Research Guides: History: Primary Sources "U"

United States [Including CSA Sources]--See Also Americas, Politics, Presidents and other related guide sections

American archives: consisting of a collection of authentick records, state papers, debates, and letters and other notices of publick affairs, the whole forming a documentary history of the origin and progress of the North American colonies; of the causes Find additional material in the library catalog using the subject heading: United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources
American autobiographies. Series I, 1676-1850 [link to series title on item record to find additional works in this series] 374 separately cataloged autobiographies drawn from Kaplan's " A bibliography of American autobiographies." [REF Z1224 .K3] Use the series title "American autobiographies. Series I, 1676-1850)" in the library catalog to find a complete listing of the collection contents or use Kaplan's bibliography to check the catalog using names of individuals.
American culture series, 1493-1875 : a cumulative guide to the microfilm collection : American culture series I & II, years 1-20:with author, title, subject, and reel number indexes Time Period: 1493-1875 Content: Early American books and pamphlets selected for their significance as primary source material for the study of Americana. Separately cataloged but classed together as Microfiche 1. Conduct a "local call #" search in the catalog using Microfiche 1 for complete listing of library holdings.
American Founding Era Collection Rotunda’s American Founding Era collection offers scholars and students at all levels an invaluable source of primary and secondary materials by some of the era’s most enduring figures, including George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. As publications are added to the Founding Era collection, they will become fully interoperable: cross-searchable and navigable as a collection by chronology.

American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library Compiled by the Library of Congress¸ American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words¸ sound recordings¸ still and moving images¸ prints¸ maps¸ and sheet music that document the American experience. The database contains over 7 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections. 2021 update: We've migrated most of our American Memory collections to new presentations. For a full list of all digitized collections at the Library of Congress, please go to https://www.loc.gov/collections/

American papers in the House of Lords Records Office Time Period: 1621-1917 •Content: Papers relating to British North America and the British Caribbean arranged in chronological order. •Topics include trade and commerce, agriculture, immigration, slavery, politics, religion, and military affairs. In addition to archival materials representing personal papers, business records, and state documents, the collection also includes printed sources such as newspapers and pamphlets.
American women's diaries (New England)
American women's diaries. Southern women [microform]
American women's diaries. Western women [microform]

America's Historical Imprints: Evans and Shaw-Shoemaker America’s Historical Imprints: Evans and Shaw-Shoemaker includes Early American Imprints, Series I. Evans (1639-1800), plus the Evans supplement from the collections of the American Antiquarian Society for 1652-1800 and the Evans supplement from the collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia for 1670-1800 plus Early American Imprints, Series II. Shaw-Shoemaker (1801-1819). All four collections may be searched at once or you can also choose to search just one of the series. Books, pamphlets, broadsides, ephemera, and government documents from 1639-1819 are searchable in this Readex database. Supported by the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center.

