History and Political Science Research Guide
Welcome to the History and Political Science Research Guide. This guide is to assist students who are taking courses in the Luther College of Arts and Sciences, and can also assist students, faculty, and staff doing research in this area.
This Research Guide will provide information on the most relevant databases to search from, online periodicals we may subscribe to, and websites and open access options for this subject.
If you have questions or would like assistance with your research, please contact the Head Librarian at library@midlandu.edu.
A compilation of the messages and papers of the presidents, 1789-1907. James D. Richardson. [New York]: Bureau of National Literature and Art, 1908, c1897.
This is an 11-volume work (10 numbered volumes, plus one supplement) of the messages and papers of the presidents of the US from 1787 through 1902. The main 10 volumes of this edition were published in 1902, and the supplemental volume was published in 1904. (Some later editions include additional volumes for later presidents, and in some cases the volumes were reorganized as well.)
Non-profit and non-partisan, the APP is the source of presidential documents on the internet. Hosted at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Project hosts over 150,000 Presidential and Non-Presidential records.
Library of Congress Papers of the US Presidents
The Library of Congress holds collections of Presidential records and papers for Presidents without a formal Presidential library. Access information for all of the Presidents here.
A collection of every Presidential Proclamation from 1789 to the present, provided by the American Presidency Project, hosted by UC – Santa Barbara.
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States. Washington: Federal Register Division, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, 1929-2005, 2009.
The Public Papers of the Presidents, which is compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), began in 1957 in response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications Commission.
Papers of the US Presidents
- George Washington Papers
- John Adams and John Quincy Adams Papers
- Thomas Jefferson Papers
- James Madison Papers
- James Monroe Papers
- Andrew Jackson Papers
- Martin Van Buren Papers
- William Henry Harrison Papers
- John Tyler Papers
- James K Polk Papers
- Zachary Taylor Papers
- Millard Fillmore Papers
- Franklin Pierce Papers
- James Buchanan and Harriet Lane Johnston Papers
- Abraham Lincoln Papers
- Papers of Abraham Lincoln Digital Library
- Andrew Johnson Papers
- Ulysses S Grant Papers
- Rutherford B Hayes Papers
- James A Garfield Papers
- Chester A Arthur Papers
- Grover Cleveland Papers
- Benjamin Harrison Papers
- William McKinley Papers
- Roosevelt Center Digital Library
- Theodore Roosevelt Collection Photographs
- Theodore Roosevelt Papers
- William Howard Taft Papers
- Woodrow Wilson Papers
- Warren G Harding Collection
- Calvin Coolidge Papers
- Herbert Hoover Papers
- Franklin D Roosevelt Presidential Library
- Harry S Truman Presidential Library
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
- John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
- Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library
- Richard Nixon Presidential Library
- Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
- Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
- Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
- George H. W. Bush Presidential Library
- William J. Clinton Presidential Library
- George W. Bush Presidential Library
- Barack Obama Presidential Library
- Donald J. Trump Archives
- Joseph R. Biden Archives
Avalon Project at Yale University
A large collection of documents in law, history, and diplomacy. A small number are from ancient Europe and the Near East.
An online repository of pre-modern Chinese texts. Many are translated into English, but some are untranslated.
Database of Neo-Sumerian Texts
Large browsable database of Neo-sumerian texts, seals, and tablets, every entry has a scanned image. Many are not translated.
Digitized Manuscripts of the British Library
Fully digitized manuscripts held by the British Library going back to 0 CE.
Large collection of digitized papyri from ancient Egypt. Most items in the collection are cataloged by subject and translated.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project (Ancient History)
A large collection of full-text primary sources from the ancient world, organized by region. Has sources from Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, India, Israel, and Rome.
Internet Archive of electronic texts on religion, mythology, and folklore. Texts are presented in English translation and, where possible, in the original language.
Material Culture Collection Database
Searchable collection of Material Culture maintained by the California Academy of Sciences Department of Anthropology.
