American Studies: Digital Collections
Selected Resources
- American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series I This link opens in a new windowBased on the American Antiquarian Society's landmark collection, this offers fully searchable facsimile images of approximately 15,000 broadsides printed between 1820 and 1900 and 15,000 pieces of ephemera printed between 1760 and 1900. The subjects of these broadsides range from contemporary accounts of the Civil War, unusual occurrences and natural disasters to official government proclamations, tax bills and town meeting reports. Featuring many rare items, the pieces of ephemera include clipper ship sailing cards, early trade cards, bill heads, theater and music programs, stock certificates, menus and invitations documenting civic, political and private celebrations.
- Archives Unbound This link opens in a new windowArchives Unbound presents topically-focused digital collections of historical documents that support the research and study needs of scholars and students at the college and university level. UI collections include: East Germany from Stalinization to the New Economic Policy, 1950-1963; Federal Response to Radicalism in the 1960s; Feminism in Cuba, 1898-1958; Overland Journeys: Travels in the West, 1800-1880; Witchcraft in Europe and America.
- Black Thought and Culture: African Americans from Colonial Times to the Present This link opens in a new windowBlack Thought and Culture is a single source for the published works of numerous historically important black leaders. Along with well-known works, the collection features approx. 5,000 pages of unique, fugitive, and never-before-published materials. When complete, Black Thought and Culture will provide approximately 100,000 pages of monographs, essays, articles, speeches, and interviews written by leaders within the black community from the earliest times to 1975. Black teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other leaders form the mainstay of this corpus. The collection is intended for research in black studies, political science, American history, music, literature, and art.
- The Civil War: Parts I-IVA searchable collection from Accessible Archives that includes newspapers, books, regimental histories, memoirs, etc. Part I: A Newspaper Perspective; Part II: The Soldier's Perspective; Part III: The General's Perspective; Part IV: A Midwestern Perspective.
- Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1800Online version of the microfiche set Early American Imprints, 1639-1800. Resource for aspects of life in 17th- and 18th-century America, e.g., agriculture, foreign affairs, diplomacy, literature, music, religion, the Revolutionary War, temperance, etc.
- Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive digital edition of The 18th Century microfilm set, which has aimed to include every significant English-language and foreign-language title printed in the United Kingdom, along with thousands of important works from the Americas, 1701-1800 Consists of over 180,000 titles of books, pamphlets, broadsides, ephemera. Subject categories include history and geography; fine arts and social sciences; medicine, science, and technology; literature and language; religion and philosophy; law; general reference. Also included are significant collections of women writers of the eighteenth century, collections on the French Revolution, and numerous eighteenth-century editions of the works of Shakespeare. Where they add scholarly value or contain important differences, multiple editions of each individual work are offered.
- Gerritsen Collection: Women's History Online, 1543-1945The Gerritsen Collection was begun by Aletta Jacobs Gerritsen in the late 1800s. The online resource delivers two million page images exactly as they appeared in the original printed works. Includes monographs, periodicals and pamphlets in 15 languages.
- Making of AmericaUniversity of Michigan. A digital library of primary sources in American social history primarily from the antebellum period through reconstruction. This site provides access to 9,500 books and over 100,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints.
- Making of America, Cornell UniversityA digital library of primary sources in American social history, this site provides access to 267 monograph volumes and over 50,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints.
- North American Indian Thought and CulturePresents the life stories of American Indians and Canadian First Peoples in their own words and through the words of others. Coverage: 1677 to present.
- Sixties: Primary Documents and Personal Narratives, 1960 to 1974 This link opens in a new windowThe Sixties brings the 1960s alive through diaries, letters, autobiographies and other memoirs, written and oral histories, manifestos, memorabilia, and scholarly commentary. With 150,000 pages of material at completion, this searchable collection is the definitive electronic resource for students and scholars researching this important period in American history, culture, and politics. The database currently has over 34,000 pages.
- Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice, 1490-2007This digital collection documents key aspects of the history of slavery worldwide over six centuries. Topics covered include the African Coast, the Middle Passage, the varieties of slave experience, religion, revolts, abolition, and legislation.
- Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 This link opens in a new windowThe collection currently includes 87 document projects with almost 2700 documents and 150,000 pages of additional full-text documents, and more than 2,060 primary authors. A resource for students and scholars of U.S. history and U.S. women's history. This collection seeks to advance scholarly debates and understanding at the same time that it makes the insights of women's history accessible to teachers and students at universities, colleges, and high schools. It also includes book, film, and website reviews, notes from the archives, and teaching tools.
Collections
- America's News Magazines This link opens in a new windowCoverage of U.S. and international news, business, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, and science and technology from 26 familiar magazines.
