Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
Also check our U.S. newspapers on microfilm list.
19th Century Masterfile
Indexes Anglo-American literature: periodicals, books, newspapers, and government documents published before 1930.
Accessible Archives
Full text of colonial and Civil War-era newspapers, including Frank Leslie's Weekly (illustrated), the Lily, and the Virginia Gazette, as well as 19th century African-American newspapers, such as the National Anti-Slavery Standard. .
U.S. Presidential Library
Includes Messages and Papers of the Presidents, Public Papers of the Presidents, Daily and Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, and other documents related to the U.S. Presidents.
For more information, check the United States Government page.
American Presidency Project
Contains the most comprehensive collection of resources pertaining to the study of the President of the United States. For example, see the Papers for James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams to name a few.
Documenting the American South
History Matters
This site provides access to primary sources, as well as acts as a gateway to hundreds of American history web sites and information about historiography (from George Mason University).
Library of Congress Digital Collections
Collections chronicling historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America.
Making of America (Cornell)
Provides access to 267 monograph volumes and over 100,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints.
Making of America (U of Michigan)
Contains approximately 10,000 books and 50,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints
Also check American History: Primary Sources for more collections.
Primary sources are original sources, in which its witnesses or first recorders describe a time, person or event.
Some types of primary sources include:
For more information, check the Primary Sources page, along with the American History - Primary Sources page.
Use the same subject headings you use to locate secondary resources, e.g. books, to locate primary ones by adding one of the special subject terms to your search. For example:
Abolitionists--United States--
Correspondence
African Americans--History--To 1863--
Sources
Antislavery movements--United States--
History--19th century--Sources
Mexican War, 1846-1848--Personal
narratives
United States--Politics and government--
1763-1865--Sources
Women--Georgia--Diaries