest)
Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window
Search for statistics on topics related to American Indians, slavery, poverty, race, ethnicity, migration, health, crime, and more. Each are placed in historical context by a recognized expert in the field. (Cambridge)
HistoryMakers Video Archive This link opens in a new window
Watch videos of thousands of oral history interviews that highlight the accomplishments of individual African Americans and African-American-led groups and movements. (HistoryMakers)
Homeland Security Digital Library This link opens in a new window
Search for federal, state and local policy documents, academic theses and reports, and national strategy documents on topics related to homeland security. UR has access to everything but the restricted collection. (US Government)
Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America This link opens in a new window
Find manuscripts, artwork, and rare printed books dating from American Indians' earliest contact with European settlers to photographs and newspapers from the mid-twentieth century. (AM)
Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America This link opens in a new window
Find manuscripts, artwork, and rare printed books dating from American Indians' earliest contact with European settlers to photographs and newspapers from the mid-twentieth century. (AM)
Indigenous Peoples of North America This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents covering the political, social, and cultural history of North American indigenous peoples from the sixteenth century until the twentieth century. Documents include manuscripts, monographs, newspapers, photographs, motion pictures, images of artwork, and more. (Gale)
Law and Society since the Civil War: American Legal Manuscripts from the Harvard Law School Library (1861-1976) This link opens in a new window
Search a collection of manuscripts from the Harvard Law School Library, which highlight three Supreme Court Justices and the first Black federal judge, illuminate many high profile cases, and provide insights into developing ideologies and laws as far back as 1861 with the papers of Oliver Wendell Holmes. (ProQuest)
Liberty Magazine Historical Archive, 1924-1950 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles published in Liberty: A Weekly for Everybody, which focused on the daily life, interests, and values of middle America. The magazine presented Information in a style heavily influenced by the emerging motion-picture industry and focused on the most sensational and popular issues. (Gale)
Lincoln at the Bar: Extant Case Files from the US District and Circuit Courts, Southern District of Illinois 1855-1861 This link opens in a new window
Explore cases from the U.S. District and Circuit Courts in Springfield, Illinois where Abraham Lincoln was identified as legal counsel. These 122 case files from 1855-1861 include civil actions brought under both statute and common law, admiralty litigation, and a few criminal cases. (Gale)
Literature, Culture and Society in Depression Era America: Archives of the Federal Writers' Project This link opens in a new window
Access primary source documents from the Federal Writers' Project, which employed thousands of people during the Great Depression to create state and city guides, local and oral histories, poems and plays, ethnographies, children's books, and more. (Gale)
Making of Modern Law This link opens in a new window
Find primary source documents that explore all aspects of American and British law. Access ACLU papers, records from the U.S. Court of Appeals, legal treatises from the 19th and 20th centuries, trial documents dating back to the 1600s, and U.S. Supreme Court records and briefs. (Gale)
NAACP Papers This link opens in a new window
Search the archives of the NAACP, which contain documents dated from 1909-1972 such as internal memos, legal briefings, and direct action summaries from branch offices throughout the country. Examine the NAACP's work on issues such as: lynching, school desegregation, discrimination in the military, criminal justice system, employment, housing, and many others. (ProQuest)
Native American Archives (Gale) This link opens in a new window
Search several archives about the history of Native Americans in the 1800s-1960s. This includes correspondence in the Presbyterian Historical Society's Collection of Missionaries' Letters, FBI Files on the American Indian Movement, the Meriam Report, the Indian Trade in the Southeastern Spanish Borderlands, and the War Department's supervision of Indian Affairs. (Gale)
New York Times Historical Newspaper & Index This link opens in a new window
Access the archives of the New York Times from 1851-2019. (ProQuest)
North American Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new window
Search a collection of letters and diaries written from colonial times to 1950 by famous and not-so-famous women from all age groups, life stages, ethnicities, and geographical regions. (Alexander Street Press)
PBS Videos This link opens in a new window
