US History Sources in Oxford
Jane Rawson
Vere Harmsworth Librarian
US Studies Subject Consultant
jane.rawson@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Summary

Finding publications
◦ Books, journals, journal articles, theses

Electronic resources
◦ e-books via SOLO/OLIS
◦ Subscription databases via OxLIP+
◦ e-journals via OU e-journals
Primary sources
 Special collections & archives

Vere Harmsworth Library
Principal research library for US History
at Oxford
 Located in the Rothermere American
Institute on South Parks Road
http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/vhl
facebook.com/vereharmsworthlibrary
Twitter @vhllib

Finding books

Library catalogues
◦
◦
◦
◦

SOLO/OLIS (http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk)
British Library (http://catalogue.bl.uk)
COPAC (http://www.copac.ac.uk)
WorldCat (http://www.worldcat.org or via OxLIP+)
Bibliographies
◦ America: History & Life

Reviews
◦ American Historical Review
◦ Reviews in American History
Finding journals

Print & electronic
◦ Library catalogues
◦ Bibliographies
◦ OU e-journals (via OxLIP+)

Journal articles
◦ Bibliographies (print & online)
◦ Google Scholar (http://scholar.google.com)
Finding dissertations & theses
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (US)
 Index to Theses (UK)
 Theses completed and in progress (UK,
http://www.history.ac.uk/historyonline/theses)
 SOLO/OLIS (Oxford)
 ORA (Oxford recent, via SOLO or
http://ora.ouls.ox.ac.uk)
 EThOS (UK, http://ethos.bl.uk)

America: History & Life
Bibliographic database
 History of the US and Canada from
prehistory to the present
 Published since 1964 with details of
journal articles etc since 1954
 Indexes over 2,000 journals
 Available via SOLO/OxLIP+

Electronic resources

e-books
◦ SOLO/OxLIP+
◦ Google Books (http://books.google.com)
◦ Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org)
e-journals via OU e-journals/OxLIP+
 Subscription databases via OxLIP+

◦ Primary sources

Remote access
◦ Sign in to SOLO/OxLIP+ using single sign-on
Sources: books








Early American Imprints I: Evans
Early English Books Online (EEBO)
Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO)
Google Books (http://books.google.com)
Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org)
Making of Modern Law
Making of America (U of Michigan, Cornell)
Microform collections in VHL
◦ Travels in the Old South
◦ Travels in the New South
◦ Travels in the West and Southwest
Early American Imprints I: Evans
Collection of 37,000+ full text early
printed American imprints (1639-1800)
 Originally compiled in the American
Bibliography by Charles Evans, and the
supplement by Roger Bristol
 Very wide-ranging: covers every aspect of
life in 17th & 18th century America, and all
sorts of publications from books &
pamphlets to advertisements, chapbooks,
hymnals, wills etc

Early English Books Online (EEBO)
Contains bibliographical references of
Pollard & Redgrave’s Short Title Catalogue
(1475-1640) and Wing’s Short Title
Catalogue (1641-1700).
 96,000+ images of early printed material
 Includes material printed in the American
colonies

Eighteenth Century Collections Online
(ECCO)
Nearly 150,000 English-language titles and
editions published between 1701 and
1800 being made available online (still in
progress)
 When complete, will allow full-text
searching of more than 33 million pages
of material – every significant Englishlanguage and foreign-language title printed
in the UK, along with thousands of
important works from the Americas

Google Books & the Internet Archive
Millions of digitised printed books
 Full text access only to out-of-copyright
material, but listings and snippets of many
more
 Google Books agreement extends
coverage to ‘orphan works’
 Oxford material can be found in Google
Books

http://books.google.com http://www.archive.org
Making of Modern Law
Over 21,000 works from the 19th and early 20th
centuries
 Covers British, Commonwealth and American
law
 Legal focus: casebooks, treatises, manuals, as
well as monographs
 But wide-ranging in terms of subjects covered:
also politics, military, religion, labour, social
welfare etc

Making of America
University of Michigan:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moagrp/
 Cornell University (much smaller):
http://digital.library.cornell.edu/m/moa/
 Thousands of digitised primary sources
(books and journals)
 19th century US social history

Microform collections
Subject guide in VHL or online at
http://bit.ly/vhlmicrofilms
 Hundreds of books, journals, travel
literature, diaries, biographies
 Three major collections of printed
material:

◦ Travels in the Old South
◦ Travels in the New South
◦ Travels in the West and Southwest (not all on
SOLO, see also the online lists at
http://www.worldcat.org/profiles/vhllib/lists/)
Sources: Newspapers, magazines,
periodicals












