LibGuides: History: Web-Based Archives

Intro

There are many historical digital collections and archives across the internet. This page includes collections and archives deemed useful to students studying history at Murray State University, thus will be periodically updated with additional resources.

If you need assistance locating a digital collection on a specific topic, feel free to contact your liaison librarian.

These sites and collections primarily contain primary sources. For general history websites see the Websites tab. For online encyclopedias see the Books tab.

Digital Public Library of America

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)
The DPLA helps make millions of materials from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions across the country available to all in a one-stop discovery experience.

Tips for using DPLA

There is a Browse by Topic feature, though currently only features a limited selection of topics
If you have an idea of what you are looking for and what geographical location it is tied to, try Browse by Partner and select the appropriate state or regional institution
Browse Primary Source Sets to view pre-selected sets of primary sources

Digital Collections

Kentucky Digital Library
The Kentucky Digital Library provides access to shared digital archival collections in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Kentucky State Digital Archives
Provides online access to Kentucky state and local government digital collections.
McCracken County Public Library Digital Collections
Digital collections of the McCracken County Public Library. Includes a variety of materials relating to Paducah, Kentucky and surrounding areas.
Regional Newspapers - Murray State Digital Commons
Newspaper collection digitized by Murray State University. Includes newspapers from Western Kentucky and Northwestern Tennessee.

The American Presidency Project
Includes: The Messages and Papers of the Presidents: Washington - Taft (1789-1913), The Public Papers of the Presidents: Hoover to Obama (1929-2011), The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents: Carter - G.W. Bush (1977-2009), The Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents: Obama (2009-2016), party platforms, candidates' remarks, Statements of Administration Policy, documents released by the Office of the Press Secretary, and election debates.
Baltimore 68
This archive established by the University of Baltimore focuses on the 1968 Race Riots and contains oral histories, images, and other archival resources.
Black Freedom Struggle
Proquest provides a collection of select primary sources documents relating to African American history and the struggle for freedom in America.
Densho Digital Repository
Hear the story of the Japanese American incarceration experience from those who lived it, and find thousands of historic photographs, documents, newspapers, letters and other primary source materials from immigration to the WWII incarceration and its aftermath.
Discovering American Women's History Online
This database provides access to digital collections of primary sources (photos, letters, diaries, artifacts, etc.) that document the history of women in the United States.
Freedom Summer Collection
Collections documenting the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964.

Library of Congress Digital Collections This link opens in a new window
Library of Congress Digital Collections provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience.

Making of America
A searchable digital collection of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction, consisting of approximately 5000 books and journal volumes with imprints between 1850 and 1877. The collection is strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion and science and technology.
National Security Archive
Online access to declassified records on issues including U.S. national security, foreign policy, diplomatic and military history, and intelligence policy.
Papers of the War Department: 1784-1800
Collection of United States War Department papers recovered from the 1800 fire.
Presidents of the United States: Library of Congress Index
This index connects users to Presidential Paper collections held by the Library of Congress.
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
Includes public papers from the Hoover Administration to the Obama Administration (1929-2014).
United States Presidential Libraries
List includes links to all Presidential Libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, Hoover-Obama, which host their own digital collections. If you are trying to locate digital collections from other Presidential Libraries contact your liaison librarian for assistance.
War of 1812 Collection
Monographs, prints, maps, manuscripts, and sheet music from the War of 1812.

This list is a work in progress and will be expanded.

EuroDocs
Open source links to connect to European primary historical documents. The index is organized by country.
Europeana
Europeana works with thousands of European archives, libraries, and museums to provide access to millions of books, music, artwork, and more.
Perseus Digital Library
This site is created by Tufts University. Their flagship collection, under development since 1987, covers the history, literature and culture of the Greco-Roman world.
Avalon Project
Contains primary source documents from Ancient Times to 21st Century.
World Digital Library
UNESCO's World Digital Library (WDL) makes available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from countries and cultures around the world.
African Online Digital Library
AODL provides free universal access to cultural heritage materials from and about African countries and communities. It brings together tens of thousands of digitized photographs, videos, archival documents, maps, interviews and oral histories in numerous African languages, many of which are contained in curated thematic galleries and teaching resources.
Trove
Trove provides access to collections from Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries, and archives. It contains a large amount of primary sources from Australian History.

Internet Archive This link opens in a new window
A digital collection of text, audio, moving images, and software from libraries and museums all over the world in order to prevent digital artifacts from "disappearing." This non-profit provides free access to researchers, historians, scholars, the print disabled, and the general public.
HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
HathiTrust is a partnership of academic & research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.

Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) Series

The FRUS Series presents a documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. The series is primarily organized by presidential administration. Note that not all materials are digitized, especially from the past ~60 years, due to the large amount of documents and work need to digitize them.

Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)
U.S. Department of State site presenting the official documentary historical record of major United States foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity.