History (Primary Resources)


Digital access to the periodical collections of the American Antiquarian Society (AAS), considered to be the most comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1684 and 1912.

Features more than 170 periodicals by and about African Americans. Published in 26 states, the publications include academic and political journals, commercial magazines, bulletins, newsletters, annual reports, and other genres.

Indexes the alternative press in North America, with citations from alternative, radical, and leftist publications. Coverage is from 1969 to 1990.

Presents a collection of American Civil War letters, diaries, memoirs and biographies written between 1855 and 1875, including material that was previously unpublished. Covers the military, social, economic, and political aspects of the war.

American Consumer Culture: Market Research and American Business, 1935-1965 - Contains thousands of reports commissioned by companies such as Philip Morris, Chrysler, Exxon and CBS on consumer goods ranging from tobacco and broadcasting to cars and hotels. Features the complete market research reports of Ernest Dichter, the era’s foremost consumer analyst and market research pioneer.

Trade Catalogues and the American Home, 1850-1950 -  Advertisements reflecting one hundred years of changing commercial tastes and consumer trends, attitudes towards race, the family and domestic sphere, and advancements in technology. Includes trade catalogues, cards and marketing ephemera.

Search sources from the Edward E. Ayer Collection at the Newberry Library dating from the 1500s through the 1990s.  Materials range from maps to manuscripts to newspapers and cover all of North America. 

Digitized images of the pages of over 1,100 American magazines and journals published from 1741 through 1940.