American Periodicals Series
19th Century US Newspapers
ProQuest Historical Newspapers
Chronicling America
Ethnic NewsWatch
Black Journals
Nexis UK (current)
Early American Newspapers
Print news magazines in VHL and BOD
BAAS newspaper catalogue
BL newspaper catalogue
Online digitisation projects
American Periodicals Series
Over 1,100 periodicals that first began
publishing between 1740 and 1900
 Includes special interest and general
magazines, literary and professional
journals, children’s and women’s
magazines, and many other historically
significant periodicals
 Access via SOLO/OxLIP+

19th Century US Newspapers
Approximately 1.7 million pages (over 28
million articles) from c.500 newspapers
 Newspapers from a range of urban and rural
regions throughout the US
 Covers entire 19th century
 Emphasis on topics such as the American Civil
War, African-American culture & history,
Western migration, economic development, the
Antebellum era and many other subjects

ProQuest Historical Newspapers

Full-text access to the archives of major
US newspapers:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦

The New York Times, 1851-2007
The Washington Post, 1877-1994
The Chicago Defender, 1910-1975
The New York Amsterdam News, 1922-1993
The Pittsburgh Courier, 1911-2002
New York Times and Washington Post
also held on microfilm in the VHL (up to
2005)
Chronicling America





Freely available online
Provided by the Library of Congress
Search and view newspaper pages from 18601922
Includes newspapers from Arizona, California,
DC, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah,
Virginia, Washington
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov
Ethnic NewsWatch
Covers US ethnic and minority
newspapers and other periodicals
 Coverage begins in 1990
 Bilingual database (English and Spanish)
 Access via SOLO/OxLIP+

Black Journals
Microfilm of 17 titles from the first half of
the 20th century
 VHL Micr. USA 397-415
 Listed in VHL microform guide
(http://bit.ly/vhlnewspapers)

Nexis UK
Access to thousands of news sources
from all over the world
 Current and recent (up to 20 years in
some cases)
 Not page images
 Restrict search by source (either
individual titles or geographic location)

Early American Newspapers





Microfilms in VHL (search SOLO or browse
microform list)
18th/19th century (largely c.1760-1860)
Coverage is particularly good for the original 13
states
Online list of all newspapers on microfilm at the
VHL available at http://bit.ly/vhlnewspapers
Available online from British Library (for BL
members) until September
News magazines


Many available in VHL or Bodleian bookstack – search
SOLO. Often also available online via Nexis UK etc.
VHL titles include:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦


The Nation, 1865The New Republic, 1914National Review, 1955- (incomplete)
National Journal, 1977- (incomplete)
US News & World Report, 1948Ebony, 1958-2008
BOD titles include: Time, 1943- (also online from 1923
via http://www.time.com/time/archive/)
LIFE magazine available via Google Books
Elsewhere

BAAS newspaper catalogue
◦ Listing of US newspaper holdings in UK libraries
◦ http://baas.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_joodb&vi
ew=catalog&joobase=4&letter=f&Itemid=20

BL Newspaper Library
◦ British Library’s newspaper holdings all at
Colindale.
◦ Search via BL catalogue (http://catalogue.bl.uk)
 Wikipedia
list of online newspaper archives
◦ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_onl
ine_newspaper_archives#United_States
Sources: Official papers, government
publications, foreign policy etc.









Monthly Catalog
US Congressional Serial Set
Congressional Record & predecessors
House & Senate Journals
Congressional Committee Hearings
American State Papers
Colonial State Papers
Presidential Papers
American Founding Era Collection
Sources: Official papers, government
publications, foreign policy etc.
Foreign Relations of the United States
 Declassified Documents Reference
System
 Digital National Security Archive
 Confidential Print North America
 HeinOnline
 FDSys
 VHL online guide:
http://ox.libguides.com/us-govpubs

Monthly Catalog
Indexes all US government publications
 Print, 1933-2000,VHL reference section
 Online from July 1976(http://catalog.gpo.gov/)
 Cumulative subject index (1900-1971) in
VHL (Ref. Z 1223 .A182 1973)

US Congressional Serial Set
Contains reports and documents of
Congress
 Contains House & Senate Journals until
1952
 Covers 1817-1994 [via SOLO/OxLIP+]
 Post-1994 freely available online via FDSys
(http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/)
 19th century print volumes also in VHL
Stack.

Congressional Record (and
predecessors)
Verbatim record of proceedings in Congress
 VHL holdings cover 43rd-97th Congresses (1874-1982)
in print, then 97th-101st Congress (1981-1990) in
microform.
 Post 1918 volumes on ground floor, earlier volumes in
stack. Microforms at Micr. USA 237
 Online access via FDSys (1994-), THOMAS
(http://thomas.loc.gov, 1989-) American Memory
(http://memory.loc.gov, 1873-1875)
 Preceded by Annals of Congress (1789-1824), Register
of Debates (1824-1837), Congressional Globe (18331873), all in print VHL Stack. Some also available online
via American Memory or Google Books.

