Resources on the American Civil War: Primary Sources

Features works published between 1860 and 1922 addressing all facets of the Civil War and its aftermath. Includes broadsides, lithographs, maps, books, pamphlets, photographs, political cartoons, stereographs, and more.

This digital edition of the American Antiquarian Society's holdings of slavery and abolition materials contains works published over the course of more than 100 years. Includes books, pamphlets, graphic materials, and ephemera.

The AAS Historical Periodicals Collection includes five series containing a comprehensive collection of more than 6,500 American magazines and journals documenting the life of America's people from the Colonial Era through the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Series 1: 1684-1820
Series 2: 1821-1837
Series 3: 1838-1852
Series 4: 1853-1865
Series 5: 1866-1912

Features petitions on race, slavery, and free blacks that were submitted to state legislatures and county courthouses between 1775 and 1867 as well as the State Slavery Statutes collection, a comprehensive record of the laws governing American slavery from 1789-1865.

This collection contains 2,009 authors and approximately 100,000 pages of diaries, letters and memoirs. Particular care has been taken to index this material so it can be searched more thoroughly than ever. Each source has been carefully chosen using leading bibliographies. The product includes 4,000 pages of previously unpublished manuscripts such as the letters of Amos Wood and his wife and the diary of Maryland Planter William Claytor. The collection also includes biographies, an extensive bibliography of the sources in the database, and material licensed from The Civil War Day-by-Day by E.B. Long.

This extraordinary, primary source collection is the first to comprehensively detail the extensive work of African Americans to abolish slavery in the United States prior to the Civil War. Covering the period 1830-1865, the collection presents the massive, international impact of African American activism against slavery, in the writings and publications of the activists themselves.

Black Thought and Culture is a landmark electronic collection of approximately 100,000 pages of non-fiction writings by major American black leaders—teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other figures—covering 250 years of history. In addition to the most familiar works, Black Thought and Culture presents a great deal of previously inaccessible material, including letters, speeches, prefatory essays, political leaflets, interviews, periodicals, and trial transcripts. The ideas of over 1,000 authors present an evolving and complex view of what it is to be black in America.

Contains articles from The New York Herald, The Charleston Mercury and the Richmond Enquirer, published between November 1, 1860 and April 15, 1865.

This database covers a vast range of topics including the formative economic factors and other forces that led to the abolitionist movement, the 600,000 battle casualties and the emancipation of nearly 4 million slaves.

A comprehensive guide to printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750. It covers the history of European exploration as well as portrayals of native American peoples. Full text not included; use Interlibrary Loan to request titles.

From heart-wrenching personal letters to bills of lading for office supplies, this database offers remarkable insight into the early Reconstruction period in the American South. The correspondence of the U.S. Army’s Office of Civil Affairs reveal efforts to foster democracy and rebuild communities in the divided and war-torn former Confederate states.

Contains pamphlets on all major aspects of Reconstruction from 1865 to 1877. This assortment of pamphlets was collected by the Department of State Library and includes speeches, debates, political statements, legislative bills, and more.

Slavery in Antebellum Southern Industries presents some of the richest, most valuable, and most complete collections in the entire documentary record of American slavery, focusing on the industrial uses of slave labor. The materials selected include company records; business and personal correspondence; documents pertaining to the purchase, hire, medical care, and provisioning of slave laborers; descriptions of production processes; and journals recounting costs and income. The work ledgers in these collections record slave earnings and expenditures and provide extraordinary insight into slave life. The collections document slavery in such enterprises as gold, silver, copper, and lead mining; iron manufacturing, machine shop work, lumbering, quarrying, brickmaking, tobacco manufacturing, shipbuilding, and heavy construction; and building of railroads and canals.

Slavery in Antebellum Southern Industries presents some of the richest, most valuable, and most complete collections in the entire documentary record of American slavery, focusing on the industrial uses of slave labor. The materials selected include company records; business and personal correspondence; documents pertaining to the purchase, hire, medical care, and provisioning of slave laborers; descriptions of production processes; and journals recounting costs and income. The work ledgers in these collections record slave earnings and expenditures and provide extraordinary insight into slave life.

Features newspapers published by or for African Americans in 35 states from 1827 to 1998. Funded by the Dr. Gerald W. Walton Endowment.

As the only major daily newspaper in the Atlanta area, The Atlanta Constitution provides a fascinating glimpse into the political, economic, cultural, and social life of the southeastern United States from Reconstruction through the late 20th century.

Contains articles from The New York Herald, The Charleston Mercury and the Richmond Enquirer, published between November 1, 1860 and April 15, 1865.

This historic newspaper was first in many ways: First U.S. newspaper to print a regular Sunday edition. First U.S. newspaper to publish court testimony. It sent reporters to Civil War battlefields to describe the action, set up a Washington bureau to report on politics, and was the first American newspaper published in Europe when it began a London edition in 1881.

Searches more than 160 significant 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century American newspapers.

The Guardian (1821-2003) and its sister paper The Observer (1791-2003) give readers online access to facts, firsthand accounts, and opinions of the day about the most significant and fascinating political, business, sports, literary, and entertainment events from the past two centuries. From Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo to the Russian Revolution to Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, these British historical newspapers bring history to life for researchers.

The Nashville Tennessean(1812-2002) provides unique historical insight into the regional issues and concerns, such as local government, industrialization, prohibition, and racial struggles. This diverse, easily-accessible primary source material is an invaluable tool for effective research by users in almost any field.

The New York Times (NYT) is an internationally recognized daily newspaper founded in 1851 and distributed throughout the United States. This historical database offers downloadable PDF's from each issue published between 1851 and 2021.

The Times, one of the most highly regarded resources for eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century news coverage. This historical newspaper archive allows researchers an unparalleled opportunity to search and view the best-known and most cited newspaper in the world online in its original published context. With over 12 million articles available, the archive supports research across multiple disciplines and areas of interest, including business, humanities, political science, and philosophy, along with coverage of all major international historical events.

Indexes Congressional publications including Congressional research and hearings from 1789 to the present, linking to full text when available.