|
Internet Archives and Special Collections |
Links
* Federal * Presidential * Maps/Military * Internet * Media * Associations * States * Congressional * Collectibles |
* Avalon Project,
Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School
One of most comprehensive collections of transcripts of full-text documents ranging from ancient to contemporary times, including text of Athenian Constitution; Magna Carta; Mayflower Compact; U.S. Constitution; Gettysburg Address; Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points; World War II Declarations of War; President Eisenhower Farewell Address; Cuban Missile Crisis; 9/11 Commission Report and many more. * Internet Archive Nonprofit founded 1996 located in San Francisco to build Internet library offering free access for researchers, historians and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format, including archiving Web sites no longer maintained. Also provides access to over six million public domain ebooks; moving images; television news archives; and audio recordings including news broadcasts, presidential addresses and White House tapes. * Digital Public Library of America Based at Boston Public Library, collaborative project launched in 2013 to provide central web site for access to significant holdings of libraries, archives, museums, and cultural heritage sites with free access to the general public. Funded by National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services and leading philanthropic foundations. * Project Gutenberg Founded 1971 as nonprofit by late Michael Hart, inventor of ebooks. Now provides free downloads or online reading of over 60,000 ebooks whose copyright has expired, including entire text of books relating to political thought and history such as The Republic by Plato; The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli; Second Treatise of Government by John Locke; Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe; and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Douglass. * Google Books Origins date to Google founding in 1998 with initial goal of scanning all published books for online access. Books provided either by publishers and authors or by Google's library partners, also has added partnerships with a number of magazine publishers to digitize their archives. Previews or full text available for books out of copyright or when publisher and author has granted permission, with some in public domain free to download as PDF files. * Hathi Trust Digital Library Collaboration among some 70 research libraries in U.S., Canada and Europe. Launched in 2008 by universities including University of California system and University of Virginia to archive and share their digitized collections in a central repository to support teaching and learning activities of faculty, students or researchers at their institutions. Full access requires affiliation with a member institution, but public able to search and access collection, and view and download materials where there are no third-party restrictions. Currently over five million volumes open for public viewing and downloading. * American Antiquarian Society Founded 1812 by Revolutionary War patriot and printer Isaiah Thomas in Worcester, Massachusetts, both a learned society and a major independent research library. Library houses largest and most accessible collection of books, pamphlets, broadsides, newspapers, periodicals, music, and graphic arts material printed through 1876 in what is now the United States, as well as manuscripts and a substantial collection of secondary texts, bibliographies, and digital resources and reference works related to all aspects of American history and culture before 20th century. Web site features online Exhibitions with samples from its holdings, full access requires subscription. Also operates TeachUShistory.org web site with educational resources using its holdings. * Wikipedia "The free encyclopedia that anyone can edit," lead project of Wikimedia Foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization founded 2001 to encourage development and distribution of free multilingual information and educational content to public through online encyclopedia edited by users. Established 2001, now nearly five million articles, ranks as sixth highest web site both in U.S. and world in visitor traffic. Companion site Wikimedia Commons provides database of over 25 million images and media files for free viewing and downloading. * Wikisource Also operated by Wikimedia Foundation, originally founded 2003 to scan important historical and cultural sources to support Wikipedia articles, later expanded to host general content in many subjects and languages. Posts transcriptions of works either in public domain or licensed for public use, including novels, non-fiction works, letters, speeches, constitutional and historical documents, laws and wide range of other documents. Commencing in 2011, National Archives added links to transcriptions for public disclosure of several of its documents prepared by Wikisource to expand public access, now included in Wikisource portal on American History. |
Special Collections
* Cornell University Collection of Political Americana Site features digital images of approximately 5,500 items of American political campaign memorabilia and commemorative items such as posters, buttons and cartoons dating between 1789 and 1960 donated to Cornell by Susan H. Douglas, also supplemented by Cornell Library digitization of some 1,500 additional items covering Presidential campaigns from 1960 to 1972. * Broadsides & Ephemera Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University Collection of over 5,500 broadsides, pamphlets, posters, newspapers, tickets, and other items dating from 18th to 20th century (with majority from 19th century), includes materials related to political campaigns and politics, issues related to race, class, gender, and religion, but also theater, dance, popular entertainments, immigration and emigration, advertising, travel and military recruitment and campaigns. * Making of America, Cornell University/University of Michigan Commenced in 1995 as collaboration between libraries of the University of Michigan and Cornell University to develop a thematically-related digital library documenting American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. Primary sources with access to some 270 monograph volumes and over 100,000 19th century journal articles. Also includes compilation of official records of Union and Confederate Armies. * Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, nonprofit organization devoted to improve history education. Web site features over 60,000 unique historical documents and images in Gilder Lehrman Collection, along with essays, lesson plans and other educational resources. Full access requires individual subscription of $25. * PBS In addition to online videos of its historical documentaries (see Media), its web site also features profiles and essays with original documents and images on key figures, issues and events in history and politics. * National Security Archive Founded 1985 by journalists and scholars concerned with government secrecy, leading non-profit user of Freedom of Information Act, seeks to expand public access, frequently through litigation, to government information, maintains library and archive of declassified U.S. documents.Based at Gelman Library of George Washington University, filed lawsuit in December 2014 for public disclosure of remaining sealed grand jury transcripts relating to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg atomic bomb spy case prosecution leading to their convictions and execution in 1953. * WikiLeaks Controversial non-profit organization founded 2006 in Iceland by Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activist. Known for publishing secret information and classified government materials from anonymous sources, particularly thousands of classified documents relating to Iraq and Afghanistan wars leaked by U.S. Army Private Bradley Manning; over 1.7 million U.S. diplomatic and intelligence documents from 1970s, including cables to and from Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Vietnam War; and secret files on treatment of inmates in Guantanamo Bay prison. Selected General History Sites
* Digital History Developed by Professor Steven Mintz of University of Texas while on faculty at University of Houston, designed for history teachers and students. Publishes wide range of essays and reference sources, audio-visual archive including speeches, book talks and e-lectures by historians, and historical maps, music, newspaper articles, and images. * HistoryNet.com Site of World History Group, world's largest publisher of history magazines. Provides daily features, photo galleries and over 5,000 articles originally published in its various magazines. Ask Mr. History feature posts online questions and answers on history topics. * eHistory, Ohio State University Origins date to founding as for-profit site in 1997, acquired 2003 by Ohio State's Department of History, now operated in collaboration with its Harvey Goldberg Center for Excellence in Teaching. Provides exhibitions, biographies, profiles and original sources on world and U.S. history. * American Social History Project, Center for Media and Learning, City University of New York Produces print, visual, and multimedia materials exploring U.S. social and cultural history. Web projects include Picturing United States History: An Interactive Resource for Teaching with Visual Evidence providing online guides to Web resources, forums, essays, reviews, and classroom activities, including The September 11 Digital Archive. * AuthenticHistory.com Advertising-supported site with essays on key U.S. history events from settlement to present along with related images, videos and audios. * The History Place Advertising-supported site founded and published by author Philip Gavin. Features exhibits (e.g. American Revolution, Holocaust, Civil War), special presentations, essays, homework aids, and guide to historic American sites and areas. |