History: Primary Sources by Era or Topic

Good for:  Exploring social justice, civil rights, and decolonization movements in Africa and for understanding the American Committee on Africa's (ACOA) efforts to inform the public and promote solidarity with African liberation movements

Contains: Records of the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) which chart the organization's involvement in African liberation struggles in the twentieth century

Dates covered: 1953-1981

1948-1980
British government files from the Foreign, Colonial, Dominion and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices documenting the history of South Africa's apartheid regime.

1940-present
Primary sources from more than 35 countries related to LGBTQ activism and the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Good for: Studying the history of Persia (Iran), Central Asia, and Afghanistan.

Contains: Correspondence, intelligence reports, diaries, minutes, maps, newspaper excerpts, and other primary sources from British Foreign Office Files.

Dates covered: 1834-1922.

Good for: Researching international affairs from a British perspective.

Contains: Commentary, speeches, and analysis from a nonprofit NGO.

Dates covered: 1920-2008.

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 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: 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: Researching British trade and colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent.

Contains: British government records from the India Office.

Dates covered: 1599-1947.

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: Studying personal experiences, propaganda, visual perspectives, and narratives of the First World War. 

Contains: Archival collections, films, and oral histories. 

Dates covered: 1900-1950.

Good for: Primary sources documenting British relations with China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Contains: British Foreign Office files.

Dates covered: 1919-1980.

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: Primary sources documenting Japanese imperialism, the War in the Pacific, the Occupation of Japan, and Japan's rise to great power status from the perspective of British diplomats.

Contains: Archival collection from the British Foreign Office.

Dates covered: 1919-1952.

Good for: Primary sources documenting British Foreign Office involvement in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Contains: Correspondence, reports, maps, and other primary source evidence.

Dates covered: 1963-1980.

Good for: Understanding the events in the Middle East during the 1970s, such as the Arab-Israeli War, the Lebanese Civil War and the Iranian Revolution.

Contains: Archival collection from the British Foreign Office.

Dates covered: 1971-1981.

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.

1900-2000. Campaign materials, periodicals, propaganda, government records, oral histories, and ephemera from fringe political movements on the right and the left.

1945-1950
Records from the National Archives of the UK reveal challenges facing Displaced Persons, refugees and humanitarian aid organizations in the aftermath of World War II.

1490-2007
Case studies documenting slavery in America, the Caribbean, Brazil and Cuba, along with material examining European, Islamic and African involvement in the slave trade.

Good for: Examining primary sources about the work of women activists working on social reforms around the world

Contains: Archival collections including organizational records, letters and diaries

Dates covered: 1840-2010

Good for: Examining primary sources about the work of women activists contributing to international development programs, including the Peace Corps and United Nations organizations

Contains: Archival collections including organizational records  from intergovernmental (IGOs)  and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and personal papers of activists

Dates covered: 1919-2019

Good for: Viewing television news coverage of events in American and world history

Contains: Video clips from CBS news programming 

Dates covered: 1950s - 2010s

Good for: Viewing narratives and images of 20th century China created by non-Chinese visitors

Contains: Newsreels, documentaries, and government and amateur films

Dates covered: 1900-1997

This streaming video service provides access to thousands of titles in such areas of the arts, humanities, business, sciences, media/communications, education and more.

Good for: Viewing or searching documentary films and video series on a wide range of topics in science, history, art, business and many more.

Contains: Streaming video 

Dates covered: 1979-current

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

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: Searching books and periodicals, including full text access to those in the public domain and limited search for those still under copyright.

Contains: Scanned books and periodicals 

1600-1926
Cross-search five Making of Modern Law databases: Making of Modern Law: Foreign, Comparative and International Law 1600-1926, Making of Modern Law: Foreign Primary Sources, Making of Modern Law: Primary Sources 1620-1926, Making of Modern Law: Treatises, 1800-1926, and Making of Modern Law: Trials 1600-1926.

Good for: Studying the history of Persia (Iran), Central Asia, and Afghanistan.

Contains: Correspondence, intelligence reports, diaries, minutes, maps, newspaper excerpts, and other primary sources from British Foreign Office Files.

Dates covered: 1834-1922.

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 about trade, economic development, and political and military conflict in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in the 1960s and 70s. 

Contains: Records created by the British Foreign Office. 

Dates covered: 1959-1979

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: Exploring colonial history, politics, culture and society from British and European perspectives.

Contains: Primary sources from archival collections.

Dates covered: 1492-1969.

Good for: Primary sources documenting British relations with China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Contains: British Foreign Office files.

Dates covered: 1919-1980.

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: Primary sources documenting Japanese imperialism, the War in the Pacific, the Occupation of Japan, and Japan's rise to great power status from the perspective of British diplomats.

Contains: Archival collection from the British Foreign Office.

Dates covered: 1919-1952.

Good for: Understanding the events in the Middle East during the 1970s, such as the Arab-Israeli War, the Lebanese Civil War and the Iranian Revolution.

Contains: Archival collection from the British Foreign Office.

Dates covered: 1971-1981.

1600-1926
Cross-search five Making of Modern Law databases: Making of Modern Law: Foreign, Comparative and International Law 1600-1926, Making of Modern Law: Foreign Primary Sources, Making of Modern Law: Primary Sources 1620-1926, Making of Modern Law: Treatises, 1800-1926, and Making of Modern Law: Trials 1600-1926.

1945-1950
Records from the National Archives of the UK reveal challenges facing Displaced Persons, refugees and humanitarian aid organizations in the aftermath of World War II.

Good for: Searching across all collections of historical primary sources from Adam Matthew Publishers. 

Contains: Primary sources held in libraries, museums and archives around the world.