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U.S. History

Digitized Primary Sources, 20th century

Black Studies Civil Rights FBI Oral History LGBTQ+ Public Health
Labor Great
Depression		 Foreign
Policy		 World War II Science and
Technology		 1960s / Counterculture
U.S. Presidential Sources Government Documents Transportation Native American Studies Genealogy  

Black Studies
  African American Communities
Focusing predominantly on Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, New York, and towns and cities in North Carolina this resource presents multiple aspects of the African American community through pamphlets, newspapers and periodicals, correspondence, official records, reports and in-depth oral histories, revealing the prevalent challenges of racism, discrimination and integration, and a unique African American culture and identity.

  African American Experience
The African American experience contains primary documents, including slave narratives, speeches, court cases, quotations, advertisements, statistics, and other documentation, as well as peer-reviewed scholarly essays plus photographs, maps, and other images covering history, biographies, literature, arts, music, popular culture, folklore, business, slavery, the struggle for civil rights, politics, sports, education, science, and other themes.

  ProQuest History Vault - Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century
The Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century consists of four modules: two modules of Federal Government Records, and two modules of Organizational Records and Personal Papers, offering unique documentation and a variety of perspectives on the 20th century fight for freedom.
  Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
A cooperative venture of Stanford University, the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and the King Estate,the Project's principal mission is to publish definitive volumes of Dr. King's most significant correspondence, sermons, speeches, published writings, and unpublished manuscripts. Also includes an autobiography, biographies and a chronology of Dr. King, as well as articles written by project staff members.

  Race Relations in America
This resource provides access to a wealth of documents highlighting different responses to the challenges of overcoming prejudice, segregation and racial tensions, including survey material, interviews and statistics, educational pamphlets, administrative correspondence, photographs and speeches from the Annual Race Relations Institutes during the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

 ProQuest History Vault: African American Police League Records, 1961-1988
African American Police League Records, 1961-1988 contains annual and general reports, court files, fundraising items, historical information, minutes, correspondence, clippings, topical files, newsletters, police brutality files, and publications and flyers relative to the ongoing work of the African American Police League (AAPL) and its education and action arm, the League to Improve the Community (LIC). The collection also contains items on numerous law enforcement and civil rights organizations across the country; materials on the suspension of AAPL executive director Renault Robinson from the Chicago Police Department and related lawsuits; and materials pertaining to the National Black Police Association (NBPA).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Civil Rights
  American Civil Liberties Union Papers, 1912-1990
This important collection of papers spans the majority of twentieth-century American social history and politics, focusing on civil rights, civil liberties, race, gender, and issues relating to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  American Civil Liberties Union Papers, Part II: Southern Regional Office
This unique manuscript collection offers digital access to the papers of the Southern Regional Office of the American Civil Liberties Union, primarily in the period 1945 to 1990. The collection covers topics including school segregation; local challenges to busing; the suppression of voting rights; student anti-war protest; and legal cases relating to women, sexism, and overtime pay.
  Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movements
Covering primarily the 1950s and 1960s, Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movements provides access to primary source documents that focus on how ordinary citizens in the smaller communities viewed, participated in and lived through this historical era.
  Bush Presidency and Development and Debate Over Civil Rights Policy and Legislation
This collection contains materials on civil rights, the development of civil rights policy, and the debate over civil rights legislation during the administration of President George H.W. Bush and during his tenure as vice president. Reproduction of the originals from the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library.
  Documenting White Supremacy and its Opponents in the 1920s
The Documenting White Supremacy and its Opponents collection includes papers promoting and opposing white nationalism, published mainly in the 1920s. It brings together for the first time local, regional, and national newspapers published by Klan organizations and by sympathetic publishers from across the U.S. It also includes key anti-Klan voices from newspapers published by American Black, Catholic, and Jewish communities.

  Civil Rights and Social Activism in Alabama: The Papers of John LeFlore, 1926-1976 and Records of the Non-Partisan Voters League, 1956-1987
John L. LeFlore (1903–1976) was the most significant figure in the struggle for black equality in Mobile, Alabama, throughout southern Alabama and Mississippi, and along the Florida Gulf Coast. Materials in the collection document LeFlore's prolific work in both public and private life.

  Japanese American Internment: Records of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
This publication consists of the documents from The Papers of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Small Collections, Japanese American Internment Collections, in the custody of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N.Y.

