Databases

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.

Haymarket Affair Digital Collection External This link opens in a new window

The Chicago Historical Society has created this digital collection to provide on-line access to its primary source materials relating to the Haymarket Affair, a controversial moment in Chicago's past and a pivotal event in the early history of the American labor movement. The digital collection presents images of key documents and artifacts in their historical context with a minimum of interpretive information. Much like the witness testimony and exhibits introduced during the Haymarket trial, these primary sources are pieces of evidence which enable the user to reconstruct and interpret the historical events to which they relate. This digital collection contains copies of most of the original manuscripts, artifacts, broadsides, photographs, and prints owned by the Chicago Historical Society (CHS) that relate to the Haymarket Affair and were contemporary with it. It also includes selected portions of publications from that time relating to the Haymarket Affair. Specifically, the digital collection includes CHS primary source materials pertaining to: the May 4, 1886, meeting and bombing to the trial, conviction, and subsequent appeals of those accused of inciting the bombing to the execution of four of the convicted, and to the later pardon of the remaining defendants.
Historical Statistics of the United States Millennial Edition External This link opens in a new window
A compendium of statistics from over 1,000 sources containing over 37,000 data series and covering the social, economic, and political life of the United States. Topics range from American Indians, slavery, outlying areas, poverty, non-profit organizations, race and ethnicity to migration, health, crime and the Confederate States of America. Chapters are preceded by essays that introduce the quantitative history of their subject, provide a guide to the sources, and offer expert advice on the reliability of the data and the limits that might be placed on their interpretation.
Making of the Modern World, Part II External This link opens in a new window
The Making of the Modern World provides digital facsimile images of unique primary sources that track the development of the modern, western world through the lens of trade and wealth. Full-text searching across millions of pages of works from the period 1851-1914 provides researchers unparalleled access to this vast collection of material for research in the areas of history, political science, social conditions, technology and industry, economics, area studies and more. Part I from the period 1450-1850 is also available at this site.
ProQuest History Vault External This link opens in a new window
ProQuest History Vault debuted in 2011 and is continuously growing to include numerous archival collections documenting the most important and widely studied topics in eighteenth- through twentieth-century American history, digitized in partnernership with and from a wide variety of archival institutions. These modules of rich and varied content create a full spectrum of archival materials to complement coursework in many areas including African American studies, women’s studies, history, political science, military and diplomatic history, immigration, and more. Many of the collections in History Vault were originally available in microfilm from the University Publications of America (UPA) research collections and others come from the University Microfilms International (UMI) research collections with additional collections scanned from the original documents. Collections include:

