The full text of letters and diary entries, often from works that have been previously published as books containing collections of letters or diaries. Use the Browse indexes to find works about specific historical or life events.
Good for: Researching the lives of women in Great Britain and Ireland.
Contains: Women's letters and diaries.
Dates covered: 1500-1900.
Good for: Investigating the lives of lesser-known UK women.
Contains: Diaries and oral histories.
Dates covered: 1600-1968.
Use the date range limit to narrow your search to a relevant time period.
Good for: Finding newspaper reports about life, culture and historical events published in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.
Contains: National and regional newspapers representing multiple political and cultural views.
Dates covered: 1732-1950.
Good for: Finding newspaper articles about news and events in Ireland.
Contains: Newspaper pages.
Dates covered: 1859-2022.
Good for: Finding articles from The Times (London).
Contains: The Times newspaper.
Dates covered: 1785-2019.
Search for articles published in popular magazines and journals from different times in history.
Good for: Gaining insights into British home life and leisure reading in the Victorian age.
Contains: Magazines.
Dates covered: 1800-1900.
Good for: Evidence of the activities and interests of British imperial colonizers, settlers, missionaries, and travelers.
Contains: Magazines.
Dates covered: 1800-1900.
Good for: Searching articles in magazines about British culture and society.
Contains: Popular British periodicals, mostly from the 19th century.
Dates covered: 1681-1920.
Good for: Reading articles with perspective on historical events and trends from The Economist magazine.
Contains: Issues of The Economist.
Dates covered: 1843-2015.
Good for: Finding out about 18th-century British and Irish culture through magazines and newspapers.
Contains: Literary, satirical, political, religious and theatrical publications from England, Ireland, Scotland, India and the Caribbean.
Dates covered: 1685-1835.
Collections of several types of primary sources curated around a topic or theme.
Good for: First hand accounts of European exploration, trade and colonization worldwide using primary sources.
Contains: Manuscripts, maps, illustrated documents, diaries, and ship logs.
Dates covered: 1420-1920.
Good for: Searching a large collection of British government and agency records.
Contains: Government and agency records.
Dates covered: 1833-1981.
Good for: Studying China's relations with the West in the 19th and early 20th century.
Contains: Academic and literary journals and missionary periodicals in English about China.
Dates covered: 1817-1949.
Good for: Researching China and its relations with the West during the late Qing and Republican periods.
Contains: Official correspondence, dispatches, reports, memoranda, and records of the Maritime Customs Service of China.
Dates covered: 1858-1949.
Good for: Exploring Chinese life and culture over the past 300 years.
Contains: Primary source documents like printed books, pamphlets, paintings, manuscripts, diaries, newspapers, and periodicals.
Dates covered: 1750-1980.
Good for: Researching the life and career of Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister during and after World War II.
Contains: Primary sources including personal papers and official records.
Dates covered: 1690-1965 (mainly 1940-1955).
Good for: Understanding the perspective of Anglican missionary administrators and workers on cultural encounters around the world.
Contains: Newspapers, journals, and reports.
Dates covered: 1804-2009.
Good for: Primary source evidence of the British administration of the American colonies.
Contains: British government documents from the Colonial Office (CO 5).
Dates covered: 1606-1822.
Good for: Primary sources documenting European colonization of the African continent from the British government’s perspective.
Contains: Government records from the British Colonial Office and Foreign Office.
Dates covered: 1834-1966.
Good for: Primary sources documenting European colonization of the African continent from the British government’s perspective.
Contains: Government records from the British Colonial Office and Foreign Office.
Dates covered: 1834-1966.
Good for: Primary sources recording the British perspective on Central and South America and the French- and Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
Contains: Government and agency records.
Dates covered: 1833-1969.
Good for: Primary sources about British involvement in the Levant, the Arabian peninsula, Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Sudan.
Contains: Government and agency records.
Dates covered: 1839-1969.
Good for: Primary sources generated by the British Foreign and Colonial Offices about events in the United States, Canada, and the English-speaking Caribbean.
Contains: Government and agency records.
Dates covered: 1824-1961.
Good for: Evidence of changing views about gender, themed around conduct, domesticity, consumption and leisure, education, and the body.
Contains: Primary sources like correspondence, advice literature, periodicals, ephemera and government documents.
Dates covered: 1500s-1920.
Good for: Studying early modern governance, material culture, prominent families, and the organization of knowledge in health, medicine, humanities, and sciences.