Stream videos originally broadcast on PBS, including several of Ken Burns' series such as American Experience, Scientific American Frontiers, and many others. (VIVA)
Political Extremism and Radicalism This link opens in a new window
Search primary sources on peripheral groups deemed "extreme" or "radical" by contemporaries on both the right and the left from the early 1900s to the present. Find sources on anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, anti-war, communist or socialist, creationist, environmentalist, hate, holocaust denial, new left, survivalist, and white supremacist/nationalist groups. Most materials come from the US and Great Britain, but a few are from Australia and other countries in Europe. (Gale)
Popular Culture in Britain and America, 1950-1975 This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents on topics related to music and youth culture. Documents include photographs, ephemera, memorabilia, pamphlets, zines, letters, government files, and eye witness accounts covering key events of the period. (AM)
Price Control in the Courts: The US Emergency Court of Appeals, 1941-1961 This link opens in a new window
Search records related to the creation and activities of the temporary Emergency Court of Appeals, which was given exclusive jurisdiction to determine the validity of price control regulations created by the Emergency Price Control Act of 1942. This law was passed as a means of checking the inflation that accompanied America's entry into World War II. (Gale)
Public Health Archives: Public Health in Modern America, 1890-1970 This link opens in a new window
Search primary sources that document the rise of the twentieth-century public health system in the United States through correspondence, reports, pamphlets, ephemera, and more. Learn more about the evolution of public health legislation, policies, and campaigns at local, national, and federal levels. (Gale)
Queer Pasts This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents on queer history and culture. Particular focus is given to perspectives from people of color, trans people, and people with disabilities.
Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Enforcement of Federal Law in the South, 1871-1884 This link opens in a new window
Search the records of district attorneys from southern states tasked with upholding federal laws in the states that fought in the Confederacy or were Border States. This database includes their correspondence with the attorney general as well all other letters received by the attorney general from the states in question during that period, including the correspondence of marshals, judges, convicts, and concerned or aggrieved citizens. (Gale)
Richmond Times-Dispatch (1903-present) This link opens in a new window
Search the complete archives of the Richmond Times-Dispatch from its inception in 1903. PDF scans are available from 1903-present and transcriptions of individual articles are available from 1985-present. (Newsbank/Readex)
Rock's Backpages This link opens in a new window
Search for articles in an archive of rock and pop music journalism - from mainstream publications and niche magazines. (Rock's Backpages)
Rotunda (UVA) This link opens in a new window
Access the writings and correspondence of former US presidents, first ladies, and government officials, mostly from the Revolutionary and Civil War periods. Collections includes John Adams, Abigail Adams, Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, Dolly Madison, James Madison, George Washington, and more. (UVA)
Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970 - Virginia This link opens in a new window
Search large-scale plans of Virginia cities and towns, created to assist fire insurance companies assess the risk associated with insuring a particular property. Map information includes data such as the outline of each building, the size, shape, and construction materials, heights and function of structures, and location of windows and doors. The maps also give street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, building use, and house numbers. (ProQuest)
Scopes Case This link opens in a new window
Search primary sources from one of the most famous cases of the 20th century, also called the "Monkey Trial." Teacher John T. Scopes was accused of teaching evolution at a school in Dayton, TN in July 1925. Lawyer Clarence Darrow represented the defense and William Jennings Bryant prosecuted, in a trial that became a highly controversial spectacle and sparked debates across the country. (Gale)
Slavery, Abolition & Social Justice This link opens in a new window
Search for primary sources that focus on the varieties of slavery (urban, domestic, industrial, farm, ranch, and plantation), the legacies of slavery, the social justice perspective, and the continued existence of slavery in the twentieth century. Documents include manuscripts, pamphlets, books, paintings and maps. (AM)
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Create reports and maps based on US Census data and demographic information. Create an account on the site to save your maps. (Social Explorer)