House & Senate Journals
Minutes, daily record of business
 Not verbatim record of debates (though
earlier volumes may contain excerpts of
speeches)
 Contained in Serial Set until 1952 (via
OxLIP+).
 VHL also has some print volumes:

◦ House Journal: 1963, 1966, 1968-1979 (xKF 46
.A22)
◦ Senate Journal: 1964-1978, 1981 (xKF 45 .A22)
Congressional Committee Hearings







Not to be confused with the reports to Congress in the
Serial Set (although some 19th C hearings included in
Serial Set)
VHL has a substantial collection of mid 20th century
hearings in print – search SOLO (but not all
catalogued).
CIS Index to Committee Hearings (1833-1969) in VHL
Reference section (Ref. Z 1223 .Z7 C67 1981)
Also listed in Monthly Catalog (1976http://catalog.gpo.gov)
Need the SuDoc reference number (begins Y.4) to find
the document in the VHL stack (ask staff)
If not in VHL, try the British Library
Recent hearings and prints (1995-) available online via
FDSys
American State Papers


Legislative and executive documents from 1789-1817
Arranged in 10 topical classes:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦

Foreign Relations
Indian Affairs
Finances
Commerce & Navigation
Military Affairs
Naval Affairs
Post Office Department
Public Lands
Claims
Miscellaneous
Available via SOLO/OxLIP+ (also in VHL Stack)
Colonial State Papers
Thousands of papers concerning English
activities in the American, Canadian, and
West Indian colonies.
 Covers 1574-1739.
 Includes papers presented to the Privy
Council and Board of Trade between
1574-1757.
 Available via SOLO/OxLIP+

Other Early State Papers

Journals of the Continental Congress,
1774-1789:
◦ http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lwjc.ht
ml

Papers of the Continental Congress,
1774-1789
◦ Freely available via footnote.com
http://www.footnote.com/title_63/continental
_congress_papers/
Other Early State Papers
Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia,
1619-1776 [VHL Stack]
 Journals of the House of Representatives of
Massachusetts, 1715-1779 [VHL J 84 .M4]
 Journals of the House of Representatives (South
Carolina), 1776-1794 [VHL xJ 87 .S6 1960-]
 Journals of the House of Representatives of the
Commonweath of Pennsylvania, 1776-1781
[Available via Early American Imprints
(OxLIP+)]

Presidential Papers






Public Papers of the Presidents of the United
States, 1929- [VHL J 80 .A283; online via
HeinOnline]
US Presidential Library [via HeinOnline
(OxLIP+)]
Published/collected papers of various presidents
(search SOLO; some early papers also in
American Founding Era Collection via OxLIP+)
American Presidency Project
(http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu)
Many digitisation projects online (Jefferson,
Lincoln, Washington, Madison)
Presidential Libraries for private papers
(http://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/)
American Founding Era Collection

Digital versions of papers of major figures from
the early republic:
◦ Papers of James Madison
◦ Documentary History of the Ratification of the
Constitution
◦ Papers of Thomas Jefferson
◦ Adams Papers
◦ Papers of George Washington
◦ Dolley Madison letters
◦ Papers of Alexander Hamilton [pending]

Via SOLO/OxLIP+
Foreign Relations of the United States





Presents the official documentary historical record of
major US foreign policy decisions and significant
diplomatic activity. NB, edited!
Documents come from Presidential Libraries,
Departments of State and Defense, National Security
Council, CIA among others.
Volumes are arranged geographically/thematically
Currently publishing volumes for Nixon-Ford
Administrations.
Available:
 HeinOnline (1861-) [via OxLIP+]
 University of Wisconsin (1861-1960)
http://uwdc.library.wisc.edu/collections/FRUS
 State Department (1945-)
http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments
 Print in VHL (JX 233 .A3)
Declassified Documents Reference
System
Over 75,000 declassified documents
covering 1945 Includes memos, cables, correspondence,
field reports, situation reports, extensive
background studies, minutes of meetings
 Excludes GPO publications, treaties and
agreements, statistics, and legislation
 Via SOLO/OxLIP+

Digital National Security Archive
Over 60,000 declassified documents
 Obtained under FOIA requests by the
National Security Archive at George
Washington University
 Arranged into topical collections
 Available via OxLIP+

Confidential Print North America
Selection of Colonial Office and Foreign
Office papers from the National Archives
in Kew.
 Covers 1824-1961.
 Includes reports, dispatches, weekly
summaries
 Covers US, Canada, Caribbean. Also some
coverage of South America.
 Available via OxLIP+

19th C Diplomatic Despatches and
Instructions
Microfilms of despatches from US
Consuls in Latin America/South America
and China
 Microfilms of Diplomatic Instructions of
the Department of State, 1801-1906
 See microfilm guide
(http://bit.ly/vhlmicrofilms) for full list of
countries covered