Includes primary and secondary sources on the history, literature and culture of the Greco-Roman world, including Philosophy.
Sources of Early Akkadian Literature (SEAL)
An online text-searchable database of Babylonian, Assyrian, and Akkadian Literature from 2400-1100 BCE.
Wikisource Portal: Ancient History and the Classics
A large collection of translations of sources written before 600 CE, sometimes with more than one translation of the same source.
Significant primary materials that represent the culture of countries around the world. Sponsored by UNESCO and the Library of Congress. Contains international materials from 8000 BCE to the present.
Avalon Project at Yale University
A large collection of documents in law, history, and diplomacy. A small number are from ancient Europe and the Near East.
An online repository of pre-modern Chinese texts. Many are translated into English, but some are untranslated.
A list of full-text primary sources on medieval military history.
Digitized Manuscripts of the British Library
Fully digitized manuscripts held by the British Library going back to 0 CE.
Online, text-searchable version of the Domesday Book.
Epistolae: Medieval Women’s Letters
An online collection of letters written from the 7th to the 14th century, all by women.
EuroDocs: Primary Historical Documents From Western Europe
Links to Western European historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated.
Comprehensive collection of the Icelandic sagas in English and Icelandic
Online collection of early Christian writings, mostly from 200-1200 CE.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project (Islamic History)
Collections of public domain and copy-permitted primary source documents, many in full text. This links to their collection of documents in Islamic History.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project (Medieval History)
Collection of public domain and copy-permitted primary source documents, many in full text. This links to their collection of documents in Medieval History.
Internet Archive of electronic texts on religion, mythology, and folklore. Texts are presented in English translation and, where possible, in the original language.
A Harvard University project which has digitized and cataloged hundreds of Islamic manuscripts from the 10th to the 20th century. Most are not translated into English.
Labyrinth: Resources for Medieval Studies
This is part of the Labyrinth project at Georgetown. Includes links to Latin text databases on the Internet, articles on Latin texts and culture, reference sources, teaching resources, etc. Armarium Labyrinthi: Labyrinth Latin Bookcase takes you directly to Latin texts and translations.
Medieval and Early Modern Manuscripts Collection
A project of the University of Texas at Austin, contains digitized versions of more than 200 significant medieval manuscripts. Most are text-searchable.
A collection of primary sources, arranged chronologically, which involve travel or settlement along the silk road.
Significant primary materials that represent the culture of countries around the world. Sponsored by UNESCO and the Library of Congress. Contains international materials from 8000 BCE to the present.
American Archive of Public Broadcasting
Offers American public radio and television content dating back to the 1950s.
The Associated Press and British Movietone have put a huge collection of digitized newsreels (1895- ) into YouTube.
Time, Inc.’s newsreel series.
The oldest television news collection in the US dating back to the first NBC nightly news program in 1948.
A video library of more than 21,000 resources including NBC News broadcasts, archival footage, and original educational series.
A collection of broadcast archives from Pacifica radio that includes documentaries, performances, discussions, debates, drama, poetry readings, commentaries and radio arts.
(1968-) indexes the collection of network television news programs. Abstracts are searchable by keyword in order to locate information and/or request videotape loans.
The American Community Survey (ACS) helps local officials, community leaders, and businesses understand the changes taking place in their communities. It is the premier source for detailed population and housing information about our nation.
Explore census data and learn more about the United States census data.
- Explore Census Data: Explore census data by accessing raw numbers, statistics, and data.
- Historical Census Data: Explore historical census data, with access to every census from 1790-2020.
Coverage of most academic areas including business, social sciences, general academic, and general sciences
In-depth, full-text profiles, with more than 32,000 photographs.
Full text reference works and narrative biographies for over 460,000 notable people.