- American Periodical Series Online 1740-1940 This link opens in a new windowOver 1,100 periodicals that first began publishing between 1740 and 1900, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines, and many other historically significant periodicals. Coverage 1740-1940.
- Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive (EIMA) This link opens in a new windowAn archival research resource containing the essential primary sources for studying the history of the film and entertainment industries, from the era of vaudeville and silent movies through to 2000. The core US and UK trade magazines covering film, music, broadcasting and theater are all included, together with film fan magazines and music press titles.
- Gale American Historical Periodicals 1-5 This link opens in a new windowThe collection includes unusual and short-lived magazines as well as better-known titles with long runs. Early periodicals in the collection focus on colonial life and the growing tensions between colonists and their oversea rulers leading up to the American Revolution. Common themes depicted in antebellum periodicals reveal a rapidly growing young nation where industrialization, western expansion, and regional political differences were a daily reality for many Americans. The Civil War and Reconstruction eras are well represented, documenting the conflict and its aftermath from a variety of perspectives and allowing readers to bear witness to this pivotal period in American history. Early twentieth century titles document the second Industrial Revolution, immigration, women’s rights, World War I, as well as fashion and music during the Roaring Twenties.
- Independent Voices: An Open Access Collection of an Alternative Press. This link opens in a new windowIndependent Voices is a four-year project to digitize over 1 million pages from the magazines, journals and newspapers of the alternative press archives of participating libraries.
Government Publications
- U.S. Declassified Documents Online (formerly Declassified Documents Reference System) This link opens in a new windowU.S. Declassified Documents Online provides immediate access to a broad range of previously classified federal records spanning the twentieth and twenty first centuries. The collection brings together the most sensitive documents from all the presidential libraries and numerous executive agencies in a single, easily searchable database.
- Proquest Congressional This link opens in a new windowProvides users with access to a comprehensive collection of historic and current congressional information. Includes full text of congressional publications, finding aids, a bill tracking service, public laws and other research materials. The database is an effective source for general research in many academic disciplines, in addition to research related to specific legislative proposals and laws. Researchers can access information about Congress, including member biographical and committee assignment information, voting records, and financial data.
American Memory
- American Memory from the Library of CongressPrimary source and archival materials relating to American culture and history. Most of these offerings are from the Library's unparalleled special collections and include photos, movies, sounds, and documents.
Digital Sanborn Maps
- Digital Sanborn maps 1867-1970Digital Sanborn Maps is a collection of large-scale landbook maps which includes information such as the outline of each building, the size and shape and construction materials, heights, and function of structures, and location of windows and doors.
Magazine Archives
- Architectural Digest Archive (1922-2011) This link opens in a new windowRECOMMEND USING CHROME; A vibrant monthly celebration of international design talents, the Architectural Digest Magazine Archive provides students of art, design, and architecture with an essential research tool. It covers the history of design, includes inspirational ideas, and provides a look at culture, art, unique homes and international design concepts through the years.
- Economist Historical Archive 1843-2006 This link opens in a new windowThe Economist Historical Archive delivers a complete searchable copy of every issue of The Economist from 1843 to 2006. New full-colour images, multiple search indexes, exportable financial tables and a gallery of front covers highlighting a key topic of each week - all combine to offer a primary source of research covering the 19th and 20th centuries. The Economist Historical Archive complements the Times Digital Archive also available from Gale/Cengage Learning.
- Esquire Magazine Archive (1933-2014) This link opens in a new windowEsquire Magazine Archive, 1933-2014, delivers coverage of the award-winning American men’s magazine in the areas of politics, men’s fashion, entertainment, fiction and pop culture. It includes more than 900 issues providing a broad view of 20th-Century American thought through cultural and current events. Esquire Magazine Archive is valuable to researchers of 20th-Century current events, gender issues, politics and culture, the history of business, advertising, and more.
- Forbes Archive (1917-2000) This link opens in a new windowForbes Magazine Archive is the world’s only complete digital version of the Forbes backfile. With coverage starting at the magazine’s first issue in 1917, the archive offers 70 years’ worth of content not available on any other EBSCO full-text product. Forbes has delivered key insight on the business and financial world for nearly a century. With EBSCO’s Forbes Magazine Archive, researchers have unrivaled electronic access to the world’s best business news. This fully searchable full-text archive provides analysis on business leaders, politics, entertainment, technology, communication, culture, and style
- Fortune Magazine Archive (1930-2000) This link opens in a new windowpresents an extensive collection of the long-running business magazine dating from its very first issue in February, 1930 through December, 2000 in a comprehensive cover-to-cover format. Published monthly by Time Inc., the magazine sought to provide news and analysis of both American and, later, international business, economics, technology, and industry. Each issue featured vivid color illustrations and photographs, as well as high-quality feature articles, published at a time when most business magazines were merely black and white compendiums of statistics and figures.
