HIS 3563 / AMS 3343: African American History to the Civil War

Research tips and resources for the study of African American history

Where to Look for Primary Sources

The first place to look for primary sources is in a good secondary source. A secondary source will interpret, analyze, critique, or comment on information found in primary sources and put them into context. So be sure to look in the text, notes, and list of sources / bibliography of any good secondary source you find.
UTSA Libraries has databases that focus solely on primary sources. For primary sources focused on African Americans, see the list below.
Historical newspaper articles about events that occurred during the time period you are studying may also be considered primary sources. UTSA Libraries provides access to many databases featuring historical newspapers; see below.
Words matter! Use language / terminology of the time period when searching for primary sources.

Best Databases for Primary Sources

African American Historical Serials Collection (EBSCO)
This collection of primary sources related to African American life and culture features 173 periodicals spanning from 1816 through 1922. It comprises newspapers and magazines, in addition to reports and annuals from various African American organizations, including churches and educational and service institutions.
American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection
Digital collection of American periodicals published between 1684 and 1912 covering advertising, health, women's issues, science, the history of slavery, industry and professions, religious issues, culture and the arts, and more.
American Periodicals Series Online, 1741-1940 (ProQuest)
A primary source collection of general interest magazines, trade publications, and professional journals published in America between 1741 and 1940. The collection covers three broad periods: America's transition from colonial times to independence; the early 19th century "golden age of American periodicals" including general interest magazines, children's publications, and journals for women; and Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction America.
Early American Imprints, Series 1: Evans, 1639-1800 (NewsBank)
Based on Evans' American Bibliography, this database contains the full text of all known existing books, pamphlets, and broadsides printed in the American Colonies or United States from 1639 through 1800. Includes an additional 1,100 titles from Bristol's Supplement to Evans.
Early American Imprints Series 2: Shaw-Shoemaker, 1800-1819 (NewsBank)
Provides full text access to virtually every known book, pamphlet, and broadside published in the U.S. from the years 1800 through 1819. Also contains state papers and government materials; presidential letters and messages; and congressional, state and territorial resolutions. Based on the bibliography by Ralph R. Shaw and Richard H. Shoemaker.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries (Alexander Street)
Chronicles various aspects of women's lives in North America from Colonial times through 1950. As the largest collection of women's diaries and correspondence in existence, it includes 150,000 pages of published and previously unpublished letters and diaries by 1,325 women authors. Limited biographical information is included.
Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice (Adam Matthew)
A compilation of primary sources that includes thousands of original manuscripts, pamphlets, books, paintings and maps pertaining to slavery. Viewed through a largely colonial lens, topics include the African coast; the Middle Passage; the varieties of enslaved experience (urban, domestic, industrial, farm, ranch and plantation); spiritualism and religion; resistance and uprisings; the Underground Railroad; the abolition movement; legislation; education; the legacies of slavery, and slavery in the twentieth century. Additional resources including scholarly essays, a chronology, bibliography, and a list of popular searches provide background and avenues for further research. Covers 1490-2007.
Hein Online: Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & Law
Includes all known legal materials on slavery in the United States and the English-speaking world, as well as materials on free African-Americans in the colonies and the U.S. before 1870. Search the entire database or browse by slavery statutes (state and federal), judicial cases, scholarly articles, e-books, bibliography, and external links.
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 (Alexander Street)
A vast collection of primary sources, as well as document projects, that examine interpretive questions concerning U.S. women's history in social movements from colonial times through the twentieth century. Provides access to documents, images, books, chronologies, biographies, scholarly essays, commentaries, and bibliographies. New primary documents and document projects are added annually.

Historical Newspapers

Remember that newspapers from the time period you are studying can be considered primary sources!

African American Newspapers (Readex)
A large collection of full-text / full-image African American newspapers from all around the country. Covers the 19th and 20th centuries.
19th Century U.S. Newspapers (Gale)
Provides full-text access to newspapers from urban to rural regions, large cities to small towns across the U.S. Includes newspapers published by African Americans, Native Americans, women's rights groups, labor groups, the Confederacy, and others. Coverage: 1800-1899.
Historical Newspapers (ProQuest)
Search the full-text/full-image of several major U.S. and two major British newspapers: New York Times (1851-2019), Washington Post (1877-2006), Wall Street Journal (1889-2011), Christian Science Monitor (1908-2009), Los Angeles Times (1881-1999), Chicago Tribune (1849-1998), Austin American Statesman (1871-1980), Guardian (1821-2003) Observer (1791-2003), New York Amsterdam News (1922-2010), and the Chicago Defender (1909-2010), El Paso Times (1881-2009), El Paso Herald (1896-1996). Coverage begins with the first issue of each title.