Archives of the Federal Writers' Project. Series 1 [microform] : printed and mimeograph publications in the surviving FWP files, 1933-1943, excluding state guides Time Period: 1933-1943 •Contents: Part 1: Alabama-Illinois; part 2: Indiana-New York; part 3: North Carolina-Wyoming, Puerto Rico and “national and regional publications.” •Covers a wide range of subject matter including literary, historical, and sociological topics. See: The Federal Writers' Project: a Bibliography Langsam Stacks Z1247.B74 1994; Survey of Federal Writers' Project Manuscript Holdings in State Depositories SW Depository Z1247 .B3 1985
B. F. Stevens's facsimiles of manuscripts in European archives relating to America, 1773-1783 : with descriptions, editorial notes, collations, references and translations Reprint paper edition available: Langsam Oversize Stacks E203 .S843 1970b
Bouquet, Henry,719-1765. Papers v. 1. December 11, 1755-May 31, 1758.--v. 2. The Forbes expedition.--v. 3. January 1, 1759-August 31, 1759. Edited by D.H. Kent, L.M. Waddell, A.L. Leonard.--v. 4. September 1, 1759-August 31, 1760. Edited by L.M. Waddell, J.L. Tottenham, D.H. Kent.--v. 5. September 1, 1760-October 31, 1761. Edited by L.M. Waddell, J.L. Tottenham, D.H. Kent [Catalog description]
Burr, Aaron, 1756-1836. Memoirs of Aaron Burr. With miscellaneous selections from his correspondence. Find additional sources in the library catalog using Burr as both an author and a subject.
Calendar of the correspondence of George Washington, commander in chief of the Continental Army, with the officers ... Prepared from the original manuscripts in the Library of Congress by John C. Fitzpatrick, Division of Manuscripts
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation" Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention | Journals of Congress | Debates of Congress | Statutes and Documents. Beginning with the Continental Congress in 1774, America's national legislative bodies have kept records of their proceedings. The records of the Continental Congress, the Constitutional Convention, and the United States Congress make up a rich documentary history of the construction of the nation and the development of the federal government and its role in the national life. These documents record American history in the words of those who built our government. Books on the law formed a major part of the holdings of the Library of Congress from its beginning. In 1832, Congress established the Law Library of Congress as a separate department of the Library. It houses one of the most complete collections of U.S. Congressional documents in their original format. In order to make these records more easily accessible to students, scholars, and interested citizens, A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation brings together online the records and acts of Congress from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention through the 43rd Congress, including the first three volumes of the Congressional Record, 1873-75. [Site Description]
Chase, Salmon P. (Salmon Portland), 1808-1873 . The papers of Salmon P. Chase See also The Salmon P. Chase papers [E415.6 .C48 1993]. Find additional material using Chase as both an author and a subject in the library catalog.
Clay, Henry, 1777-1852. Papers. See also The papers of Henry Clay. Supplement, 1793-1852 [E337.8 .C55 Suppl] Find additional material using Clay as an author and as a subject in the library catalog.
Colonial Society of Massachusetts Publications Freely available and searchable digitized editions of the Colonial Society of Massachusett's Publications
Columbia University oral history collection [microform] Time Period: 20th century, especially New Deal era • Content: Individual memoirs by 20th-century luminaries covering politics, science, economics, business, journalism, religion, education, law, civil rights, women pioneers, media, and the arts, among other topics. Some oral histories also cataloged separately—use memoirist’s name in UC Library Catalog • Also use Columbia University Oral History Research Office as an author search in the Library Catalog • See also Oral History Collection of Columbia University Ref Z6621.C725 1979 See also Columbia University Oral History audio recordings and transcripts of “Notable New Yorkers” http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/nny/index.html
Confederate imprints, 1861-1865 [microform] : based on Marjorie Lyle Crandall, Confederate imprints, a check list, 1955 [and] Richard B. Harwell, More Confederate imprints, 1957 Time Period: 1861-1865 •Content: Reproduces 90% of the items listed in Marjorie Lyle Crandall’s Confederate Imprints, a Check-List Ref Z1242.5.C7 2 vols. and Richard B. Harwell’s More Confederate Imprints Ref Z1242.5.H33 2 vols. •See also T, Michael Parish’s Confederate Imprints: a Bibliography of Southern Publications from Secession to Surrender: Expanding and Revising the Earlier Works of Marjorie Crandall & Richard Harwell Ref Z1242..5.P37 1984
Confederate States of America. Congress. Journal of the Congress of the Confederate States of America, 1861-1865 Find related materials in the library catalog using the subject headings: Confederate States of America -- Politics and government Confederate States of America. Constitution See also database "Documenting the American South"
Correspondence of the American revolution; being letters of eminent men to George Washington, from the time of his taking command of the army to the end of his presidency. Edited from the original manuscripts by Jared Sparks
Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889. Jefferson Davis, constitutionalist, his letters, papers, and speeches, collected and edited by Dunbar Rowland Find additional materials in the library catalog using "Davis, Jefferson" as both an author and a subject
Davis, Jefferson, 1808-1889. The papers of Jefferson Davis v. 1. 1808-1840 -- v. 2. 1841-1846 -- v. 3. 1846-184 -- v. 4. 1849-1852 -- v. 5. 1853- 1855 -- v. 6. 1856-1860 -- v. 7. 1861 -- v. 8. 1862 -- v. 9. January-September 1863 -- v. 10. October 1863-August 1864 -- v. 11. September 1864-May 1865 -- v. 12. June 1865-December 1870 -- v. 13. 1871-1879 -- v. 14. 1880-1889 Note "Winner of the Jules and Frances Landry Award for 2015"--Prelim. page, vol. 14
Deane, Silas, 1737-1789. The Deane papers ... 1774-[1790

