Multidisciplinary database of journal articles (including peer reviewed), books, book chapters, reports, conference proceedings, etc. Coverage: 1887-present.
United Kingdom & Ireland
Newspapers and news pamphlets from the United Kingdom from the collection of the Reverend Charles Burney. Coverage: 1619-1800.
National and regional newspapers, including those from country and university towns, those from the new industrial centers of the Midlands, as well as newspapers from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Coverage: 1800-1900.
Politics, society, literature, diplomacy, theater, music, high & popular culture, etc. Books, newspapers, pamphlets, manuscripts, ephemera, maps, and statistics. Coverage: 1800-1899.
Multidisciplinary database of journal articles (including peer reviewed), books, book chapters, reports, conference proceedings, etc. Coverage: 1887-present.
Essential for understanding Black history and culture, African Diaspora, 1860-Present allows scholars to discover the migrations, communities, and ideologies of the African Diaspora through the voices of people of African descent. With a focus on communities in the Caribbean, Brazil, India, United Kingdom, and France, the collection includes never-before digitized primary source documents.
The Annual Register is a year-by-year record of British and world events, published annually since 1758. This classic reference work provides historians and students with information on the major and minor events of the past 250+ years, with historical context and perspective and a mass of biographical information. Coverage: 1758-Present
Bibliography of British and Irish History (formerly Royal Historical Society Bibliography)
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History of Britain, Ireland, and the British abroad from 55BC to the present. Citations to journal articles and books. Coverage: 1901-present.
British and Irish Women's Letters and Diariesincludes the immediate experiences of approximately 500 women, as revealed in over 100,000 pages of diaries and letters. Particular care has been taken to index this material so that it can be searched more thoroughly than ever before. The collection now includes primary materials spanning more than 300 years. Each source has been carefully chosen using leading bibliographies. The collection also includes biographies and an extensive annotated bibliography of the sources in the database. Coverage: 1500-1950
Primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles. Includes the Calendar of State Papers, Colonial; Calendars of State Papers, Domestic; the Calendars of State Papers for Scotland and Ireland; the Calendar of Close Rolls; and the official records of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Coverage: 1500-1850, some earlier coverage. Access to premium content.
Offering comprehensive full-run coverage for popular periodicals, this growing resource will offer facsimile page images and searchable full text for nearly 500 British periodicals published from the seventeenth through the early twentieth centuries, totaling almost five million pages.
The Cecil Papers is a major collection of early-modern historical documents from the reigns of Elizabethan I and James I/VI. More than 150,000 pages have been digitized in full color to create a definitive online archive of almost 30,000 manuscript documents written by some of the most significant figures of Elizabethan and Jacobean history. These are accompanied by the complete Calendar of the Cecil Papers, featuring summaries and/or transcripts of many documents and two eighteenth-century volumes of selected transcriptions.
Colonial America makes available all 1,450 volumes of the CO 5 series from The National Archives, UK, covering the period 1606 to 1822. CO 5 consists of the original correspondence between the British government and the governments of the American colonies, making it a uniquely rich resource for all historians of the period. Access: Modules 1 - 5
The backfiles of over 30 periodicals concerning the 20th-century history of the British Empire, decolonization, and the history and culture of former colonies. This archive offers a mixture of British publications about the empire and titles published in Commonwealth countries. Coverage ranges from the late-19th century to the 21st – these publications encompass the key events in the empire's later phase and its post-independence legacies.
England's governance of, and activities in, the American, Canadian, and West Indian colonies. Digitized versions of the Privy Council and Related Bodies: America and West Indies, Colonial Papers (Collection CO 1 from The National Archives, London) and the Calendar of State Papers, Colonial: North America and the West Indies 1574-1739. Fully searchable. Coverage: 1574-1757.
A comprehensive archive (1897 to 2005) of the weekly British culture and lifestyle magazine, Country Life, focusing on fine art and architecture, the great country houses, and rural living.
