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American Women: Resources from the General Collections

State Historical Societies

[New York Historical Society, New York, New York. Exterior]. [1860s?]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

State historical-association journals supply details not easily found elsewhere. Excerpts from diaries, letters, obituaries, biographies of state residents, and reproductions of photographs give descriptions of daily life, games, holidays, homes, and travel. Many of these items may survive only in this published form. They are especially useful for information on genealogy, frontier life, early settlers, Native Americans, and for those examining a particular geographical area. Most state historical associations publish journals or collections of primary sources relating to their state. Within these hundreds of volumes researchers can find important primary sources related to the history of women and gender.

For earlier years, consult the annual publication Writings on American History (Z1236 .L331 MRR Alc, LH&G).

For further searching in the Library of Congress Online Catalog, follow these hints and canned searches:

Many state historical journals are indexed in the subscription databases America: History and Life or Periodicals Index Online.

The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress.  If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

The following external websites contain primary source materials related to state historical societies.