HeinOnline


Vast legal database, available via OxLIP+
Collections relevant to US legal
history/governent:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Federal Register Library, 1936Foreign Relations of the United States, 1861Treaties and Agreements Library, 1950United States Code, 1925US Federal Legislative History Library
US Presidential Library
US Statutes at Large, 1789-2007
US Supreme Court Library
FDSys (Federal Digital System)
Government Printing Office online system
 Provides access to full text of most
government publications from the mid1990shttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/

Sources: Censuses, Statistics, Data
Print census volumes (early censuses in Serial Set)
 http://www.census.gov
 Historical Census Browser (University of Virginia)
http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/
 Footnote.com Census project [requires subscription for
full information]
 Historical Statistics of the United States [via OxLIP+,
also print in VHL reference section]
 Online eg. Gallup Presidential Job Approval Center
(http://www.gallup.com/poll/124922/PresidentialApproval-Center.aspx) (see VHL’s delicious page for
more)
 Opinion polls: iPoll [via OxLIP+], Gallup [print in VHL]

Sources: Papers, Archives, Special
Collections
VHL microforms
 Rhodes House Library
 Bodleian Library
 Elections Archive (VHL)
 Finding aids

VHL microforms
Subject guide and title listing available either in
the library or online at:
http://bit.ly/vhlmicrofilms
 As well as newspapers, papers of individuals and
organisations:

◦ Individuals: Adams Family, James Buchanan, Salmon P.
Chase, William H. Seward, Thaddeus Stevens
◦ Organisations: NAACP, CORE, Nixon White House,
Republican Party, American Colonization Society,
American Home Missionary Society, Freedman’s Aid
Society
Rhodes House Library Archives



United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel
◦ Founded in 1701 as a result of an enquiry into the
state of the Church of England in the American
Colonies.
◦ Sent priests and schoolteachers; remit also included
evangelisation of slaves and Native Americans
Papers of the (British) Anti-Slavery Society
◦ Collection covers 1701-1965 and includes
correspondence, minutes, sermons, reports, financial
records, maps, photographs.
http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/rhodes
Bodleian Library Special Collections

Includes papers of three British
Ambassadors to the US:
◦ Sir John Crampton, 1848-1853
◦ Sir James Bryce, 1907-1913
◦ Roger Mellor Makins, 1st Baron Sherfield,
1953-1956
 http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/bodley/library/spe
cialcollections for more information
US Elections Campaigns Archive
Large archive of election campaigns
ephemera donated to the VHL/RAI.
 Mostly late 20th century, but some older
items
 Contains buttons, bumper stickers,
leaflets, ballot papers and other campaign
materials.
 Material from all levels of elections, local,
state, congressional, presidential.
 Currently being catalogued.

Finding aids
UK: ArchivesHub
(http://archiveshub.ac.uk/)
 US: National Archives and Records
Administration (http://www.archives.gov)

◦ Includes more than 124,000 digital images
through the Archival Research Catalog

NIDS (National Inventory of Document
Sources)
◦ Index:VHL Ref. Z 6621 .U58 N37 (microfiche)
Sources: audio-visual
Lyndon B. Johnson: Recordings of Telephone
Conversations and Meetings, May 1968-January 1969
[43 CDs + transcripts; ask VHL staff]
 Presidential Recordings Program (Miller Center for
Public Affairs) http://www.whitehousetapes.net
 YouTube

◦ Library of Congress
◦ National Archives
◦ Presidential Libraries

Elsewhere on the web (see VHL’s delicious page)
Sources: biographical
American National Biography (via
SOLO/OxLIP+)
 World Biographical Archive (via
SOLO/OxLIP+)
 Who’s Who (VHL and online via Nexis
UK)
 Biographical Directory of the United
States Congress, 1774(http://bioguide.congress.gov)

Sources: other electronic (via OxLIP+)

Early Encounters in North America
◦ Over 100,000 pages of letters, diaries, memoirs and
accounts from 1,482 authors

North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries and
Oral Histories
◦ More than 100,000 pages of personal narratives
◦ Covers 1840-

North American Women’s Letters and Diaries
◦ 150,000 pages of published letters and diaries
◦ Covers Colonial times to 1950
Sources: on the web





VHL’s delicious page (http://delicious.com/vhllib)
State digital libraries & historical associations
Hathi Trust (http://www.hathitrust.org/)
Other digitization projects
Library of Congress
◦ American Memory (http://memory.loc.gov)
◦ THOMAS (http://thomas.loc.gov)

Footnote.com [subscription for full access]
◦ List of collections at:
http://www.footnote.com/documents/
For more help!
Online Guide to US History Sources
(http://ox.libguides.com/ushistory)
 US Studies Resources Blog
(http://vhlresources.blogspot.com)

jane.rawson@bodleian.ox.ac.uk