Digital Collections
- Sabin Americana [Gale] 1500-1926 This link opens in a new windowRich collection of early "discovery" narratives. Based on Sabin's Bibliotheca Americana: A Dictionary of Books Relating to America from Its Discovery to the Present Time. Full-text books, pamphlets, broadsides & documents, from sermons & tracts to legislation & literature. Covers all the Americas.
- America's Historical Newspapers 1690-1922 This link opens in a new windowCover-to-cover reproductions of hundreds of historic newspapers, based on the Brigham's History and Bibliography of American Newspapers series.
- American Periodicals [ProQuest] 18th-early 20th Century This link opens in a new windowCombines American Periodical Series (APS) and American Periodicals from the Center for Research Libraries, offering full text access to 18th-early 20th century American magazines and journals.
- Early American Imprints, 1639-1820 This link opens in a new windowDigitized reproductions of early American books and tracts, covering foreign affairs, diplomacy, politics, religion, etc.
- Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) [Gale] 1701-1800 This link opens in a new windowIncludes every significant English- and foreign-language title printed in the United Kingdom, along with thousands of important works from the Americas.
- The Making of the Modern World [Gale] 1450-1945 This link opens in a new windowCovers social history, early commerce, trade, colonization, industry, political systems, revolutions, slavery, exploration, philosophy, and more.
- Slavery & Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive [Gale] This link opens in a new windowPresents over 20 historical collections in their entirety, including:
• The American Missionary Association Archives, 1839-1882
• The American Colonization Society Papers
• Papers of British abolitionist Sir Thomas Fowell-Buxton
• Papers of American abolitionist Lewis Tappan
• Salmon P. Chase Papers
• Anti-Slavery Collection from Oberlin College
• Papers of the Christian Faith Society
• Abolitionist periodicals - U.S. Congressional Serial Set 1817-1994 This link opens in a new windowReports, Documents, and Journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives provide a rich primary source material on all aspects of American history.
... In the Online Catalog
As you search in the online catalog, watch for the words "personal narratives," "diaries," "correspondence," "pamphlets," and "sources" as part of the subject headings; these may point you to published primary sources in the library collections.
You can also search for these words, using the "Subject keywords" search, for example:
Other clues may be buried in the title, authorship, date of publication, etc.
Examples of some published primary sources in Neilson:
- The American Slave: A Composite Autobiography (19 vols.) byCall Number: E 441 .A58See esp. series 1, v. 7 and 12 (Oklahoma interviews by the Federal Writer's Project including many interviews with former slaves of Indians in what was then Indian Territory)
- By Force of Arms: The Journals of don Diego de Vargas, New Mexico, 1691-93Call Number: F 799 .V281213 1992
- A Frontier Documentary: Sonora and Tucson, 1821-1848, edited by Kieran McCartyCall Number: F 819.T957 F76 1997
- A History of Jonathan Alder: His Captivity and Life with the Indians byCall Number: E 99 .S35 A45 2002
- Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, 1610 - 1791 (73 vols.)Call Number: 971.01 J499
- Jewitt, John Rodgers - The Adventures and Sufferings of John R. Jewitt: Captive of MaquinnaCall Number: Oversize (A Core) E 99 .N85 J47 1987
- The Pueblo Indian Revolt of 1696 and the Franciscan Missions in New Mexico: Letters of the Missionaries and Related DocumentsCall Number: E 99.P9 P86 1988
- The Voyages and Explorations of Samuel de Champlain, 1604-1616, Narrated by HimselfCall Number: 970 Am3 13
On the Web . . .
- American Memory: Migrated CollectionsPrimary source materials relating to U.S. history and culture.
- Early California Population Project (Huntington Library)Digitized version of California's historic mission registers, including baptism, marriage, and burial records for the Indians, soldiers, and settlers of Alta California from 1769 - 1850.
- Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, 1610 - 1791 (73 vols.)Detailed eyewitness accounts of the activities of Jesuit priests living in the wilderness among many different Indian nations; these are the earliest and most compelling written records of North America at the time of white contact.
- Kappler's Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties, 1778-1970 (Oklahoma State Univ.)U.S. treaties, laws and executive orders pertaining to Native American Indian tribes.
- Massachusetts Historical SocietySee especially the Adams and Jefferson papers, as well as maps of the French & Indian War and other primary sources online.
- African American WomenIncludes a digitized slave memoir and letters.
- American Slave NarrativesSample narratives and photographs taken at the time of the WPA interviews. For the entire collection of narratives (41 volumes total, organized by states), see: George P. Rawick's The American Slave: A Composite Autobiography:
Neilson E 441 .A58
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