Finding Sources
- America: History and Life This link opens in a new window
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America: History & Life is the definitive index of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. This authoritative database provides indexing of more than 1,800 academic journals dating back to 1954, with some coverage for titles back to the early 20th century. The database also includes citations and links to book and media reviews. Strong English-language journal coverage is balanced by an international perspective on topics and events. - American History in Video This link opens in a new windowA collection of videos available online for the study of American history, with 2,000 hours and more than 5,000 titles on completion. The collection allows students and researchers to analyze historical events, and their presentation over time, through commercial and governmental newsreels, archival footage, public affairs footage, and important documentaries.
- Ancestry Library Edition This link opens in a new windowAncestry Library Edition provides access to a number of genealogical and historical resources, including images of the decennial U.S. census from 1790-1930.
- Associated Press Images Collection This link opens in a new windowAP Images is an electronic library containing the Associated Press’ current photos and a selection of pictures from their huge print and negative library, as well as text, graphic, and audio material. Photographs include those of historical figures, political leaders, sports greats, and celebrities. There are also images from significant news and features events of the 20th century, such as World War II, civil rights, the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe, and space exploration.
- Gale Primary Sources This link opens in a new windowGale Primary Sources is an integrated platform that combines Gale’s digital archives into a single cross-searchable interface. This broadens and enhances the ability to discover primary source documents from multiple collections. This platform combines dozens of historical archives which include monographs, manuscripts, newspapers, maps, and photographs and covers more than 500 hundred of years of history.
- Library of Congress: Military Digital CollectionsLinks to all of the digital collections related to military history at the Library of Congress.
- Smithsonian: National Museum of American HistoryDigitized military collections.
- Women Veterans Historical ProjectThe Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project (WVHP), established at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in 1998, documents the contributions of women in the military and related service organizations since World War I.
National Archives
The National Archives are the official repository for records of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard and other government agencies. These records include military personnel service records, unit reports and rosters, maps, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings, and electronic records. There are casualty reports, photos and other selected military records available in their collections. However, most military records, including veteran's military service records are not online.
Veterans History Project
The Veterans History Project (VHP) collects, preserves, and provides access to the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better comprehend the realities of war. The Veterans History Project is a project of the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress.
The VHP collects first-hand accounts of veterans who served from World War I (1914-1920) to the current Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts (2001-present). In addition, the American Folklife Center encourages those U.S. citizen civilians who were actively involved in supporting war efforts (such as war industry workers, USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, etc.) to share their valuable stories.
The VHP has also compiled a selective listing of existing oral history projects, programs and collections dedicated to recording and preserving the experiences of veterans and civilians. These oral history programs range from short-term classroom projects to the long-term institutional commitments of universities and historical societies to the focused collection efforts of the various branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
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