American Indians and the American West
- American Indians and the American West, 1809-1971
American Politics and Society
- American Politics and Society from Kennedy to Watergate, 1960-1975
- American Politics in the Early Cold War: Truman and Eisenhower Administrations, 1945-1961
- FBI Confidential Files and Radical Politics in the U.S., 1945-1972
- Immigration: Records of the INS, 1880-1930
- Japanese American Incarceration: Records of the War Relocation Authority, 1942-1946
- Law and Society since the Civil War: American Legal Manuscripts from the Harvard Law School Library, 1861-1976
- New Deal and World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Office Files and Records of Federal Agencies, 1933-1945
- Pinkerton's National Detective Agency Records, 1853-1999
- Progressive Era: Reform, Regulation, and Rights, 1872-1934
- Progressive Era: Robert M. La Follette Papers, 1879-1924
- Progressive Era: Voices of Reform, 1875-1945
- Records of the Children's Bureau, 1912-1969
- Students for a Democratic Society, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and the anti-Vietnam War Movement, 1958-1981
- Temperance and Prohibition Movement, 1830-1933
- Thomas A. Edison Papers, 1850-1919
Civil Rights Movement and the Black Freedom Struggle
- African American Police League Records, 1961-1988
- Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century: Federal Government Records
- Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century: Federal Government Records, Supplement
- Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century: Organizational Records and Personal Papers, Part 1
- Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century: Organizational Records and Personal Papers, Part 2
- NAACP Papers: Board of Directors, Annual Conferences, Major Speeches, and National Staff Files
- NAACP Papers: Branch Department, Branch Files, and Youth Department Files
- NAACP Papers: Special Subjects
- NAACP Papers: The NAACP's Major Campaigns--Education, Voting, Housing, Employment, Armed Forces
- NAACP Papers: The NAACP's Major Campaigns--Legal Department Files
- NAACP Papers: The NAACP's Major Campaigns--Scottsboro, Anti-Lynching, Criminal Justice, Peonage, Labor, and Segregation and Discrimination Complaints and Response
- Reverend J. H. Jackson and the National Baptist Convention, 1900-1990
International Relations and Military Conflicts
- CIA Cold War Research Reports and Records on Communism in China and Eastern Europe, 1917-1976
- Confidential U.S. State Department Central Files, 1960-1969, Africa and the Middle East
- Confidential U.S. State Department Central Files, 1960-1969, Asia
- Confidential U.S. State Department Central Files, 1960-1969, Europe and Latin America
- Creation of Israel: British Foreign Office Correspondence on Palestine and Transjordan, 1940-1948
- Nazi Looted Art and Assets: Records on the Post-World War II Restitution Process, 1942-1998
- Office of Strategic Services (OSS)-State Department Intelligence and Research Reports, 1941-1961
- U.S. Diplomatic Post Records, 1914-1945
- U.S. Military Intelligence Reports, 1911-1944
- Vietnam War and American Foreign Policy, 1960-1975
- World War I: British Foreign Office Political Correspondence (1914-1920)
- World War I: Records of the American Expeditionary Forces, and Diplomacy in the World War I Era (1915-1927)
- World War II: U.S. Documents on Planning, Operations, Intelligence, Axis War Crimes, and Refugees
Latinx History
- Latino Civil Rights during the Carter Administration: Records of the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs, 1979-1981
Revolutionary War and Early America
- Revolutionary War and Early America: Collections from the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1721-1860
Southern Life, Slavery, and the Civil War
- Confederate Military Manuscripts and Records of Union Generals and the Union Army (1854-1870)
- Slavery in Antebellum Southern Industries (1700-1896)
- Reconstruction and Military Government after the Civil War (1865-1877)
- Slavery and the Law (1775-1867)
- Slavery in Antebellum Southern Industries, 1700-1896
- Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Law and Order in 19th Century America, 1636-1880
- Southern Life and African American History, 1775-1915, Plantation Records, Part 1
- Southern Life and African American History, 1775-1915, Plantation Records, Part 2
- Southern Life and African American History, 1775-1915, Plantation Records, Part 3
- Southern Life and African American History, 1775-1915, Plantation Records, Part 4
Women’s Studies
- Margaret Sanger Papers: Smith College Collections and Collected Documents
- Southern Women and their Families in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Holdings of the Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Struggle for Women's Rights, Organizational Records, 1880-1990
- Women's Studies Manuscript Collections from the Schlesinger Library: Voting Rights, National Politics, and Reproductive Rights
- Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps Workers and Labor Unions
Workers, Labor Unions, Progressives, and Radicals
- American Federation of Labor Records: The Samuel Gompers Era, 1877-1937
- Labor Priests: Progressive Politics and the Catholic Church, John A. Ryan Papers, 1892-1945
- Labor Unions in the U.S., 1862-1974: Knights of Labor, AFL, CIO, and AFL-CIO
- Socialist Party of America Records
- Workers, Labor Unions, and the American Left in the 20th Century: Federal Records
Sabin Americana, 1500-1926External This link opens in a new window
Sabin Americana contains books, pamphlets and other documents about society, politics, culture, religious beliefs, and contemporary opinions for North, Central and South America, the Arctic and Antarctica and the West Indies. This resource offers original accounts of exploration, pioneering, settlement, the western movement, military actions, Native Americans, slavery and abolition.

News & Journals

The databases below are for anyone looking for articles. This covers newspapers, trade magazines, and academic publications. Some databases are full-text, some contain digitized content, while other are indexing only. These will be good to search for particular strikes, particular unions and may be particularly helpful for finding information if no books have been written.

