LibGuides: Humanities: History

About the History Guide

Terracotta Army, near Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, 3rd century BCE

History

The study of history is crucial to our understanding of ourselves. Far from being a stodgy or static discipline, history, and our approach to its study, change as new evidence is discovered and absorbed into the story of human existence. History helps us contextualize our place in the world through explorations of past events that set the stage for contemporary events.

Students of history will find varied and plentiful resources at the HFU Library. Extensive collections of primary and secondary sources are available through our databases, and links to non-library sources of primary documents can be found under the "Websites" tab. These digital resources are complimented by a small but well-curated print collection that includes scholarly books and compilations of primary resources such as letters, memoirs, and historical documents.

If you're here because this is your first foray into scholarly research, begin with a review of our "Doing Library Research" guide, or just jump right in and explore our databases. Additionally, the HFU Library is fully staffed with librarians who are always happy to work with you. Get in touch!

American History Primary Source List

Documents

The Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy

Digital History: Using New Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Research

The Library of Congress: American Memory

Periodicals

HarpWeek

Harper's Weekly magazine spanned 1857-1912 and provided a continuous record of events on a weekly basis. This database includes the searchable full text of the magazine.

Making of America (1840-1900)

Hosted by Cornell University and in collaboration with the University of Michigan, this site provides digital copies of selected American books and journals covering the period from 1840-1900.

Making of America (1850 - 1877)

Hosted by the University of Michigan and in collaboration with Cornell University, this site includes digital copies of selected American books and journals covering the period from 1850 - 1877.

OldMagazineArticles.com

This privately published site includes facsimilies of articles on a variety of topics in American history.

Selected Topics

Working Women, 1800 - 1930

Documenting the American South

The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War

American History Websites

American History from Revolution to Reconstruction and Beyond
This site contains outlines of United States history as well as links to important primary sources relating to the history of the United States from the colonial period until modern times.
American Memory Project
Archived presentations of primary resources pertaining to American. Hosted by the Library of Congress.
BBC History
Includes world and U.S., modern, and ancient sources. The site features articles and primary sources and other assorted materials that are relevant to those teaching history. Please note that this page is no longer being updated.
The David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
An online historical map collection
Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration
View exhibitions, galleries, and search the passenger name / ship’s manifest archive.
Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia
The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia is a civic project to increase understanding of one of America’s greatest cities. Produced by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities (MARCH) at Rutgers-Camden, the Encyclopedia as a digital resource and print volume will offer the most comprehensive, authoritative reference source ever created for the Philadelphia region.
Hathitrust
HathiTrust Digital Library is a digital preservation repository and highly functional access platform. It provides long-term preservation and access services for public domain and in copyright content from a variety of sources, including Google, the Internet Archive, Microsoft, and in-house partner institution initiatives. Bibliographic and full text search are available for all volumes in HathiTrust. Public domain volumes are freely accessible to the public and can be downloaded in their entirety with authentication by persons affiliated with partner institutions.
The History Place: American Revolution
This site is dedicated to students and educators who enjoy history. It has a six part chronological series on the American Revolution but it also has a whole host of other historical sites and links that are important too.
Library of Congress
Find primary sources ranging from documents to letters, photographs, and cultural objects.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
A rich cross-section of still pictures curated by the Library of Congress
LIFE Photo Archive Hosted by Google
Millions of photographs from the 1950s to today
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Archives and exhibitions related to African American history.
National Museum of American History
Archives and exhibitions related to all periods of American history.
National Museum of the American Indian
Archives and exhibitions related to American Indian history and culture.
New York Public Library Digital Gallery
Over 275,000 images from primary sources and printed rarities
Library Company of Philadelphia: Historical Digital Image Library
Over 3,000 images of Philadelphia
Teaching American History
This is a website that includes teaching all eras of American history. Great site for teachers and student educators.
Teachinghistory.org
Intended for K-12 educators, this site includes excellent tools for finding historical information and lesson plans.

European History Websites

World Digital Library
A collection of world history bringing together sources from multiple national and international libraries, including the Library of Congress and the British Library.
Modern History Sourcebook
Fordham's public-domain and copy-permitted historical text pertaining to World History. Each entry has a variety of linked primary sources and is usually translated into English.
Perseus Digital Library
Tufts' digital library focusing primarily on ancient Greco-Roman texts with a few smaller collections dealing with Germanic-Norse texts, the Renaissance, and 19th Century America.
EuroDocs: Online Sources for European HIstory
A list of European primary sources. Unfortunately, they are usually in their language of origin. However, if you know a language or are familiar with Google Translate, then it can be a very useful resource.
British Pathe News
Newsreel footage of some of the most significant events in 20th Century history. Great for British coverage of World War II, Vietnam, and Civil Rights movements.

Medieval History Websites

British History Online
The British history website is an all around history website but is good for looking up all things medieval. The website has many primary sources, all online, and some secondary sources that are excellent for the researcher.
The Labyrinth: Sources for Medieval Study
This is a Medieval history webpage written by Georgetown University. This site has links to articles and topics that are focused on the Middle Ages. There is also an interesting series of menus that allows a person to select what they need in this historical period.

Archives Websites

The Internet Archive
The most comprehensive archives in the world. The Internet Archive tours the world digitizing primary sources and other documents so they can be used by people around the globe.
US National Archives
A great source for students looking for archival material for American history.
UK National Archives
The National Archives for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Great for a look at archives outside of the US that delve more into European and world history that are still in English.
Archive Grid
WorldCat's attempt at cataloging university's archives. While this can help you find out where certain information is, you might need to go to the university itself to view it.

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