Research Guides: The Gilded Age: Primary Sources in Library Databases

Historical Periodical Databases

19th Century U.S. Newspapers This link opens in a new window
19th Century newspapers from cities and rural areas throughout the United States... more.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Search across the following historical newspapers at one time: Chicago Defender (July 1909-1975), Chicago Tribune (1849-1996), Kansas City Call (1919-2010), Los Angeles Times (1881-2014), The New York Times (1851-2016) and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1874-2003)....more.

The Times Digital Archive
The Times (London) from 1775-1985.

Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window
This database brings together diverse primary source materials reflecting broad views across American history and culture from the 1700s and 1800s. Content includes newspapers, magazines, books, and county histories such as African American Newspapers, Godey’s Lady Book, and the Pennsylvania Gazette. Search across all content or select one of the collections....more.

Periodicals Index Online
Indexes articles in over 4,000 periodicals in the humanities and social sciences from their first issues to 2005. Articles published 1665-2005.

AAS Historical Periodicals Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides digital access to 50 thematic series of American magazines and journals published between 1684 and 1912 and collected by the American Antiquarian Society...more.

ProQuest History Vault

ProQuest History Vault This link opens in a new window
Provides access to millions of primary source, full-text/full-image documents on the most widely studied topics in 19th and 20th-century American history. Includes sources related to slavery, civil rights (NAACP papers), women's rights, labor, international relations and military conflicts, Latinx history, and American politics and the Catholic church (John A Ryan papers).

Ebook Collection of Primary Sources

The Gilded Age and Progressive Era: A Documentary Reader by William A. Link (Editor); Susannah J. Link (Editor)
eBook

U.S. Government Databases

U.S. Congressional Serial Set
Reports, documents and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 1817-1994. Content is multidisciplinary covering political, social, cultural, and military history, international relations, and business and industrial development.
ProQuest Congressional
Indexing and some full text of Congressional Hearings, Committee Reports, Congressional Research Service Reports, the Congressional Serial Set and more going back to 1789.

African American Studies Center

African American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
Click on Search -> Primary Source Search. Materials available include topical articles, biographies, primary source documents, timelines, maps, and images.

Law Databases

Making of Modern Law: Legal Treatises 1800-1926
19th and early 20th Century U.S. and British legal research documents.
Making of Modern Law: U.S. Supreme Court Records & Briefs, 1832-1978.
U.S. Supreme Court Records and lawyer's briefs, 1832-1978.
Making of Modern Law: Trials, 1600-1926
Trial books from many countries and languages although most are in English and published in Great Britain or the U.S.

Research Tip

When searching primary source library databases, make sure you're searching for keywords and phrases that were used during the time period you're researching.