LibGuides: RHCS 104: Interpreting Rhetorical Texts: Primary Source Databases

LibGuides Menu

Ask a Librarian
Boatwright Library Home
Citing Sources
more...less...
Reference guide with examples for citing sources in MLA, APA, and Chicago.
Interlibrary Loan
Journal Titles

Library Catalog This link opens in a new window
Search our library catalog (aka OneSearch) for all types of sources. It combines results from many of our databases. (Ex Libris)

OneSearch This link opens in a new window
Use this discovery tool to search most of the University Libraries' collections, including books, journal articles, newspapers, dissertations, music, and video recordings. (Ex Libris)

Databases Devoted to Primary Source Materials

The order of items in the list, which are mainly historical, is as follows: Sources with newspapers and other periodicals; sources with mixed genres, formats, and subjects; and sources focusing on a particular subject or event.

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)
Historical Newspapers (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Search for articles from 6 national papers (Atlanta Constitution, 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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)