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) The stated aim of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is to bring together the riches of America's libraries¸ archives¸ and museums¸ and make 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. The DPLA aims to make the realm of openly available materials more easily discovered and more widely used. This resource offers a single point of access to millions of items including photographs¸ manuscripts¸ books¸ sounds¸ moving images¸ and more from libraries¸ archives¸ and museums around the United States. Users can browse and search the DPLA's collections by timeline¸ map¸ format¸ and topic. Users can also save items to customized lists and share their lists with others

The diplomatic correspondence of the American Revolution; being the letters of Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane, John Adams, John Jay, Arthur Lee, William Lee, Ralph Izard, Francis Dana, William Carmichael, Henry Laurens, John Laurens, M. de Lafayette, M. D
Documentary history of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America, March 4, 1789-March 3, 1791 v. 1. Senate legislative journal -- v. 2. Senate executive journal. -- v. 3. House of Representatives journal. -- v. 4. Legislative histories: Amendments to the constitution through foreign officers bill [HR-116] -- v. 5. Legislative histories: Funding act [HR-63] through militia bil [HR-112] -- v. 6. Legislative histories: Mitigation of fines bill [HR-38] through Resolution of unclaimed western lands. -- v. 7. Petition histories : Revolutionary War related claims -- v. 8. Petition histories and nonlegislative official documents -- v. 9. The diary of William Maclay and other notes on Senate debates -- v. 10. First session: April-May 1789 -- v. 11. First session: June-September 1789. -- v. 12. Second session: January-March 1790 -- v. 13. Second session: April-August 1790 -- v.14. Third session: December 1790-March 1791; Biographies of members -- v.15 Correspondence: First session: March-May 1789 -- v. 16. Correspondence: First session: June-August 1789 -- v. 19. Correspondence: Second Session: 15 March-June 1790 -- v. 20. Correspondence: Second session: July-October 1790
The documentary history of the ratification of the constitution
Documenting the American South [electronic resource] : primary resources for the study of Southern history, literature and culture Documenting the American South (DocSouth) is a digital publishing initiative 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.[Site Description]
Documents of the American Revolution, 1770-1783; (Colonial Office series).

Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) Digital images of 150,000 books published during the 18th Century. Search using the subject "United States--History--Revolution, 1775-1783--Sources"