19th Century U.S. Newspapers External This link opens in a new window
Contains primary source newspaper content from nearly 250 American newspapers published during the 19th century. The database features full-text content and images from a range of urban and rural regions throughout the United States. The collection encompasses the entire 19th century, with an emphasis on such topics as the American Civil War, African-American culture and history, Western migration and Antebellum-era life among other subjects.
ABI/INFORM Collection External This link opens in a new window
Delivering over 6,800 journals, nearly 80% of which are in full-text, ABI/INFORM Complete is a comprehensive business database. Offering much more than journal content, this diverse solution provides the right mix of content types to meet the needs of any business researcher. ABI/INFORM also offers coverage on hundreds of industries and focus areas such as oil, gas, mining, energy, environment, and healthcare management, and has an ever growing range of content from around the globe. ABI/INFORM Complete provides researchers with diverse publication types that meet the requirements of core business programs and corporate libraries. With annual reports from nearly 1,000 leading North American companies, downloadable data sets from the Economic Intelligence Unit, market research reports, dissertations, business cases, and current news from The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times, researchers will be equipped with the tools to respond to changing market conditions and prepare for emerging areas of interest.
Academic OneFile External This link opens in a new window
Academic OneFile includes: More than 13,000 titles, including more than 7,300 peer-reviewed journals and more than 5,000 in full text Full text of The New York Times from 1985 to present Thousands of podcasts and transcripts from NPR, CNN and CBC Links to hundreds of medical videos from OR-Live.
America's Historical Newspapers External This link opens in a new window
America's Historical Newspapers features full text cover-to-cover reproductions of historic newspapers published in 50 states and the District of Columbia. The coverage provides insight into the early years of the United States: the daily life of hundreds of diverse American communities; the later westward expansion and the rise of the penny press with its increasing emphasis on society, industry, and scientific advances; the Civil War era, Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, the Progressive era, and beyond. Please note that the full text may not be available for all issues of a particular newspaper (the database continues to grow). Collections include:
- African American Newspapers, 1827-1998 (Series 1 and Series 2)
- American Business: Agricultural Newspapers
- American Business: Mercantile Newspapers
- American Gazettes: Newspapers of Record
- American Politics: Campaign Newspapers
- American Religion: Denominational Newspapers
- Early American Newspapers, Series 1, 1690-1876: From Colonies to Nation
- Early American Newspapers, Series 2, 1758-1900: The New Republic
- Early American Newspapers, Series 3, 1783-1922: From Farm to City
- Early American Newspapers, Series 4, 1756-1922: The Rise of Industry
- Early American Newspapers, Series 5, 1777-1922: An Emerging World Power
- Early American Newspapers, Series 6, 1741-1922: Compromise and Disunion
- Early American Newspapers, Series 7: 1773-1922: Reform and Retrenchment
- Early American Newspapers, Series 8, 1844-1922: A Nation in Transition
- Early American Newspapers, Series 9, 1832-1922: Protest and Prosperity
- Early American Newspapers, Series 10, 1730-1900: Regional Pioneers
- Early American Newspapers, Series 11, 1803-1899: From Agrarian Republic to World Power
- Early American Newspapers, Series 12, 1821-1900: The Specialized Press
- Early American Newspapers, Series 13, 1803-1916: The American West
- Early American Newspapers, Series 14, 1807-1880: The Expansion of Urban America
- Early American Newspapers, Series 15, 1822-1879: Immigrant Communities
- Early American Newspapers, Series 16, 1800-1877: Industry and the Environment
- Early American Newspapers Series 17, 1844-1922: American Heartland
- Early American Newspapers, Series 18, 1825-1879: Racial Awakening in the Northeast
Applied Science and Business Retrospective External This link opens in a new window
Provides a single resource for seven decades of articles on the most important events, issues and trends in the history of business and industry (including the complete file of Industrial Arts Index (1913-1957), plus the most important historical sources in the applied science and technology field for the 20th century. It provides cover-to-cover indexing for more than 2,000 periodicals that include more than 4.5 million articles. It is an excellent resource for tracking down important studies, exploring historical controversies, finding papers by innovators, researching the development of a particular technology, and more.
Business Source Complete External This link opens in a new window
Provides bibliographic and full text content for thousands of the most important scholarly journals, magazines, and trade publications covering all disciplines of business, including marketing, management, MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics. The database also contains detailed author profiles for the 40,000 most-cited authors in the database. Additional full text content includes financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, book digests, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses, faculty seminars (videos), and more. Indexing and abstracts for 1,300 scholarly business journals date back to 1886.
Chronicling America This link opens in a new window

Chronicling America provides free access to millions of pages of historic American public domain newspapers. More than 3000 titles, published in 48 states and territories and the District of Columbia are available (eventual coverage will be all states and territories, 1690-1963). The headlines, articles and advertisements capture the life and times of the American people, shining new light on historic events as they unfolded. Also provides a link to find information about newspapers published in the United States from 1690. Produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress.
JSTOR External This link opens in a new window
JSTOR is a highly selective digital library of academic content in many disciplines. The Library of Congress's subscriptions to JSTOR provide access to thousands of scholarly journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. JSTOR works with a diverse group of nearly 1,200 publishers from more than 57 countries to preserve and make their content digitally available.