Southern Negro Youth Congress and the Communist Party: Papers of James and Esther Cooper Jackson This link opens in a new window
Search the papers of James E. and Esther Cooper Jackson, who are best known for their role in founding and leading the Southern Negro Youth Congress from 1937-1948. (Gale)
Spiro T. Agnew Case: The Investigative and Legal Documents This link opens in a new window
Search primary sources related to former Vice President Spiro T. Agnew's resignation in 1973 following an investigation on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, bribery, extortion, and tax fraud. This collection contains the legal documents of the case, the correspondence surrounding the investigation and trial, Agnew's personal records, and related newspaper and magazine articles. (Gale)
Statistical Abstract of the United States (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Search for statistics in this yearly publication that illuminate the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. The data covers the years 1878-2012 and has been compiled from a variety of public and private sources. (ProQuest)
Through the Camera Lens: The Moving Picture World and the Silent Cinema Era, 1907-1927 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from the journal The Moving Picture World, which reviewed new film releases and published news, features, and interviews relating to all aspects of the silent film industry. (Gale)
U.S. Declassified Documents Online This link opens in a new window
Search previously classified federal records from the executive branch spanning the 20th and 21st centuries. Types of documents include intelligence studies, policy papers, diplomatic correspondence, cabinet meeting minutes, briefing materials, and domestic surveillance and military reports. Learn more about what was happening behind the scenes at the highest level of American policymaking on issues of national security and foreign policy. (Gale)
U.S. Military Activities and Civil Rights: University of Mississippi and Little Rock This link opens in a new window
Explore the US government archives relating to the use of federal troops in Oxford, Mississippi on the occasion of James Meredith's enrollment at the University of Mississippi in 1962-63. Also find information on President Eisenhower's use of federal troops and the Arkansas National Guard in the Little Rock integration crisis of 1957-1958. (Gale)
Virginia Company Archives This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents from the Virginia Company of London, 1606-1624. Centered upon the archives of the Ferrar family who played a significant role in the Company's administration, this database documents the founding and economic development of the Virginia colony, relations between colonists and indigenous peoples, and early trade between Britain and America. (AM)
Wall Street Journal Historical Newspaper This link opens in a new window
Access the archives of the Wall Street Journal from 1889-2011. (ProQuest)
Witchcraft in Europe and America This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents on the prosecution of witchcraft from the 15th century to the early 20th century. Documents include anti-persecution writings, works by penologists, legal and church documents, exposés of persecutions, philosophical writings, and transcripts of trials and exorcisms. (Gale)
Women's Periodicals: Social and Political Issues This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from historical women's periodicals published from the late 18th century to the early 1930s. Some of the titles were conceived and published by men, for women; others were conceived and published by male editors with strong input from female assistant editors or managers; while others were conceived and published by women, for women. These periodicals illuminate the lives of women, the role of women in society, and the development of the public lives of women as the push for women's rights—woman suffrage, fair pay, better working conditions—grew in the United States and England. (Gale)
Women's Studies Archive This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents focusing on the evolution of feminism and political activism in the 19th and 20th centuries. Topics covered include suffrage, abolition of slavery, alcohol and temperance movements, birth control, pacifism, civil rights, socialism, and more. Also included is a collection that focuses on "female forerunners," women who broke new paths in society through business, social reform, popular culture, health care, and more. (Gale)
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents on the role of women in movements throughout American history. Documents include publications by State and Local Commissions on the Status of Women (1963-2000), writings of hundreds of black women suffragists (1830-1960), proceedings of the National Women's Anti-Slavery Conventions in the 1830s, publications of the League of Women Voters (1920-2000), and more. (Alexander Street Press)