The Federalist papers : Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay Find related material in the library catalog using the subject Constitutional history -- United States
Founders online [electronic resource] Correspondence and other writings of six major shapers of the United States, namely George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison. Includes over 119,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, from the Founding Fathers Papers projects.[Site Description] Find additional material by using the name of each person as an author and as a subject in the library catalog.
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790. The papers of Benjamin Franklin Digital edition available in Founders online http://founders.archives.gov/
Greene, Nathanael, 1742-1786. The papers of General Nathanael Greene / Richard K. Showman, editor, Margaret Cobb and Robert E. McCarthy, assistant editors, assisted by Joyce Boulind, Noel P. Conlon, and Nathaniel N. Shipton Also search Greene as an author and as a subject in the library catalog. Also search the subject: United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources
Hamilton, Alexander. Alexander Hamilton Papers The papers of Alexander Hamilton (ca. 1757-1804), first treasury secretary of the United States, consist of his personal and public correspondence, drafts of his writings (although not his Federalist essays), and correspondence among members of the Hamilton and Schuyler families. The collection, consisting of approximately 12,000 items dating from 1708 to 1917, documents Hamilton's impoverished Caribbean boyhood (scantily); events in the lives of his family and that of his wife, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton; his experience as a Revolutionary War officer and aide-de-camp to General George Washington; his terms as a New York delegate to the Continental Congress (1782-1783) and the Constitutional Convention (1787); and his careers as a New York state legislator, United States treasury secretary (1789-1795), political writer, and lawyer in private practice. Most of the papers date from 1777 until Hamilton's death in 1804. Additional details may be found in the collection's finding aid (HTML and PDF versions).[Library of Congress Site Description]
Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804. The papers of Alexander Hamilton. Harold C. Syrett, editor; Jacob E. Cooke, associate editor See Hamilton also as an author and a subject in the library catalog. Also see related subjects: United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources United States -- History -- Confederation, 1783-1789 -- Sources United States -- History -- Constitutional period, 1789-1809 -- Sources
Index to Records of ante-bellum Southern plantations : locations, plantations, surnames and collections See Records of Ante-Bellum Southern Plantations from the Revolution through the Civil War Microfilm 1051 The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County owns the complete set. Content: Family papers, diaries, correspondence, ledgers, accounts, and other documents detailing daily life and the business of running a plantation. •Use in conjunction with Southern Historical Manuscripts: Plantation Records from the Department of Archives, Louisiana State University Microfiche 14 and Guide Micro Index Shelf Z6611.H5.L6y
[Jay, John 1745-1829] Selected Papers of John Jay
Lee Family Papers, 1742-1795 [and Guide] Reproduces personal, political, commercial, and diplomatic correspondence, proceedings of the Secret Committee of the Continental Congress, financial papers, commercial records, the papers of Robert Morris and John Ross, miscellaneous pamphlets, and ms. writings by the Lees. Chiefly correspondence of Arthur Lee (1740-1792) concerning the American Revolution. Includes material on the French and Indian War, the Stamp Act of 1765, Cornwallis and the Siege of Yorktown. Other members of the family represented in the collection include Francis Lightfoot Lee (1734-1797), General Henry Lee (1729-1787), Philip Ludwell Lee (1730-1778), and William Lee of Green Spring (1739-1795)
Lee, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1807-1870. The wartime papers of R.E. Lee. Also conduct and author and a subject search in the library catalog. See also the subjects: Confederate States of America -- History, Military -- Sources Confederate States of America. Army of Northern Virginia
Letters of delegates to Congress, 1774-1789 United States. Continental Congress -- History -- Sources
Making of America "Making of America (MOA) is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. The collection currently contains approximately 8,500 books and 50,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints."[Catalog Description]
Morris, Robert, 1734-1806. The papers of Robert Morris, 1781-1784.
North Carolina higher-court records
[North Carolina] The colonial records of North Carolina v.1. 1662 to 1712 -- v.2. 1713 to 1728 -- v.3. 1728 to 1734 -- v.4. 1734 to 1752 -- v.5. 1752 to 1759 -- v.6. 1759 to 1765 -- v.7. 1765-1768 -- v.8. 1769-1771 -- v.9. 1771-1775 -- v.10. 1775-1776 -- v.11. 1776, and Supplement, 1730 to 1776 -- v.12. 1777-'78 -- v.13. 1778-'79 -- v.14. 1779-'80 -- v.15. 1780-'81 -- v.16. 1782-'83 -- v.17. 1781-'85 -- v.18. 1786. With Supplement, 1779 -- v.19. 1782-'84. With Supplement, 1771-'82 -- v.20. 1785-'88 -- v.21. 1788-'90 -- v.22. Miscellaneous -- v.23. Laws, 1715-1776 -- v.24. Laws, 1777-1788 -- v.25. Laws, 1789-1790, and Supplement : omitted laws, 1669-1783. With index to vols. XXIII, XXIV and XXV -- v.26. Census 1790. Names of heads of families -- Index, v.1-2. A-L (1 v.) -- Index, v.3-4. M-Z ; and Historical review (1 v.) [Catalog description]
[North Carolina] Colonial Court Records The Colonial Court Records digital collection includes three series from holdings of the State Archives of North Carolina: Civil and Criminal Action Papers, Other Courts, 1669-1775 (CCR.193) Estate Papers (CCR.179-CCR.186) Land Papers (CCR.187) [Site description]
Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789 Reproduced from original documents issued under the title Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789 See Butler's Index
[Index] Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-178 v. 1. Aachen-East Twinsey -- v. 2. East Whiteland-Leacraft, G -- v. 3. Leacraft, W.-Pyttis -- v. 4. Quack-Zwolle -- v. 5. Chronology [Catalog description]
Penn, William, 1644-1718. The papers of William Penn Time Period: 1677-1712 •Content: Chiefly letters to and from Penn as well as patents, wills, commissions, petitions, constitutional documents, account books, lists of charges, records of legal activities and manuscript versions of the Irish diary and travels in Holland and Germany. •Most of Penn’s land grant documents are not included. •See also The Papers of William Penn Langsam Stacks F152.2 .P3956 1981 5 vols.
Pennsylvania Archives A collection of documents supplementing the companion series known as "Colonial records," which contain the Minutes of the Provincial council, of the Council of safety, and of the Supreme executive council of Pennsylvania [Catalog description]
[Pennsylvania Archives Index] Guide to the published archives of Pennsylvania covering the 138 volumes of Colonial records and Pennsylvania archives, series I-IX
Published Colonial records of the American Colonies Time Period: 17th-18th centuries • Content: laws, court records and other documents
Records of the British Colonial Office, class 5 pt. 1. Westward expansion, 1700-1783 (12 reels) -- pt. 2. The Board of Trade, 1660-1782 (6 reels) -- pt. 3. The French and Indian War, 1754-1763 (8 reels) -- pt. 4 Royal instructions and commissions to Colonial officials, 1702-1784 (12 reels) -- pt. 5. The American Revolution, 1772-1784 (15 reels)
The revolutionary diplomatic correspondence of the United States. Edited under direction of Congress by Francis Wharton, with preliminary index, and notes historical and legal. Also see these subjects in the library catalog: United States -- Foreign relations -- 1775-1783 United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources Use in conjunction with "The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution" online in the Sabin database
The St. Clair papers. The life and public services of Arthur St. Clair, soldier of the Revolutionary War; president of the Continental Congress; and governor of the North-western territory; with his correspondence and other papers, Also search "St. Clair, Arthur, 1734-1818 " as an author and as a subject in the library catalog. Also search these subject headings for related materials: United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources Northwest, Old -- History -- Sources