Directory of Open Access Journals
A large database of open access peer-reviewed journals and articles
A collection of databases for early American history, they represent a wealth of both qualitative and quantitative information. While many provide raw statistics or transcriptions, some collect and make available digitized documents from various institutions. They are divided into those that are open access and those that are subscription based.
This database includes two Arts and Sciences collections with journals from subjects including the social sciences, education, law, criminology, history, etc.
Database created for High School libraries containing magazines, books, biographies, maps, and more.
A collection of digitized records, documents, and historical artifacts, hosted by the Alabama Department of Archives and History.
During World War II, the US Army administered more than 200 surveys to over half a million American troops to discover what they thought and how they felt about the conflict and their military service. The surviving collection of studies is now accessible to the public for the first time at The American Soldier in World War II. Browse and search over 65,000 pages of uncensored, open-ended responses handwritten by servicemembers, view and download survey data and original analyses, read topical essays by leading historians, and access additional learning resources.
Building Technology Heritage Library
The Building Technology Heritage Library (BTHL) is primarily a collection of American and Canadian, pre-1964 architectural trade catalogs, house plan books and technical building guides. Trade catalogs are an important primary source to document past design and construction practices. These materials can aid in the preservation and conservation of older structures as well as other research goals.
Calisphere is your gateway to digital collections from California’s great libraries, archives, and museums. Discover over 2,100,000 images, texts, and recordings.
Catholic Research Resources Alliance
The Catholic Research Resources Portal, or “Catholic Portal,” provides global, freely available access to rare, unique and/or uncommon materials in libraries, seminaries, special collections and archives.
Catholic University of America Digital Collections
Digital Collections is a repository for digitized archival resources from the Catholic University Libraries and its special collections, including the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives, the Semitics/ICOR Library, and the Canon Law Library and a selection of electronic dissertations and theses authored by Catholic University graduates.
Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates
Documents and papers of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention.
Consortium of Pentecostal Archives
Organized in 2011, the Consortium of Pentecostal Archives (CPA) is a collaborative effort among archives within the Pentecostal and charismatic traditions to make publications accessible online.
Sharing Georgia’s history and culture online.
Documenting the American South
Documenting the American South (DocSouth) is a digital publishing initiative provided by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that provides Internet access to texts, images, and audio files related to southern history, literature, and culture. Currently DocSouth includes sixteen thematic collections of books, diaries, posters, artifacts, letters, oral history interviews, and songs.
DPLA: Digital Public Library of America
“The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science. DPLA aims to expand this crucial realm of openly available materials, and make those riches more easily discovered and more widely usable and used …”
Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920
“The Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850 – 1920 (EAA) presents over 9,000 images, with database information, relating to the early history of advertising in the United States. The materials, drawn from the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University, provide a significant and informative perspective on the early evolution of this most ubiquitous feature of modern American business and culture.” — Duke University Libraries.
Founders Online contains the correspondence and other writings of seven of the Nation’s most influential founders, totaling over 185,000 searchable documents.
Explore the papers of former Secretary of State, George C Marshall.
Google Books Advanced Book Search
Google Books offers a free portal to books (and magazines). Google has now digitized over 15 million books, but only those prior to the copyright boundary of 1923 can be viewed in their entirety. Google Books provides partial views of many books published after 1923.
HathiTrust provides access to more than 14 million books. Unlike Google Books, HathiTrust provides online access to both historic and current U.S. Government Documents.
Henry Ford Digital Collections
Begin to explore the artifacts at the core of The Henry Ford Archive of American Innovation™ through our continually expanding digital collections. This broad array of artifacts will lead you to extraordinary stories.
Internet Archive – ebooks and Texts
Large historic book and pamphlet portal that contains over six million works and features special collections such as Project Gutenberg, the Million Books Project, the Children’s Library, American Libraries, Canadian Libraries, and the Community Books Collection.