  National Security and the FBI Surveillance of Enemy Aliens
Provides access to the Custodial Detention Index (CDI), or Custodial Detention List that was formed in 1939-1941 by the FBI to track individuals that it deemed a threat to national security. Documents in this collection range in date from 1940 to 1978.

  ProQuest History Vault - NAACP Papers
Northwestern University Library's subscription covers parts 1-6: Part 1: Board of Directors, Annual Conferences, Major Speeches, and National Staff Files; Part 2: The NAACP's Major Campaigns--Education, Voting, Housing, Employment, Armed Forces; Part 3: The NAACP's Major Campaigns--Scottsboro, Anti-Lynching, Criminal Justice, Peonage, Labor, and Segregation and Discrimination Complaints and Responses; Part 4: The NAACP's Major Campaigns--Legal Department Files; Part 5: Special Subjects; Part 6: Branch Department, Branch Files, and Youth Department Files.
  Race Relations in America
This resource provides access to a wealth of documents highlighting different responses to the challenges of overcoming prejudice, segregation and racial tensions, including survey material, interviews and statistics, educational pamphlets, administrative correspondence, photographs and speeches from the Annual Race Relations Institutes during the 1940s, 50s and 60s.

  Public Housing, Racial Policies, and Civil Rights: The Intergroup Relations Branch of the Federal Public Housing Administration, 1936-1963
Public housing at the federal level was introduced in 1937 and was intended to provide public financing of low-cost housing in the form of publicly- managed and owned multifamily developments. This collection includes directives and memoranda related to the Public Housing Administration's policies and procedures. Among the documents are civil rights correspondence, statements and policy about race, labor-based state activity records, local housing authorities' policies on hiring minorities, court cases involving housing decisions, racially-restrictive covenants, and news clippings. The intra-agency correspondence consists of reports on sub-Cabinet groups on civil rights, racial policy, employment, and Commissioner's staff meetings.

 Americans for Democratic Action Records, 1932-1999
The Americans for Democratic Action Records trace the evolution of the organization as it supported civil rights, the united international control of atomic energy, and global democracy. The collection contains records of campaigns on vital issues such as equal rights, disarmament, the Vietnam War, inflation, and unemployment.

FBI
  FBI file : House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the House Committee on Un-American Activities (later called the House Un-American Activities Committee, or HUAC) developed a working relationship in the period 1938 through 1975 that increased the authority of the committee and gave the bureau power to investigate suspected communists.

  FBI File on John L. Lewis
This FBI file details John L. Lewis's career as a labor leader from the 1920s to the 1950s, with some material dating back to 1909. Much of the file relates to Lewis's tenure as president of the United Mine Workers.
  FBI File: American POWs/MIAs in Southeast Asia
Included here are interviews with hundreds of Vietnamese refugees as well as information on how the North Vietnamese hoarded personal items of American servicemen to exchange for money. Information on the Women's Liberation Movement, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), and the Women's Peace Party is also contained here.
  FBI File: Huey Long
This valuable resource for students of American political history details the Federal Bureau of Investigations investigation of Huey Long (1893-1935), governor and senator of Louisiana, mainly during the 1920s.
  National Security and the FBI Surveillance of Enemy Aliens
Provides access to the Custodial Detention Index (CDI), or Custodial Detention List that was formed in 1939-1941 by the FBI to track individuals that it deemed a threat to national security. Documents in this collection range in date from 1940 to 1978.

