Finding Primary Sources - AADS 4270 - Research Methods - Research Guides at Vanderbilt University

Primary Sources

African American Communities This link opens in a new window
Pamphlets, newspapers and periodicals, correspondence, official records, reports, and in-depth oral histories reveal the prevalent challenges of racism, discrimination and integration, and a unique African American culture and identity. Focuses predominantly on Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, New York, and towns and cities in North Carolina.
Archives Unbound This link opens in a new window
Includes U.S. government documents, African American organzations and individual papers, city directories from the Southeast, and many more primary sources largely from the 20th century.
Apartheid South Africa This link opens in a new window
British Foreign Office files on the apartheid Governments of South Africa. These formerly restricted documents, sourced from The National Archives, UK, provide unprecedented levels of detail, with in-depth analysis of events, international reaction and policy dilemmas, accompanied by numerous first-hand accounts and reports.
Coverage: 1948-1980.
Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
Collection of non-fiction writings of leading African-Americans. Includes interviews, journal articles, speeches, essays, pamplets, letters and other fugitive material.
HistoryMakers Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
Oral history interviews with both well-known and unsung African American artists, business leaders, scientists, athletes, and intellectuals.
History Vault This link opens in a new window
Digitized letters, papers, photographs, scrapbooks, financial records, diaries, and other primary source materials.

• American Indians and the American West
• American Politics and Society
• Civil Rights and the Black Freedom Struggle
• International Relations and Military Conflicts
• Southern Life, Slavery, and the Civil War
• Women's Studies
• Workers and Labor Unions
Independent Voices This link opens in a new window
Alternative press journals, magazines, and newspapers covering feminists, dissident GIs, campus radicals, Native Americans, anti-war activists, Black Power advocates, Latinx, gays, lesbians, etc.
Coverage: 1951-2015.
Race Relations in America This link opens in a new window
Speeches, reports, surveys, and analyses produced by the Race Relations Department of the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries based at Fisk University.
Coverage: 1943-1970.
Slavery, Abolition & Social Justice This link opens in a new window
Primary source documents on key aspects of the history of slavery. The African Coast, the Middle Passage, the varieties of slave experience, religion, revolts, abolition, and legislation. Case studies from America, the Caribbean, Brazil, and Cuba.
Slavery and Anti-Slavery This link opens in a new window
Books and pamphlets, US Supreme Court records, newspapers and periodicals, manuscripts, and reference materials for the scholarly study and understanding of slavery from a multinational perspective.
Proquest Congressional Publications This link opens in a new window
U.S. Congressional materials (hearings, bills, Congressional Record and compiled legislative histories) and Executive Branch documents.
Coverage: index:1970 to present; full text: coverage varies. Vendor Tutorials: Training videos - http://help.lexisnexis.com/tabula-rasa/congressional/trainingvideos_ref-reference?lbu=US&locale=en_US&audience=all

African American Newspapers (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
Primary source material for the study of American history and African-American culture, history, politics, and the arts. Includes: Atlanta Daily World (1931-2003), Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988), Chicago Defender (1909-1975), New York Amsterdam News (1922-1993), Los Angeles Sentinel (1934-2005), Norfolk Journal and Guide (1916-2003), The Philadelphia Tribune (1912-2001), and Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002).
Coverage: Varies by newspaper.
African American Newspapers (Readex) This link opens in a new window
Extensive African American newspaper archives. Includes the Wisconsin Historical Society, Kansas State Historical Society, Freedom's Journal (NY), The Colored Citizen (OH), Rights of All (NY), Wisconsin Afro-American, New York Age, Virginia Journal and Alexandria Advertiser, Richmond Planet, Cleveland Gazette, The Appeal (MN), etc.
Coverage: 1827-1998.
African American Newspapers (Accessible Archives) This link opens in a new window
This database of eight African-American Newspapers provides information about cultural life and history during the 1800s and reports on major events and issues of the day. Newspapers are:
The Christian Recorder (1861–1902), The Colored American (1837–1841), Frederick Douglass’ Paper (1851–1855; 1859–1863) , Freedom’s Journal (1827–1829), The National Era (1847–1860), The North Star (1847–1851), Provincial Freeman (1854–1857), Weekly Advocate (1837–1837)
Caribbean Newspapers, Series 1, 1718-1876 This link opens in a new window
18th- and 19th-century newspapers from the Caribbean islands.
Coverage: 1718-1876. User Limit: Unlimited.
Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
Journals, magazines, and newspapers from ethnic and minority presses. National and regional publications: African American, Caribbean, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Asian/Pacific Islander, European, Eastern European, Hispanic, Jewish, Native People.
Coverage: 1959-present. User Limit: 2.

