Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
This database, provided by the Library of Congress, offers access to historic American newspapers published between 1777 and 1963. Users can search based on keywords, article titles, location, and publication date. The digitalized newspapers are exactly how they appeared when they were published, so users can get a sense of what kind of advertisements/products were popular at the time. This resource is perfect for students exploring American history and culture through primary sources.
Search Strategies:
One of the best uses of this database is to discover the thoughts/mindsets of people during this time regarding essential events. For example, what were journalists' thoughts on the Emancipation Proclamation or the results of a major battle? To find out the best strategy, first learn the dates of each event through a Google search. Once a date is found, a search for that event can begin.
Recommended Search Path:
Select “State” (choose a Northern or Southern state if you want a different perspective)-->"Date Range”(get as close as possible to the specific days during or after an event)--> and then enter a basic keyword. Use a “within words of each other” option if it is more than one word.
Example: Battle of Shiloh
Find full-text content of hundreds of journals and books and selective indexing of scholarly literature of the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present.
America: History and Life with Full Text
This database covers the history of the United States and Canada. Regarding material, this database provides access to journal articles, periodicals, books, biographies, and newspapers that cover all aspects of the American Civil War. Countless peer-reviewed articles detail the causes, leaders from both sides, military campaigns, pictures, and societal impacts on the civilian population. While the newspaper articles are not as extensive as the Chronicling America database, there is a good selection. The advanced search options are exceptional, with the ability to search with 14 different search fields and plenty of limiters to narrow the search. You can even search by historical period.
Search Strategies
In advanced search, use specific keywords and combine them with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to narrow or expand your search. Combine this with using the appropriate search field. For example, try starting with the search term “American Civil War.” Including all three words in a phrase will ensure that all three words are included together in the search, which will help narrow down the results. For the search field, change it to “subject matter.” Make sure to use the peer-reviewed limiter as well.
Example topic: Battle of Gettysburg
Search Strategy:
First search term: “American Civil War” (phrase) NOTE* Try also "Civil War"
First search field: “subject”
Second search term (AND): “Battle of Gettysburg” (phrase)
Second search field: “all text”
Third search term (OR): “Gettysburg”
Third search field: “all text) or try “keyword”
Also, consider using wildcards to capture variations of a word that ends in potentially different spellings.
Example: Solider
Use “soldier*”
The asterisk with soldier will include variations like:
Combining a main topic with a subtopic (use in a phrase) will also help refine searches. For example:
All available Gale research collections including archival content, ebooks, primary sources, and business information.
Gale OneFile: High School Edition (Through Gale Product Menu)
Similar to Gale OneFile, this is a comprehensive database designed specifically for high school students to access academic and general-interest content. It offers many resources, including full-text magazines, newspapers, reference books, and journal articles. The topics covered include all areas, such as science, history, literature, and current events. The one advantage that this database has over the others is that it includes Lexile reading level as a filter, which ensures accessibility for all students with different reading levels. Through advanced search, useful filters include publication date, subject, and content type. Another great feature is the text-to-speech and translation services. Another great feature is the topic finder option, which helps visualize how concepts are connected, which is useful when researching a broad topic like the American Civil War.
Search Strategies
Similar to America: History and Life with Full Text, the advanced search uses similar search strategies, including Boolean operators. Start with “American Civil War” or “Civil War” as a search term. Then, switch the field to either “keyword” or “subject.” Then, the second search term should include the subtopic of the civil war you are looking for information on with a search field of “all text.” Some of the best second search term subtopics can be found in the "Overview/Key Term" section of this LibGuide. For limiters, make sure to include Lexile level based on reading ability. Also include “documents with full text” and “peer-reviewed journal.”
Civil War Primary Source Documents
This database is an archive of manuscripts, including letters, diaries, photographs, administrative records, and illustrations from primary sources. The correspondence is from both sides of the conflict and includes docuemnts from soldiers, society groups, and civilians. Documents from before and after the war are also included. Users can get a first-hand account of what life was like during wartime for civilians and the daily grind for soldiers. Other highlights include the insights and reflections of leaders and other generals during and after battles. This database is critical for students since primary source documents give students the ability to judge and evaluate the time period and what happened during the war without the bias of someone else’s secondhand interpretation. This direct evidence also guarantees untainted direct evidence, giving users a more authentic view.
Search Strategy
The advanced search options will be similar to the other databases discussed. The primary focus is on the “document type” limiter. Important documents to consider include:
The largest and richest collection of streaming video available online for the study of American history.
America History in Video
This database focuses on multimedia resources with thousands of videos related to the history of the United States. The types of videos include documentaries, newsreels, archival footage, instructional videos, and interviews. The videos are a mix of primary source materials and secondary analysis of various topics and time periods in American history like the Revolution, Civil War, industrialization, civil rights movement, and cultural and social changes during the latter half of the 20th century. This is an excellent resource for users who prefer visual and auditory learning. The Civil War collection is particularly extensive, with over 89 videos in various content types.
Search Strategies
The filters on this database are very user-friendly, and a search should always start by going to "filter your results"
Under the "subject" tab, scroll down and select "Civil War (1860-1865)." This will narrow your list to all Civil War videos (89 total). You can also find the Civil War channel by doing a basic search and typing in "civil war." From there, it is up to the user to filter. The "Person" tab is a good start if you are looking for a biography of a particular Civil War figure. Some choices include Harriet Tubman, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Abraham Lincoln. If you are not sure what exactly you want, I would leave the "person" tab alone and filter the "content type" to "documentary" and "instructional material."