Contains: Records, correspondence, and manuscript collections.
Dates covered: 1500-1700.
Good for: Researching British trade and colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent.
Contains: British government records from the India Office.
Dates covered: 1599-1947.
Good for: Examining scripts of plays submitted for license in England before 1824.
Contains: Archive of plays, diaries, playbills, theatre records, and correspondence.
Dates covered: 1737-1824.
Good for: Exploring colonial history, politics, culture and society from British and European perspectives.
Contains: Primary sources from archival collections.
Dates covered: 1492-1969.
Good for: Exploring the evolution of food and drink.
Contains: Cookbooks, advertising ephemera, government reports, films, and other primary sources.
Dates covered: 9th century-2015.
Good for: Primary sources documenting the political and social history of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan from the viewpoint of British officials.
Contains: Archival collection from the British Foreign Office and Dominions Office.
Dates covered: 1947-1980.
Good for: Studying European colonization in North America, Africa, and Australasia.
Contains: Primary sources like expedition records, letters, diaries, and government records.
Dates covered: 1650-1920.
Good for: Studying the changing representations and lived experiences of gender roles and relations, like women's suffrage, the feminist movement, the men’s movement, employment, education, family and the body.
Contains: Primary sources like personal papers, diaries, and organizational records.
Dates covered: 1800-present.
Good for: Examining primary sources that tell the story of global trade in chocolate, coffee, cotton, fur, opium, oil, porcelain, silver and gold, spices, sugar, tea, timber, tobacco, wheat, and wine and spirits.
Contains: Archival collections.
Dates covered: 1500-present.
Good for: Exploring firsthand travel accounts of British tourists in Europe before 1850.
Contains: Travel accounts.
Dates covered: 1550-1850.
Good for: Studying the history of South Asia between the initial involvement of the East India Company and Indian and Pakistani independence.
Contains: Primary sources from colonial government and archival collections.
Dates covered: 1615-1947.
Good for: Studying the history of tourism.
Contains: Archival material from Thomas Cook travel agency.
Dates covered: 1850-1980.
Good for: Documents revealing the history of the book trade and printing/publishing community.
Contains: Primary sources from the Stationers Company in London.
Dates covered: 1554-2007.
Good for: Studying 19th-century London street culture.
Contains: Primary sources like ballads, slang dictionaries, brothel guides, and posters.
Dates covered: 1800-1910.
Good for: Studying historical medical advances during warfare.
Contains: Primary sources.
Dates covered: 1850s-1930s.
Good for: Studying Japan and its relations with the West.
Contains: Publications, papers, journals, and diaries of Edward Sylvester Morse.
Dates covered: 1850s-1930s.
Good for: Studying migration from Great Britain, Ireland, mainland Europe, and Asia to the New World and Australasia.
Contains: Personal accounts, correspondence, maps, plans, and photos.
Dates covered: 1800-1924.
Good for: Finding primary sources about the development of urban centers and of the restructuring of society that took place during the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain.
Contains: Government and archival collections.
Dates covered: 1750-1916.
Good for: Finding primary source documentation related to the European “Scramble for Africa,” colonial conquest and the legacy of slavery, missionaries, explorers, economics, world politics, and international strategy.
Contains: Books, manuscripts, government records and newspaper accounts.
Dates covered: 1800-1906.
Good for: Studying the history of the John Murray publishing company and the publication history of authors like Byron, Austen, Darwin, and Bird.
Contains: Letters, literary works, and financial records.
Dates covered: 1768-1900s.
Good for: Theatre history research examining firsthand evidence of 19th century stage productions
Contains: Prompt books, playbills, photos, and theatre company records, plus biographical and thematic essays
Dates covered: Late 1600s-1960s
Good for: Documenting social conditions in Victorian England.
Contains: Archival records from philanthropic organizations and the British government.
Dates covered: 1834-1930.
Good for: Studying signals intelligence reports and government policy and strategy from the British government.
Contains: Documents from The National Archives, U.K.
Dates covered: 1873-1953.
Good for: Exploring changing attitudes towards human sexuality, gender identities, and sexual behaviors.
Contains: Archival research collections.
Dates covered: 1800s-2010s.
Good for: Researching the trade in enslaved people in America, the Caribbean, Brazil, and Cuba using material examining European, Islamic, and African involvement in the slave trade.
Contains: Case studies and primary source documents.