John and Alice Pickler Collection – South Dakota
The John and Alice Pickler Suffrage Collection contains various correspondence including letters, postal cards, club reports, speech notes, meeting minutes, petitions and telegrams. There are also leaflets that were handed out to people during suffrage and temperance campaigns.
These items come from the many different organizations the Picklers were part of, including the Woman’s Relief Corps of the G.A.R., the Loyal Temperance Legion, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the South Dakota Equal Suffrage Association (ESA). The collection is not limited to items created by the Picklers. Most items come from their friends, acquaintances and allies in these different organizations.
Los Angeles County Coroner’s Reports, 1928-2018
A collection of Coroner’s reports from Los Angeles County, California spanning 90 years.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
Digital records from the Library of Congress, free and open. Provides access to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music relevant to American history. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America.
Primary Sources: 17th & 18th Century America (University of Washington)
A portal to roughly three dozen digital archives focusing on aspects of 17th & 18th century American history.
Primary Sources: 19th Century America (University of Washington)
A portal to nearly one hundred digital archives focusing on 19th century American History.
Primary Sources: 20th Century America (University of Washington)
A portal to over one hundred different digital archives providing primary source materials from 20th century America.
Provides access to over 100 different digital initiatives and archives and online libraries.
Survey of the Greatest Generation
Provides survey data on the Greatest Generation, especially discussing issues such as race and sex.
The collected papers of W. E. B. Du Bois.
A collection of recordings and information spanning the history of radio broadcasting from around the world.
Biography Reference Bank eBook Collection
eBook reference to biographical collections.
Directory of Open Access Books
A large collection of open access eBooks.
Collection of text from a wide range of academic disciplines.
Collection of eBooks with a wide range of subjects.
Documentation of a history of the United States Brewing Association.
MAS Reference eBook Collection
eBook collection resource for high school students. Topics include history, literature, health, math, science, and more.
Primary Search Reference eBook Collection
eBook collection of general subjects pertaining to elementary school students. Subjects include history, math, science, arts, etc.
CRS Reports at the University of North Texas Libraries
Provides searchable access to many of the CRS reports compiled from 1990 – 2018.
EuroDocs links to open access sources which are readily available to all — without fees or subscriptions. Links connect to European primary historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated. In addition you will find video or sound files, maps, photographs or other imagery, databases, and other documentation. The sources cover a broad range of historical happenings (political, economic, social and cultural).
Federal Depository Library Program
Criss Library at UNO is one of over 1,000 FDLP member libraries, which host local collections and provide access to U.S. government documents.
Provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government.
Historical Statistical Abstracts from the U.S. Census Bureau
Statistical Abstract data present here ranges from our most recent edition to the historical abstracts compiled throughout the decades.
Trace your family history through global genealogy resources.
Nebraska Department of Economic Development
The Nebraska Department of Economic Development compiles statistical data from various agencies and updates it regularly for convenient public access through its website.
Nebraska Public Documents provides free public access to digitized historic annual reports of state agencies in Nebraska for the use of students, scholars, and the general public.
U.S. Government Publishing Office
Keeping America Informed as the official, digital, and secure source for producing, preserving, and distributing official Federal Government publications and information products for Congress, Federal agencies, and the American public.
Nebraska History and Publications Searchable Index
The Nebraska State Historical Society (NSHS) has published Nebraska History since 1918.
Digital scans of Nebraska History are available from the NSHS website.
Peru State College Digitized Yearbooks
Access yearbooks published by Peru State College, located in Peru, Nebraska.
University of Nebraska – Lincoln Digitized Yearbooks
Access yearbooks published by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL), located in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Search America’s historic newspaper pages from 1770-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
The scanned online archive of Life Magazine extends from 1936-1972. Read by millions each week, the magazine explored society, politics, and popular culture not only in the United States, but also around the world.
Research diverse perspectives, topics, and trends that align with curricular areas such as Political Science, English, Sociology, Humanities, Business, International Studies, and more.
Create a login for free and read articles from the New York Times.