Creation of Israel: British Foreign Office Correspondence on Palestine and Transjordan, 1940-1948
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The British Foreign Office Political Correspondence files on Palestine and Transjordan, 1940-1948 are essential for understanding the modern history of the Middle East, the establishment of Israel as a sovereign state, and the wider web of postwar international world politics. Early records in the collection focus on events in Palestine, Britain’s policy toward Palestine, and how the situation in Palestine affected relations with other nations.
Defining Gender provides access to a vast body of original British source material that will enrich the teaching and research experience of those studying history, literature, sociology and education from a gendered perspective.
Provides users with access to a wide range of primary source documents from Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office, shedding light on throughout the twentieth century. Selected and edited by the official historians of the FCO, Documents on British Policy Overseas includes many documents specifically de-classified for inclusion in the series.
Dublin Castle Records contains records of the British administration in Ireland prior to 1922, a crucial period which saw the rise of Parnell and the Land War in 1880 through to the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921. This collection comprises materials from Series CO 904, The National Archives, Kew, UK. An Archives Unbound database. Coverage: 1798-1926.
Books and other items printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and British North America, and works in English printed elsewhere. Coverage: 1473-1700.
Early Experiences in Australasia: Primary Sources and Personal Narratives 1788-1901
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Early Experiences in Australasia: Primary Sources and Personal Narratives 1788–1901 provides a unique and personal view of events in the region from the arrival of the first settlers through to Australian Federation at the close of the nineteenth century. Through first-person accounts, including letters and diaries, narratives, and other primary source materials, we are able to hear the voices of the time and understand the experiences of those who took the great challenge in new lands.
This project offers rare and invaluable sources for examining the lived experience of people who witnessed this pivotal era of English history. From 'ordinary' people through to more prominent individuals and families, these documents show how everyday working, family, religious and administrative life was experienced across England.
East India Company offers access to a unique collection of India Office Records from the British Library, London. Containing royal charters, correspondence, trading diaries, minutes of council meetings and reports of expeditions, among other document types, this resource charts the history of British trade and rule in the Indian subcontinent and beyond from 1599 to 1947.
English- and foreign-language titles printed in Great Britain from 1701-1800, along with thousands of important works from the Americas. Searchable full text. Coverage: 1701-1800.
A unique archive of almost every play submitted for licence between 1737 and 1824, and hundreds of documents that provide social context for the plays. Primary source documents with on the Larpent collection of plays and Anna Larpent's Diaries. Includes the London Stage Database and the Biographical Dictionary Database.
Bringing together rare journals printed between c.1685 and 1835, this resource illuminates all aspects of eighteenth-century social, political and literary life. Topics covered are wide-ranging and include colonial life, provincial and rural affairs, the French and American revolutions, reviews of literature and fashion throughout Europe, political debates, and London coffee house gossip and discussion.
Citations to more than 460,000 books, serials, pamphlets, advertisements, songs, election propaganda, and other ephemeral material published mainly in the British Isles and North America. From the collections of the British Library and over 2,000 other libraries. Database now freely available from the British Library. Coverage: 1473-1800.
Featuring diplomatic dispatches, letters, newspaper cuttings, political pamphlets, reports of court cases and other materials, this collection represents a constant exchange of information between London and the British embassies and consulates. Due to the unique nature of the relationship between Britain and China, these formerly restricted first-hand accounts provide unprecedented levels of detail into a turbulent period in Chinese history.
Taking the phenomenon of the Grand Tour as a starting point, this resource explores the relationship between Britain and Europe from c.1550 to 1850, exploring the Anglo-European response to continental travel for pleasure, business and diplomacy. This digital collection of manuscript, visual and printed works allows students and researchers to explore and compare a range of sources on the history of travel for the first time, including many from private or neglected collections.
The Guardian (1821-2003) and its sister paper, The Observer (1791-2003) give readers online access to facts, firsthand accounts, and opinions of the day about the most significant and fascinating political, business, sports, literary, and entertainment events from the past two centuries. From Napoleons defeat at Waterloo to the Russian Revolution to Nelson Mandelas release from prison, these British historical newspapers bring history to life for researchers.