African American Periodicals This link opens in a new window
Holdings of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Based upon James P. Danky's African-American Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography (Harvard, 1998).
Coverage: 1825-1995.
Magazine Archives (EBSCOHost) This link opens in a new window
Collection of popular magazine archives.
Ebony Magazine Archive, Life Magazine Archive, Sports Illustrated Magazine Archive, The Atlantic Magazine Archive, The Nation Magazine Archive, Time Magazine Archive, The National Review Archive, Architectural Digest Magazine Archive, Maclean's Magazine Archive, People Magazine Archive, The New Republic Magazine Archive, U.S. News and World Report Magazine Archive, Vanity Fair Magazine Archive, Jet Magazine Archive

Google Books
Access to The Crisis, Ebony, Jet and other African American historical magazines of note.

News, Policy, & Politics Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Archive of 15 major magazines (including Newsweek), spanning areas including history of politics, current events, international relations, and public policy.
Coverage: 1918-2015.
Readers' Guide Retrospective, 1890-1982 This link opens in a new window
Index of articles from magazines, including full coverage of the original print volumes of Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature™. Atlantic Monthly, Century Magazine, Christian Century, Commonweal, Foreign Affairs, Fortnightly Review (London), Good Housekeeping, Harper's, Ladies Home Journal, Literary Digest, The Nation, New Republic, Reader's Digest, Saturday Evening Post, Saturday Review, Scribner's, and Women's Home Companion.
Coverage: 1890-1982.

ProQuest News and Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Direct link to the newspaper section of ProQuest. Includes Alt-Press Watch, Ethnic NewsWatch, GenderWatch, Latin American Newsstand, Canadian Newsstand Complete, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Times of London, and The Tennessean.
All current Vanderbilt University students, faculty, and staff have access, both on and off campus.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Historical access to the following newspapers: Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta Daily World, The Baltimore Afro-American, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Defender, The Christian Science Monitor, Chicago Tribune, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cleveland Call & Post, The Commercial Appeal, Detroit Free Press, The Globe and Mail, Hartford Courant, The Jerusalem Post, The Jewish Advocate, The Jewish Exponent, Korea Times, Knoxville News Sentinel, Leftist Newspapers, Los Angeles Sentinel, Los Angeles Times, Louisville Courier Journal, Michigan Chronicle, New York Amsterdam News, The New York Times, New York Tribune, Norfolk Journal & Guide, The Philadelphia Tribune, Pittsburgh Courier, San Francisco Chronicle, South China Morning Post, St. Louis Post Dispatch, The Tennessean, The Times of India, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
Nexis Uni (formerly LexisNexis Academic) This link opens in a new window
News and newspaper stories, federal and state court cases, US law reviews and journals, company profiles and directories. Company Dossier; data on public figures.
Access Note: Personal account required for some functionality. User Limit: Unlimited.
19th Century U.S. Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Digital facsimile images of both full pages and clipped articles for 19th century US newspapers. For each issue, the newspaper is captured from cover-to-cover, providing access to every article, advertisement and illustration.
Access Note: Available only to Tennessee residents.
Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window
African American Newspapers; The Charleston Mercury; Chester & Delaware Federalist; The Christian Recorder; The Civil War Part I. A Newspaper Perspective; The Colored American; Delaware County American; Delaware County Republican; Frederick Douglass Paper; Douglass Monthly; Freedom's Journal; Media Advertiser; The National Era; The New York Herald; The North Star; The Pennsylvania Gazette; The Pennsylvania Genealogical Catalog [collection]; Pennsylvania Newspaper Record; The Pennsylvania Packet; Porcupines Gazette; Provincial Freeman; Richmond Enquirer; The Upland Union; Village Record; Weekly Advocate.
African American Periodicals This link opens in a new window
Holdings of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Based upon James P. Danky's African-American Newspapers and Periodicals: A National Bibliography (Harvard, 1998).
Coverage: 1825-1995.