  FBI Manuals of Instruction, Investigative Procedures, and Guidelines, 1927-1978
This collection reproduces four manuals of instruction, investigative procedures, and guidelines issued to FBI agents in 1927, 1936, 1941, and 1978.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Foreign Policy
  Dean Gooderham Acheson Papers
The Dean Gooderham Acheson (1893–1971) papers are a rich source of information on the policies, thoughts, and accomplishments of the secretary of state who guided American foreign policy from 1948-1953. The papers, which span the period 1898-1978, are especially full for the period after Acheson left public office in 1953 until his death in 1971.
  Afghanistan War and the United States, 1998-2017
This collection provides researchers with a trove of revealing primary documents during the key periods of the 20-year U.S. war in Afghanistan.
  Digital National Security Archive (DNSA)
Primary source documents central to U.S. foreign and military policy since 1945.
  FBI File: American POWs/MIAs in Southeast Asia
Included here are interviews with hundreds of Vietnamese refugees as well as information on how the North Vietnamese hoarded personal items of American servicemen to exchange for money. Information on the Women's Liberation Movement, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), and the Women's Peace Party is also contained here.
  JFK's foreign affairs and international crises, 1961-1963
This collection provides online access to documents on a variety of topics related to foreign affairs and worldwide crises during the Kennedy administration. Included are three sections: The Subject file; The Regional security file; Departments and agencies.
  ProQuest History Vault - Confidential U.S. State Department Central Files, Africa and Middle East, 1960-1969
This collection offers a detailed view of U.S. foreign relations in Africa and the Middle East during the 1960-1969 period.
    ProQuest History Vault: Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and State Department Intelligence and Research Reports, 1941-1961
During World War II and the first decade and a half of the Cold War, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the State Department assigned leading scholars to write special, classified reports about Asia, Europe, the Soviet Union, Latin America, and Africa. At the time, the reports helped to shape U.S. foreign policy decisions, and, now, as part of History Vault, the over 3,500 reports in this module provide an excellent source for studying the major areas of the World during the period from 1941 to 1961. These reports are not contained in the State Department's foreign relations series or the armed forces' official histories.
    U.S. Declassified Documents (formerly DDRS)
Declassified Documents Reference System is a multi-disciplinary, comprehensive source whic covers the political, social, and economic development and forces in post-World War II America. This single source enables users to locate key information underpinning studies in international relations, American studies, United States foreign and domestic policy studies, journalism and more.
    Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports, 1941 - 1996
Created by the U.S. intelligence community to benefit policy makers and analysts, FBIS Daily Reports offer foreign views and perspectives on historical events from thousands of monitored broadcasts and publications. Translated into English from more than 50 languages - from Arabic to Swahili - these comprehensive media reports from around the globe include news, interviews, speeches and editorial commentary.
    Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS) Reports
This database features English translations of foreign-language monographs, reports, serials, journal and newspaper articles, and radio and television broadcasts from regions throughout the world. With an emphasis on communist and third-world countries, this database contains a wealth of hard-to-find scientific, technical, and social science materials translated from many languages. Coverage from 1957 to 199
Labor
  ProQuest History Vault. Labor Unions in the U.S., 1862-1974: Knights of Labor, AFL, CIO, and AFL-CIO
Labor Unions in the U.S., 1862-1974: Knights of Labor, AFL, CIO, and AFL-CIO, consists of records sourced from the Wisconsin Historical Society, Catholic University of America, and the AFL-CIO. American Federation of Labor Records.

Great Depression
  FBI File: Huey Long
This valuable resource for students of American political history details the Federal Bureau of Investigations investigation of Huey Long (1893-1935), governor and senator of Louisiana, mainly during the 1920s.

 

 

 

Oral History
  America in World War Two: Oral Histories and Personal Accounts
Comprising extensive collections sourced from The National WWII Museum, New Orleans, this digital resource shows how World War Two changed American society and the economy, how it impacted individuals and their families, and the legacy of the war in human terms.

 Yale UN Oral History Project
Provides transcripts of 171 oral history interviews with eminent personalities associated with the United Nations. The interviews were conducted between 1982 and 2002, shed light on the history of the founding of the Organization and its important role in conflict resolution since 1945.

 

 

 

World War II
  America in World War Two: Oral Histories and Personal Accounts
Comprising extensive collections sourced from The National WWII Museum, New Orleans, this digital resource shows how World War Two changed American society and the economy, how it impacted individuals and their families, and the legacy of the war in human terms.

  Japanese American Internment: Records of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
This publication consists of the documents from The Papers of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Small Collections, Japanese American Internment Collections, in the custody of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N.Y.
LGBTQ+
  Archives of Sexuality & Gender
The Archives of Sexuality and Gender program provides a robust and significant collection of primary sources for the historical study of sex, sexuality, and gender. With material dating back to the sixteenth century, researchers and scholars can examine how sexual norms have changed over time, health and hygiene, the development of sex education, the rise of sexology, changing gender roles, social movements and activism, erotica, and many other interesting topical areas.

  Phyllis Lyon, Del Martin and the Daughters of Bilitis
This collection provides extensive information on the founding and growth of the homophile movement, especially the Daughters of Bilitis and The Ladder, including early meeting minutes, correspondence, chapter records, membership data, and manuscripts unavailable elsewhere.

  Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin: Beyond the Daughters of Bilitis
This collection documents many decades of Phyllis Lyon & Del Martins work for and leadership of, the LGBT movement and the womens rights movement in both in San Francisco and nationally. Included are minutes, correspondence, and notes related to their work.