World History Primary Sources Online

17th & 18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search a collection of British newspapers and pamphlets gathered by Rev. Charles Burney (1757-1817), which helps chart the development of the newspaper from published transcripts to coffee house newsbooks to the newspaper as we know it today. (Gale)
18th Century Collections Online This link opens in a new window
Search books, pamphlets, and broadsides published between 1701-1800 in Britain (and its territories), Ireland, and the United States. The database includes materials in a variety of languages (although it's mostly English), and it contains an array of works - from encyclopedias to novels to law books to religious tracts to auction catalogs. (Gale)
19th Century British Pamphlets Collection This link opens in a new window
Search pamphlets digitized from the collections of several UK universities. These pamphlets cover key political, social, technological, and environmental issues of 19th century Britain. (JSTOR)
19th Century Collections Online: Women and Transnational Networks This link opens in a new window
Search primary source documents that focus on issues at the intersection of gender and class -- from the late eighteenth century to the era of suffrage in the early twentieth century -- through a European and North American perspective. (Gale)
19th Century UK Periodicals (Part II: Empire) This link opens in a new window
Search a collection of periodicals that focus on the role Britain played as an imperial power throughout the 1800s. It contains periodicals from Australia, Canada, Ceylon, India, New Zealand, and South Africa. (Note: We only have access to Part II: Empire). (Gale)
Archives of Latin American and Caribbean History, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents on history, culture, peoples, and societies of Latin American and the Caribbean. Documents include original manuscripts, signed letters, expedition records, reports, maps, diaries, descriptions of voyages, and ephemera. (Gale)
Archives of Sexuality and Gender This link opens in a new window
Search for primary sources on the historical study of sex, sexuality, and gender. The content dates from the sixteenth century to the present. (Gale)
ARTFL-FRANTEXT This link opens in a new window
Find and read French-language texts from the 12th-20th centuries. Genres include novels, verse, theater, journalism, essays, correspondence, and treatises. Subjects include literary criticism, biology, history, economics, and philosophy. (University of Chicago)
BBC Monitoring: Summary of World Broadcasts, 1939-2001 This link opens in a new window
Search this primary source database for a window into radio broadcasts happening in the second half of the 20th century. At the start of WWII, trained specialists listened to radio broadcasts from around the world to help Britain and its allies gather open-source intelligence. Over the next 60 years, BBC expanded its scope and listened to radio broadcasts of all sorts of events. Transcripts were created, then translated into English, then read by experts, who then selected the critical content and compiled it into the daily reports that comprise this database. (Newsbank/Readex)
British Literary Manuscripts II, Medieval & Renaissance This link opens in a new window
Search this primary source database for manuscripts dating roughly from 1120-1660. It includes letters, poems, stories, plays, chronicles, religious writings, and more. (Gale)
British Periodicals, 1681-1937 This link opens in a new window
Search a wide range of more than 160 periodicals published in Britain. Topics covered include literature, philosophy, history, science, the social sciences, music, art, drama, archaeology and architecture. (ProQuest)
Colonial State Papers This link opens in a new window
Search thousands of hand-written primary source documents and indexes that document colonial history from the earliest English settlements in North America, piracy in the Atlantic and Caribbean, slave trade, and English conflicts with the Spanish and the French. (ProQuest)
Crime, Punishment, and Popular Culture, 1790-1920 This link opens in a new window
Find primary source material covering the rapid revolution of the justice and penal system during the nineteenth century, as well as the rise of sensationalism around crimes and criminals that captured the public's imagination. On one end of the spectrum, you will find trial transcripts, court proceedings, and the development of the police and forensic techniques; on the other end, you will also find popular fiction and detective novels; and bridging the two are newspaper accounts, true crime literature, and related ephemera. (Gale)
Current Digest of the Russian Press Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
Search for articles translated into English from Russian-language press materials. Published continuously since 1949, this journal draws from a broad spectrum of sources from pro-government to moderate to fiercely oppositionist. The translations are presented as documentary materials without elaboration or commentary, and state the opinions and views of the original authors, not the publishers of the journal. (East View)
Early English Books Online This link opens in a new window
Access books printed in the British Isles and North America, as well as works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1770. Subjects covered include literature, history, philosophy, linguistics, religion, and politics. (ProQuest)
East India Company This link opens in a new window
Access primary sources related to the history of British trade and rule in the Indian subcontinent from 1599-1947. Documents include royal charters, correspondence, trading diaries, minutes of council meetings, reports of expeditions, and more. Please note: UR only has access to modules 1-3. (AM)
Economist Historical Archive, 1843-2020 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from the archives of The Economist. Find editorials, news, and commentary that offer insight into British, European, American, and world affairs. (Gale)
European Views of the Americas: 1493-1750 This link opens in a new window
Search this guide to printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750, covering the history of European exploration. (EBSCO)
Food and Drink in History This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents that illustrate the links between food and identity, politics and power, gender, race and socio-economic status, as well as chart key issues around agriculture, nutrition, food production, and advertising. Items include manuscript cookbooks, advertising ephemera, correspondence, government reports, and other illustrated content. (AM)
Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies This link opens in a new window
*Create an account and then request access to the videos. Watch video testimonies of individuals willing to share their stories of first-hand experience of Nazi persecutions, including those who were hiding, survivors, bystanders, those who resisted, and liberators. Testimonies were recorded in whatever language the witness preferred. Note: There is a collection that is restricted to Yale only; UR does not have access to this collection. (Yale)
