Research Guides: African American Studies: Primary Sources

History Makers Digital Archive

History Makers
Oral histories of African-Americans from all walks of life, including politicians, authors, civil rights activists, religious leaders, musicians, legal scholars, and many others. Includes video footage.

African American Sources

These collections are specifically oriented to African American Studies and related historical research. Some are subscription-only resources paid for by VCU and some are free online resources.

African American Poetry Database
Coverage: (1760 - 1900) Searchable collection of over 2,500 poems
American Memory: African-Americans
17 collections in the U.S. Library of Congress' digital collections associated with African Americans.
American Slave Narratives
First-hand accounts of the experiences of former slaves on plantations, in cities, and on small farms. Created in the years 1936-1938 by the Works Progress Administration based on interviews conducted by journalists and writers.
Documenting the American South
Documenting the American South (DocSouth), a digital publishing initiative sponsored by the UNC Libraries, provides access to digitized primary materials that offer Southern perspectives on American history and culture.

Civil War, Richmond, and Virginia Resources

These collections cover historical topics often researched by the VCU community.

Civil War Primary Sources from the Civil War Trust
Gateway to a range of sources on the U.S. Civil War.
The Valley of the Shadow
An online collection of sources documenting life in two American communities, one North and one South, from John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry through Reconstruction.
VCU Libraries Digital Collections
Collections of primary sources that VCU Libraries has digitized and put online, ranging from oral histories to historical postcards. The majority are Richmond- or Virginia-related.

American and General Resources

These collections cover a range of general and American subjects researched by the VCU community. Some are subscription-only resources paid for by VCU and some are free online resources.

American State Papers, 1789-1838
Legislative and executive documents, many originating from the important period between 1789 and the beginning of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set in 1817.
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(1789-1838) VCU access only
Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1800
Virtually all books, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints of 17th- and 18th-century America. Covers thousands of subjects in full-text.
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(1639-1800) VCU access only
Early American Imprints, Series II: Shaw-Shoemaker, 1801-1819
Books, pamphlets, broadsides, and other imprints of early 19th-century America. Covers thousands of subjects in full-text.
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(1801-1819) VCU access only
Making of America
A digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
Oral History Online
Index to English language oral histories publicly available on the Web and/or held by repositories and archives around the world. Includes interview level records if possible, and links to multi-media if available.
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VCU access only
Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive
Presents the history of slavery alongside efforts and actions to end it, drawing from thousands of documents, some very rare, in a comprehensive, conceptual, and global way.
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(1500 - 1865) VCU access only
Historical Census Data
Historical demographic, economic and social statistics.