Dates covered: 1490-2007.
Good for: Exploring travel writing and its history.
Contains: Manuscripts, diaries, correspondence, drawings, guidebooks, and photographs.
Dates covered: 1818-1974.
Good for: Finding primary sources related to popular entertainment in America, Britain, and Europe.
Contains: Books, posters, scrapbooks, and optical toys.
Dates covered: 1779-1930.
Good for: Primary sources collected from world's fairs, exhibitions, and expos.
Contains: Official records, monographs, publicity, artwork, and artifacts.
Dates covered: 1851-2000s.
Digitized collections of books published during different time periods.
Good for: Reading primary sources that document the evolution of feminist consciousness and the women's rights movement.
Contains: Books and periodicals.
Dates covered: 1543-1945.
Good for: Access to nearly any public domain (pre-1929) book owned and scanned by a library.
Contains: Digitized books.
Good for: Researching historical legal materials.
Contains: Treatises, primary sources, trials, and foreign, comparative, and international law.
Dates covered: 1600-1926.
Good for: Finding primary source materials on exploration, trade, colonialism, slavery and abolition, the western movement, Native Americans, military actions, and more.
Contains: Historical books, pamphlets, serials and other documents about North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Dates covered: 1500-1926.
Official government publications, including laws, treaties, and records of legislative proceedings.
United States
Good for: Researching U.S. legislative information.
Contains: Congressional publications, bills, laws, regulations, committee information, and more.
Dates covered: 1789-present.
Good for: Researching U.S. legislative history.
Contains: Searchable full text of U.S. bills and resolutions.
Dates covered: 1789-present.
Good for: Researching legal topics.
Contains: Law journals and federal legal materials.
Great Britain
Good for: Studying significant British historical documents.
Contains: Primary sources like treaties, statutes, declarations, government and cabinet proceedings, plus editorial commentary.
Dates covered: 476-1914.
Good for: Understanding Britain's role in political, social, economic, and foreign policy arenas through records of Parliament.
Contains: Bills, reports, correspondence, and command papers.
Dates covered: 1801-2000.
Good for: Searching a large collection of British government and agency records.
Contains: Government and agency records.
Dates covered: 1833-1981.
Good for: Researching historical legal materials.
Contains: Treatises, primary sources, trials, and foreign, comparative, and international law.
Dates covered: 1600-1926.
Good for: Primary sources documenting European colonization of the African continent from the British government’s perspective.
Contains: Government records from the British Colonial Office and Foreign Office.
Dates covered: 1834-1966.
Good for: Primary sources recording the British perspective on Central and South America and the French- and Spanish-speaking Caribbean.
Contains: Government and agency records.
Dates covered: 1833-1969.
Good for: Primary sources about British involvement in the Levant, the Arabian peninsula, Iran, Turkey, Egypt and Sudan.
Contains: Government and agency records.
Dates covered: 1839-1969.
Good for: Primary sources generated by the British Foreign and Colonial Offices about events in the United States, Canada, and the English-speaking Caribbean.
Contains: Government and agency records.
Dates covered: 1824-1961.
Good for: Primary sources documenting the political and social history of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan from the viewpoint of British officials.
Contains: Archival collection from the British Foreign Office and Dominions Office.
Dates covered: 1947-1980.
Good for: Studying signals intelligence reports and government policy and strategy from the British government.
Contains: Documents from The National Archives, U.K.
Dates covered: 1873-1953.
Digitized photos and art images.
Good for: Texts on the invention and early history of photography, collections of photographs, photograph albums, and early books illustrated with photos.
Contains: Books, photographs.
Dates covered: 1800s-early 1900s.
Good for: Finding and using digital images for research and teaching.
Contains: Art digital images and related data.
Good for: Finding images held by the Library of Congress.
Contains: Images.
These links allow you to search across multiple databases at the same time.
Good for: Searching across all primary source collections from Adam Matthew Publishers.
Contains: Archival collections.
Good for: Searching all ProQuest U.S. historical newspaper collections simultaneously.
Contains: Newspapers.
Dates covered: 1841-2014.
Good for: Searching historical periodicals.
Contains: Magazine and journal articles.
Dates covered: 1740-1940 with some more recent.
Good for: Searching across historical newspapers and books for primary sources about American life and culture.
Contains: American historical newspapers, printed books, pamphlets, and ephemera.
Dates covered: 1639-1922.