Sabin Americana (1500-1926) Collection Online Based on Joseph Sabin's landmark bibliography, this collection contains works about the Americas published throughout the world from 1500 to the early 1900's. Included are books, pamphlets, serials and other documents that provide original accounts of exploration, trade, colonialism, slavery and abolition, the western movement¸ Native Americans, military actions and much more. With over 6 million pages from 29,000 works, this collection is a cornerstone in the study of the western hemisphere.Supported by the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center. Coverage: 1500-1926

September 11 Digital Archive The September 11 Digital Archive uses electronic media to collect, preserve, and present the history of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath. The Archive contains more than 150,000 digital items, a tally that includes more than 40,000 emails and other electronic communications, more than 40,000 first-hand stories, and more than 15,000 digital images. In September 2003, the Library of Congress accepted the Archive into its collections, an event that both ensured the Archive's long-term preservation and marked the library's first major digital acquisition. [Site Description]
Southern unionist pamphlets and the Civil War / edited by Jon L. Wakelyn Find additional CSA materials in the library catalog by conducting a subject search.
Tocqueville, Alexis de, 1805-1859. Letters from America / Alexis de Tocqueville ; edited, translated, and with an introduction by Frederick Brown Find additional descriptions of America by foreign visitors by using the bibliography "Travels in the Old South." Also search the library catalog using the subjects: United States -- Description and travel and United States -- Social life and customs
Travels in the new South, a bibliography Check each item in the library catalog using author or title. Contents covered: v. 1. The postwar South, 1865-1900.--v. 2. The twentieth-century South, 1900-1955
Travels in the Old South, a bibliography Published travel reports covering v.1. The formative years, 1527-1783: from the Spanish explorations through the American Revolution. v.2. The expanding South, 1750-1825: The Ohio Valley and the cotton frontier. v.3. The Ante bellum south, 1825-1860: cotton, slavery, and conflict. Search the library catalog using author or title for library holdings. CRL owns a microcard (Microopaque) edition of each item in this bibliography. Also see the series "American Exploration and Travel Series" in the library catalog.
United States. Naval War Records Office. Official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Ser. 1, v. 1-27; ser. 2, v. 1-3
United States. War Department. The war of the rebellion: a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies. Pub. under the direction of the ... Secretary of War Use in conjunction with Official records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Ser. 1, v. 1-27; ser. 2, v. 1-3 [Stacks E591 .U58 ]
Warren-Adams papers, 1767-1822 [and Guide] "Correspondence published in volumes 72 and 73 of the Massachusetts Historical Society's collections, 'Warren-Adams letters: being chiefly a correspondence among John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Warren'..."[Catalog description]