- Godey's Lady's Book This link opens in a new window19th century magazine intended to "entertain and educate" women of America. Early issues include biographical sketches, articles about mineralogy, handcrafts, fashion, dance, equestrienne procedures, health & hygiene, recipes & remedies, and piano forte sheet music. Later issues contain book reviews and works by such 19th century authors as Poe, Hawthorne, Longfellow and Stowe. Illustrations.
- HarpWeek: the Civil War Era through the Gilded Age (1857-1912) This link opens in a new windowFull text of the popular 19th century magazine, Harper's Weekly, on literature, history, current events, culture and society. Includes images from Harper's Weekly, with index.
- Liberty Magazine, 1924-1950 This link opens in a new windowLiberty: A Weekly for Everybody was founded in 1924 by Joseph Patterson, publisher of the New York Daily News and Robert McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune and often regarded as the world's greatest publisher. From its inception, they set out to make the magazine more topical, daring and exciting than any competitors.
- Life Magazine Archive (1936-2000) This link opens in a new windowPresents an extensive collection of the famed photojournalism magazine, spanning its very first issue in November, 1936 through December, 2000 in a comprehensive cover-to-cover format.
- Listener Historical Archive, 1929-1991 This link opens in a new window"The Listener was a weekly magazine established by the BBC in 1929 under its Director-General Lord Reith. It was the intellectual counterpart to the BBC listings magazine, Radio Times. Developed as the medium for reproducing broadcast talks – initially on radio, but in later years television as well - The Listener is one of the few records and means of accessing the content of many early broadcasts. As well as commenting on and expanding on the intellectual broadcasts of the week, The Listener also previewed major literary and musical programmes and regularly reviewed new books. The online archive consists of the complete 62 year run of the paper, allowing users to search across 129,000 pages and more than 226,000 articles - all newly digitised from originals in full colour."
- People Magazine Archive (1974-2000) This link opens in a new windowPresents an extensive collection of the prominent, popular magazine dating from its very first issue in March, 1974 through December, 2000, in a comprehensive cover-to-cover format. the magazine has focused on the stories of people in and behind the news. Each issue contains a blend of celebrity and human interest stories. Taken as a whole, the archive chronicles popular culture and trends over time.
- Punch Historical Archive, 1841-1992 This link opens in a new windowThe Punch Historical Archive, 1841-1992 presents a digital collection of every page of every issue of the weekly Punch magazine, including its celebrated cartoons and humorous Almanacks.
- Rolling Stone Archive This link opens in a new windowThe backfile of Rolling Stone covers the magazine from its launch in 1967 to the present. One of the most influential consumer magazines of the 20th and 21st centuries, it initially sought to reflect the cultural, social and political outlook of a generation of students and young adults. It soon became a leading vehicle for rock and popular music journalism, shaping and chronicling new trends and movements.
- Smithsonian Collections Online, 1970- This link opens in a new windowGale and the Smithsonian Institution have partnered to give libraries a unique opportunity to provide students, faculty, and researchers the chance to look behind the glass of the Smithsonian exhibits and collections.
Includes: Trade Literature and the Merchandizing of Industry, World's Fairs and Expositions: Visions of Tomorrow, Air & Space and Smithsonian Magazine Archive. - Sports Illustrated Magazine Archive (1954-2001) This link opens in a new windowpresents an extensive collection of the popular sports magazine dating from its very first issue in August, 1954 through December, 2001, presented in a comprehensive cover-to-cover format. The magazine has aimed to chronicle the weekly events in the world of sports. Each issue originally focused on more upper-class sporting activities such as polo and boating, but in the 1960s the magazine expanded its focus to include the increasingly popular professional sports of baseball, football, and, eventually, basketball.
- Time Magazine Archive (1923-2000) This link opens in a new windowThe Time Magazine Archive presents an extensive collection of the prominent weekly news magazine dating back to its first issue in March 1923 through December 2000, presented in a comprehensive cover-to-cover format. Time contains reports of national and international current events, politics, sports, and entertainment. Capturing the relevant news for a given week, the magazine remains an important resource for researchers studying just about any aspect of 20th-Century history and life. Front and back covers as well as all articles and advertisements contained in the original publication are included.
- U.S. News & World Report Magazine Archive (1926-1984) This link opens in a new windowUnique in that it covers the magazine from the beginning of its three predecessor titles. The magazine features a broad variety of topics in current events, politics and business, and is well known for its ranked lists of businesses and institutions.
- Vogue Archive This link opens in a new windowA complete searchable archive of American Vogue, from the first issue in 1892 to the current month.