Historical Abstracts with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on all aspects of world history (excluding the US and Canada) from 1450 to the present. (EBSCO)
Holocaust and the Concentration Camp Trials: Prosecution of Nazi War Crimes This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents on the investigation and prosecution of war crimes committed by Nazi concentration camp commandants and camp personnel. Documents include correspondence; trial records and transcripts; investigatory material, such as interrogation reports and trial exhibits; clemency petitions and reviews; photographs of atrocities; newspaper clippings; and pamphlets. (Gale)
International Historical Statistics This link opens in a new window
Search these ebooks for a wide variety of statistics covering Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania from 1750 to the present. (Springer Nature)
LGBTQ+ Source This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on topics related to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities. (EBSCO)
National Geographic Virtual Library This link opens in a new window
Access the archives of the National Geographic Magazine from 1888-present. (Gale)
Northern Ireland: A Divided Community, 1921-1972 Cabinet Papers of the Stormont Administration This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents from the time when there was a political and sectarian divide between the north and the south in Ireland, leading to sustained armed violence over several decades. Before imposing direct rule in 1972, the British government allowed for a separate parliament in Stormont Castle in Belfast to govern Northern Ireland. This database contains the complete archives of the Cabinet Conclusion files of the Northern Ireland Government, filed as CAB/4 at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). This cabinet was at the center of the decision-making process and discussion of policy matters throughout the period of devolved administration from 1921-1972. (Gale)
Periodicals Archive Online (PAO) This link opens in a new window
Search the backfiles of scholarly periodicals in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. This databases spans more than two centuries of content and includes many non-English titles. (ProQuest)
Political Extremism and Radicalism This link opens in a new window
Search primary sources on peripheral groups deemed "extreme" or "radical" by contemporaries on both the right and the left from the early 1900s to the present. Find sources on anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, anti-war, communist or socialist, creationist, environmentalist, hate, holocaust denial, new left, survivalist, and white supremacist/nationalist groups. Most materials come from the US and Great Britain, but a few are from Australia and other countries in Europe. (Gale)
Popular Culture in Britain and America, 1950-1975 This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents on topics related to music and youth culture. Documents include photographs, ephemera, memorabilia, pamphlets, zines, letters, government files, and eye witness accounts covering key events of the period. (AM)
Refugees, Relief, and Resettlement: Forced Migration and World War II This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents on plight of refugees and displaced persons across Europe, North Africa, and Asia from 1935 to 1950. Documentation offers a record of the response of governments to various crises and shifts in policy; a chronicling of the aid work undertaken by NGOs and charities seeking to provide relief and aid in resettlement; and a recognition through individual narratives of the daily reality of the refugee experience. (Gale)
Ship Index This link opens in a new window
Search an index for reference to specific sailing vessels found in magazines, journals, books, and websites. (Ship Index, LLC)
State Papers Online, 1509-1714 This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents from the British government. This database includes the papers of the Secretary of State from Henry VIII's accession in 1509 to 1714. Topics covered include internal English/British affairs, administration of the country, foreign affairs, marriage alliances, treaties, and wars. (Gale)
Times Digital Archive, 1785-2019 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from the archives of the Times of London newspaper, which covers general news, culture, fine arts, politics, history, and more. (Gale)
U.S. Intelligence on Europe, 1945-1995 This link opens in a new window
Search a collection of thousands of formerly classified government documents that provide a comprehensive survey of the U.S. intelligence community’s activities in Europe, including Eastern Europe, Turkey and Cyprus, during the latter half of the 20th century. (Brill)
Witchcraft in Europe and America This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents on the prosecution of witchcraft from the 15th century to the early 20th century. Documents include anti-persecution writings, works by penologists, legal and church documents, exposés of persecutions, philosophical writings, and transcripts of trials and exorcisms. (Gale)
Women's Periodicals: Social and Political Issues This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from historical women's periodicals published from the late 18th century to the early 1930s. Some of the titles were conceived and published by men, for women; others were conceived and published by male editors with strong input from female assistant editors or managers; while others were conceived and published by women, for women. These periodicals illuminate the lives of women, the role of women in society, and the development of the public lives of women as the push for women's rights—woman suffrage, fair pay, better working conditions—grew in the United States and England. (Gale)
Women's Studies Archive This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents focusing on the evolution of feminism and political activism in the 19th and 20th centuries. Topics covered include suffrage, abolition of slavery, alcohol and temperance movements, birth control, pacifism, civil rights, socialism, and more. Also included is a collection that focuses on "female forerunners," women who broke new paths in society through business, social reform, popular culture, health care, and more. (Gale)
Women's Studies International This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from journals that publish feminist research in areas of sociology, history, political science, public policy, international relations, arts and humanities, business, and education. (EBSCO)
Women, War and Society, 1914-1918 This link opens in a new window
Search for primary source documents that illuminate the broad scope of British women's activities during World War I. The database includes materials from the Imperial War Museum in London, such as charity and international relief reports, pamphlets, photographs, press cuttings, magazines, posters, correspondence, minutes, records, diaries, memoranda, statistics, circulars, regulations and invitations, and interpretative essays from leading scholars. (Gale)