Also provided is access to JSTOR Daily, which offers a fresh way for people to understand and contextualize their world. JSTOR Daily writers provide insight, commentary, and analysis of ideas, research, and current events, tapping into the rich scholarship on JSTOR. In addition to weekly feature articles, the magazine publishes daily blog posts that provide the backstory to complex issues of the day in a variety of subject areas, interviews with and profiles of scholars and their work, and much more.
NewspaperARCHIVE External This link opens in a new window
NewspaperARCHIVE.com is the world's largest online newspaper archive. Featuring billions of articles from historical newspapers around the U.S. and the world, NewspaperARCHIVE makes exploring history and genealogy easy and fun. Discover fascinating news in archived newspapers hundreds of years old - including obituaries, birth announcements, sports articles, comics, and more to fill in the life stories you are interested in. All of our historical newspapers are full-page and fully searchable.
Nexis Uni External This link opens in a new window
Contains over 6,000 news, business, and legal sources, including deep backfiles and up-to-the-minute stories in national and regional newspapers, wire services, broadcast transcripts, international news, and non-English language sources. Use the included Company Dossier module to retrieve detailed company information and financial performance measures or identify and compare companies matching specific criteria. Areas covered include:
- NEWS Full text of hundreds of newspapers, magazines, and newswires from the U.S. and around the world Hard-to-find broadcast transcripts from the major television and radio Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch and other foreign-language newspapers and magazines
- LEGAL Comprehensive coverage of US federal and state case law and statutory law Law review articles from over 500 publications Legal news from more than 300 legal newspapers, magazines, and newsletters Patents from 1971 forward
- BUSINESS Company Dossier service, including detailed financial and operating data on over 43 million US and international companies Business and trade publications SEC filings
ProQuest Historical American Jewish Newspapers External This link opens in a new window
The American Jewish Newspapers collection enables researchers to investigate Jewish immigration, genealogy, history and so much more.
Jewish immigration exploded in the early 20th century as two million Eastern European Jews fled their homeland into the United States in search of labor. As Jews helped transform American culture, so too, America transformed Jewish thought and reformed their religious practice. The Historical Newspapers: American Jewish Newspapers collection enables researchers to investigate the rise of Zionism and the formation of U.S. policies toward the state of Israel, complemented by Historical Newspaper titles, including The Guardian and the soon to be available Jerusalem Post. Public libraries with large Jewish populations would also have interest in these titles for local history and genealogical research.
American Jewish Newspapers is comprised of four historical U.S. Jewish newspapers.
- The American Hebrew & Jewish Messenger (1857-1922). The American Hebrew was a weekly Jewish newspaper published in New York City. In 1903 it merged with the Jewish Messenger. The paper covered many topics of Jewish interest internationally. Many prominent Jewish writers and communal workers in the United States have been contributors to its pages.
- The Jewish Advocate (1905-1990). The Jewish Advocate serves as a primary source of news and information as well as a forum for discussion and debate, providing lines of communication uniting the community and supporting the efforts aimed at reinvigorating and broadening Jewish religious and cultural life.
- The American Israelite (1854-1922). The American Israelite is the longest-running English-language Jewish newspaper still published in the United States. The newspaper's two goals were to spread the principles of Reform Judaism, and to keep American Jews in touch with Jewish affairs and their religious identity.
- Jewish Exponent (1887-1990). The Jewish Exponent has carried news of developments in Israel, efforts to rescue Jews the world world over from repressive regimes, and the ever-expanding role of Jews in American public life. Along the way, it has garnered honors each year from the American Jewish Press Association for excellence in Jewish journalism for its news, features, reviews and commentary.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers & Periodicals External This link opens in a new window
ProQuest Historical Newspapers is the definitive newspaper digital archive offering full-text and full-image articles for significant newspapers dating back to the 18th Century. From leading issues and events, like the U.S. Civil War, immigration, westward expansion, industrial developments, race relations, and World War I and II to local and regional politics, society, arts, culture, business, and sports, ProQuest Historical Newspapers reveals the day-to-day news coverage to researchers and historical explorers, providing invaluable insights and information to users from a wide range of subjects.

Newspapers include: The American Hebrew & Jewish Messenger; The American Israelite; The Arizona Republican, The Atlanta Constitution; Atlanta Daily World; The Baltimore Afro-American; The Baltimore Sun; The Boston Globe; Chicago Defender; Chicago Tribune; The Christian Science Monitor; The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cleveland Call and Post; Detroit Free Press; The Guardian and The Observer; Hartford Courant; The Jewish Advocate; The Jewish Exponent; Los Angeles Sentinel; Los Angeles Times; Newsday; New York Amsterdam News; The New York Times; New York Tribune/Herald Tribune; Norfolk Journal and Guide; The Philadelphia Enquirer; Philadelphia Tribune; Pittsburgh Courier; San Francisco Chronicle; San Francisco Examiner, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; The Times of India; The Wall Street Journal; The Washington Post

Organized Labor Since the 19th Century: A Research Guide

Databases

News & Journals