  Homophile Movement: Papers of Donald Stewart Lucas, 1941-1976
Reproduction of the originals from The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society, San Francisco, CA. The collection contains an abundance of material relating to the early homosexual civil rights movement (the Homophile Movement) and the San Francisco manifestation of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty.

Science and Technology
  Aeronautics and Space Flight: Global Origins of Modern Aviation and Rocketry, 1957-1995
Aeronautics and Space Flight: Global Origins of Modern Aviation and Rocketry is a fully searchable digitized collection that chronicles the history of modern aviation as it unfolded, offering valuable insight for students and researchers in a variety of disciplines. A comprehensive archive of media and research Between 1957 and 1995, the Central Intelligence Agency collected media from around the world and translated it into English, including tens of thousands of journal articles, government publications, newspapers, magazines, and transcribed television and radio broadcasts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1960s / Counterculture
  Berkeley Folk Music Festival
The Berkeley Folk Music Festival Archive consists of roughly 33,500 items, including photographs of folk artists and groups, posters, flyers, press clippings, correspondence, publicity information, audio, video, and more about the Festival and the folk music revival as a whole.

  Sixties: Primary Documents and Personal Narratives 1960-1974
A searchable database of 1960s diaries, letters, autobiographies, and other memoirs, written and oral histories, manifestos, government documents, memorabilia, and scholarly commentary. Subjects covered in this resource encompass arts, music, leisure, Civil Rights, counter-culture, law, government, mass media, New Left and the emerging neo-conservative movement, student activism, Vietnam War, women's movement, etc.

  Rock and Roll, Counterculture, Peace and Protest: Popular Culture in Britain and America, 1950-1975
Rock and Roll, Counterculture, Peace and Protest contains materials about popular culture in the U.S. and U.K. from 1950 to 1975. Topics include student protests, civil rights, consumerism, and the Vietnam War.
Public Health
  Public Health Archives: Public Health in Modern America, 1890-1970
Public Health Archives: Public Health in Modern America, 1890-1970 documents the rise of the twentieth-century public health system in the United States through correspondence, reports, pamphlets, ephemera, and more. For scholars in the fields of American history.
  Public Health: Global Origins of Modern Health Policy and Management, 1957-1995
Public Health: Global Origins of Modern Health Policy and Management is a fully searchable digitized collection that captures international failures and successes, offering valuable insight for students and researchers in a variety of disciplines. Topics addressed include environmental pollution, developing vaccines and birth control, funding the World Health Organization, educating people about food safety and water quality, preparing regions for natural and other disasters, and much more. Between 1957 and 1995, the Central Intelligence Agency collected media from across the globe and translated it into English, including tens of thousands of journal articles, government publications, newspapers, magazines, and transcribed television and radio broadcasts.
Government Documents
  ProQuest U.S. Serial Set Digital Collection
The U.S. Serial Set is a collection of U.S. Government publications compiled under directive of the Congress. It includes House and Senate documents and reports that contain comprehensive and often detailed information on an extremely wide range of subjects.
Transportation
  Early Automobile Companies Ephemera Collection, 1910-1932
The Early Automobile Companies Ephemera Collection contains materials dating between 1910 and 1932, and consists of published advertising and marketing brochures, maps, guides and general information about automobiles.
U.S. Presidential Sources
  Presidential Recordings Digital
The online portal for annotated transcripts of the White House tapes published by the Presidential Recordings Program (PRP). Created by a team of scholars and researchers at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, these transcripts are presented in PRDE alongside the corresponding audio, enabling users to read and listen to these conversations simultaneously. This effort at deciphering the presidential recordings and decoding their meaning allows these extraordinary documents, many of which would remain otherwise inaccessible, to come alive, providing an intimate view of life inside the Oval Offic

Native American Studies
  ProQuest History Vault - American Indians and the American West
American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971 features a number of excellent collections on American Indians in the 19th and 20thCentury, with a focus on the interaction among white settlers, the U.S. federal government, and Indian tribes.Included are Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Major Council Meetings of American Indian Tribes.

 

 

 

 

Genealogy

 Ancestry: Genealogy, Family Trees and Family History Records Online
A great tool for genealogical research, Ancestry has wide-range coverage of the United States and the United Kingdom, including census, vital, church, court, and immigration records, as well as record collections from Canada and other areas.