Newspaper Databases & Resources

Access World News (Historical and Current) This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from thousands of US and global news sources. It includes some audio and video news sources, as well as traditional newspapers. (Newsbank/Readex)

Chronicling America Website
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1777-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.

17th & 18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search a collection of British newspapers and pamphlets gathered by Rev. Charles Burney (1757-1817), which helps chart the development of the newspaper from published transcripts to coffee house newsbooks to the newspaper as we know it today. (Gale)
19th Century British Library Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search a collection of national and regional newspapers of Victorian Britain (1800-1900). Note: UR has access to parts I and II of this database. (Gale)
19th Century U.S. Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search an archive of newspapers published in the 1800s by a variety of groups, including political parties, African Americans, Native Americans, women's rights groups, labor groups, and the Confederacy. This collection includes newspapers from every one of the 50 modern-day US states. (Gale)
Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from American newspapers from the 18th and 19th centuries, including African American newspapers and women's suffrage newspapers. (Accessible Archives)
African American Newspapers, 1827-1998 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from US newspapers that chronicle 150 years of the African American experience, including the Antebellum South, growth of the Black church, the Jim Crow Era, the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights movement, and more. Note: UR has access to Series 1 only. (Newsbank/Readex)
Early American Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search for newspaper articles published in the US from the colonial period through Reconstruction. This collection was a gift of Edwin S. Snead III, class of 1951. (Newsbank/Readex)
Economist Historical Archive, 1843-2020 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from the archives of The Economist. Find editorials, news, and commentary that offer insight into British, European, American, and world affairs. (Gale)
Financial Times Historical Archive (1888-2021) This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from the archives of Financial Times. (Gale)
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports (1974-1996) This link opens in a new window
Search broadcasts and news of selected non-U.S. media sources translated into English by the CIA. (Newsbank/Readex)
Illustrated London News Historical Archive, 1842-2003 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from this fully-illustrated weekly British newspaper. It covers topics such as the arts, discovery and exploration, fashion, industry and trade, military history, politics, science and medicine, social history, sports, transportation, and travel. (Gale)
Magazine Archives on EBSCO This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from the archives of The Atlantic (1857-2014), Bloomberg Businessweek (1929-2010), Forbes (1917-2000), Fortune (1930-2000), Life (1936-2000), The Nation (1865-2020), National Review (1955-2020), and The New Republic (1914-2020). (EBSCO)
National Geographic Virtual Library This link opens in a new window
Access the archives of the National Geographic Magazine from 1888-present. (Gale)
News, Policy & Politics Magazine Archive (feat. Newsweek) This link opens in a new window
Access the archives for over 15 magazines that focused on current events, international relations, and public policy. Most notably, it includes the Newsweek archive from 1933-2012. (ProQuest)
Newspaper Source Plus This link opens in a new window
Search for newspaper articles from hundreds of national and regional newspapers, as well as transcripts of television and radio news. (EBSCO)
New York Times Historical Newspaper & Index This link opens in a new window
Access the archives of the New York Times from 1851-2019. (ProQuest)
Richmond Times-Dispatch (1903-present) This link opens in a new window
Search the complete archives of the Richmond Times-Dispatch from its inception in 1903. PDF scans are available from 1903-present and transcriptions of individual articles are available from 1985-present. (Newsbank/Readex)
Times Digital Archive, 1785-2019 This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from the archives of the Times of London newspaper, which covers general news, culture, fine arts, politics, history, and more. (Gale)
Times Educational Supplement Historical Archive, 1910-2000 This link opens in a new window
TES is a separate publication that is connected with The Times of London. It was written with teachers in mind and has a particular focus on advocacy of educational reforms. Over the years, its readership expanded to the general public who were interested in school and curriculum developments as well as broader educational issues. (Gale)
Times Literary Supplement Historical Archive, 1902-2014 This link opens in a new window
TLS is a separate publication that is connected with The Times of London. Search this database for book reviews, book extracts, essays, and poems from leading writers from around the world. The TLS reviews books published in non-English languages, as well as film, opera, theatre, dance, radio, and television. (Gale)
Wall Street Journal Historical Newspaper This link opens in a new window
Access the archives of the Wall Street Journal from 1889-2011. (ProQuest)
Washington Post Historical Newspaper This link opens in a new window
Access the archives of the Washington Post from 1877-2006. (ProQuest)

