Library Guides: SOST 201: Introduction to Southern Studies 1580-1900 (Simmons): Find Primary Sources

Search Tips: Historic Newspaper and Magazine Databases

These search tips are in addition to the tips provided on the Getting Started page.
Navigate to Advanced Search and apply a date range limit. For instance, if you’re researching a specific event, try narrowing your search to the month of the event and the following few months, or limit results to a particular year. Keep in mind that may have taken time for news about the event to be formally reported on and published.
Begin with broad search terms, for example abolition. Sometimes less is more when searching historic newspaper databases.
Historic newspaper databases use the vocabulary of the time. Try period specific or variant spellings.

Historic Newspaper Databases - National

African American Newspapers, Series 1 & 2 (1827-1998)
Search hundreds of newspapers published by or for African Americans, providing a unique record of African American history, culture and daily life. This resource is provided by funds from a donation by the Williams Companies to the University's Center for Civil Rights History and Research.
African American Newspapers Parts I-XIII (1827-1919)
Search 14 historically important newspapers with full-text transcriptions, including National Era, National Anti-Slavery Standard, The Christian Recorder, and Frederick Douglass' Paper.
Chicago Tribune Historical (1849-2010)
Keyword searching and full-text access to over 150 years of the largest newspaper in the Midwest.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Freely search selected American newspapers, including South Carolina papers, from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. newspaper directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective
Provides images of selected issues published between 1860-1866 in The New York Herald, The Charleston Mercury, and the Richmond Enquirer.
Confederate Newspapers: A Collection from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama
A digitized selection of pro-Confederate newspapers across several states from 1860-1865.
Early American Newspapers, Series 1 (1690-1876)
Subtitled "From Colonies to Nation," this collection provides online reproductions from hundreds of American newspapers from 23 states and the District of Columbia printed between 1690 and 1876.
Historical Newspapers of South Carolina
Free online access to historical local and regional newspapers originating throughout South Carolina in the 19th and 20th centuries. Includes content from the African-American newspapers Lighthouse and Informer and The Palmetto Leader not found in Chronicling America.
Illustrated Civil War Newspapers and Magazines
Full page views. Limit searches to sources sympathetic to Confederacy or Union or to a 1860 or 1864 presidential candidate.
New York Times Historical (1851-2016)
Keyword searching and full-text access to this major national newspaper.
South Carolina Newspapers (1783-current)
Search by topic or choose particular papers by title in this large collection of both current and historical South Carolina newspapers. Includes access to today's edition of The State newspaper.

Historic Newspaper Databases - International

Illustrated London News Historical Archive (1842-2003)
The full facsimile run of the world’s most iconic illustrated newspaper. Search or browse by issue or contributor.
Times Digital Archive [London] (1785-1985)
Full archive of the British daily national newspaper, including the early years when it was The Daily Universal Register. (Does not include The Sunday Times, which is published separately.)

Historic Magazine Databases

African American Periodicals (1825-1995)
A wide-ranging collection of publications including academic and political journals, commercial magazines, institutional newsletters, organizations bulletins, annual reports and other genres. This resource is provided by funds from a donation by the Williams Companies to the University's Center for Civil Rights History and Research.
American Periodicals Series Online (1741-1940)
Contains publications that first began publishing between 1740 and 1900, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children’s and women’s magazines, and many other historically-significant titles.
Harper's Weekly Collection (1857-1912)
Search scanned images of all pages from this important American political magazine.
Illustrated Civil War Newspapers and Magazines
Full page views. Limit searches to sources sympathetic to Confederacy or Union or to a 1860 or 1864 presidential candidate.

Primary Source Collections

These library databases feature curated collections of primary sources. Take some time to explore the browse options to discover the range of materials available!

American History (1493-1945) from the Gilder Lehrman Institute
A unique collection of primary source documents, including correspondence, diaries, government documents, business records, books, pamphlets, newspapers, broadsides, photographs, artwork and maps.
Black Abolitionist Papers (1830-1865)
Presents the international impact of African American activism against slavery, in the writings of the activists themselves. This resource is provided by funds from a donation by the Williams Companies to the University's Center for Civil Rights History and Research.
Black Freedom Struggle in the United States
A free collection of selected primary source documents intended for students in middle school through college, arranged by time period and covering 1790-2000s.
Black Life in America
A unique digital archive of American and global news media covering the African American experience from 1704 to the present. Series 1 and 2 are provided by funds from a donation by the Williams Companies to the University's Center for Civil Rights History and Research.
Civil War in Words and Deeds
Digitized collection of regimental histories and personal narratives, compiled in the postwar period and the early 20th century, chronicle the highs and lows of army life from 1861 through 1865.
History Vault
Digitized primary sources from archival collections. Our institution provides access to collections in two subject areas: Civil Rights and the Black Freedom Struggle; Southern Life, Slavery, and the Civil War
Sabin Americana (1500-1926)
Based on the landmark bibliography by Sabin, this collection contains works about the Americas published throughout the world from 1500 to the early 20th century.
Slavery, Abolition & Social Justice
Brings together thousands of original manuscripts, pamphlets, books, paintings, maps, and images from 1490-2007 documenting key aspects of the history of slavery worldwide.