Images Online

ARTstor This link opens in a new window
Access thousands of images from art, architecture, archaeology, decorative arts and design, and visual culture in general. The content comes from museums, individual photographers, scholars, special collections at libraries, and photo archives. (ITHAKA)
Bridgeman Education This link opens in a new window
Search an archive of digital images sourced from museums, galleries, contemporary artists, and private collections. (Bridgeman Education)
Grove Art Online This link opens in a new window
Search this encyclopedia for background information on most aspects of the visual arts (painting, sculpture, graphic arts, architecture, decorative arts and photography) from prehistory to the present. (Oxford)
JSTOR (UR Collections) This link opens in a new window
Access archival collections created by the University of Richmond hosted on the JSTOR platform. Includes various image collections and a set of World War I pamphlets. (ITHAKA)

AV/Film Databases

Academic Video Online This link opens in a new window
Access a massive collection of streaming videos, including documentaries, interviews, performances, newsreels, field recordings, commercials, and raw footage, among others. Most topics are represented in this database. (Alexander Street Press)
American History in Video This link opens in a new window
Watch both documentaries about historical events in American history, as well as newsreels and other footage shot as events were happening. (Alexander Street Press)
BBC Monitoring: Summary of World Broadcasts, 1939-2001 This link opens in a new window
Search this primary source database for a window into radio broadcasts happening in the second half of the 20th century. At the start of WWII, trained specialists listened to radio broadcasts from around the world to help Britain and its allies gather open-source intelligence. Over the next 60 years, BBC expanded its scope and listened to radio broadcasts of all sorts of events. Transcripts were created, then translated into English, then read by experts, who then selected the critical content and compiled it into the daily reports that comprise this database. (Newsbank/Readex)
Kanopy This link opens in a new window
Search this streaming video collection of documentaries, educational films, classic Hollywood movies, and world cinema. Note: Not all Kanopy films are immediately available for streaming. For any that are unavailable, please fill out the request form in Kanopy with as much information as possible to convey your teaching or research needs. The library will only unlock videos used for courses and assignments. (OverDrive)

Boatwright Memorial Library

HISTORY RESEARCH GUIDE: Primary Source Databases

U.S. History Primary Sources Online

World History Primary Sources Online

Newspaper Databases & Resources

Images Online

AV/Film Databases