A comprehensive, searchable archive of every page, advertisement, and cover of the Harper's Bazaar US and UK editions, from 1867 to the present. The issues are reproduced as high-resolution color page images and supported by fully searchable text and article-level indexing. This resource comprises a chronicle of American, British, and international fashion, culture, and society, supporting researchers by offering unique insights into the events, attitudes, and interests of the modern era.
All aspects of world history (excluding the US and Canada) since 1450. Journal articles, books, reviews, conference proceedings, dissertations, etc. Coverage: 1954-present.
Online access to the entire run of the ILN from its first publication on 14 May 1842 to its last in 2003. Each page has been digitally reproduced in full color and every article and caption is full-text searchable with hit-term highlighting and links to corresponding illustrations.
Drawing upon the manuscript collections of the National Library of Scotland, this searchable online resource provides access to digital facsimiles of diaries and journals, official and private papers, letters, sketches, paintings and original Indian documents containing histories and literary works. The collection documents the relationship between Britain and India in an empire where the Scots played a central role as traders, generals, missionaries, viceroys, governor-generals and East India Company officials. The dates of the documents range from 1710 to 1937.
The Irish Times provides comprehensive news reporting as well as sports, business, arts, lifestyle coverage, and more. Each issue contains in-depth analysis and lively debate of current events. The Weekly Irish Times’ coverage (1876-1958) includes The Times Pictorial.
This collection provides access to thousands of items selected from the John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera, offering unique insights into the changing nature of everyday life in Britain in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Categories include Nineteenth-Century Entertainment, the Booktrade, Popular Prints, Crimes, Murders and Executions, and Advertising. Users must use the "Login through your library or institution" link on the database's homepage to select their region and institution for access.
Diary of a young English woman who wrote from the age of eleven until her death from consumption at the age of nineteen. A Rotunda Collections database. Coverage: 1831-1839.
Multidisciplinary full-text journal articles from 1,500 major journals. Please note: In many cases, JSTOR does not include the most recent 3 to 5 years of these journals. Please use other databases to retrieve recent articles, especially for current events topics. Coverage: Varies by title. Access is available to 2007+ alumni; requires W&M userid and password.
A broad range of authors from across the nineteenth century make this an essential research tool for all scholars and students researching Victorian literature. Literary Manuscripts Berg traces the genesis of some of the period’s greatest literary masterpieces through the unique manuscripts of their authors, many unavailable elsewhere. They are supplemented by rare printed materials, including early editions annotated by the authors.
This resource offers literary scholars the opportunity to examine manuscripts of 17th and 18th century verse held in the celebrated Brotherton Collection at the University of Leeds. Alongside original compositions are copied verses, translations, songs and riddles. The whole collection is situated within an assortment of manuscripts, some entirely dedicated to poetry, while others contain medicinal recipes, household accounts, draft letters, musical scores and plays.
An extraordinary digital collection bringing to life the teeming streets of Victorian London, and inviting students and scholars to explore the gin palaces, brothels and East End slums of the nineteenth century’s greatest city.
This digital collection casts new light on Britain's relationship with the EEC, Anglo-American ties, the Cold War, Decolonisation, and issues of Public and Political Morality. Macmillan Cabinet Papers, 1957-1963 provides complete coverage of the Cabinet conclusions (minutes) and memoranda of Harold Macmillan’s government, plus selected minutes and memoranda of policy committees.
Only five major letter collections exist from fifteenth century England and they are all available online for the first time in this digital resource - the Paston, Cely, Plumpton, Stonor and Armburgh Papers. Coverage: 1400-1490
From the century of immigration, through to the modern era, Migration to New Worlds charts the emigration experience of millions across 200 years of turbulent history. Explore the rise and fall of the New Zealand Company, discover British, European and Asian migration and investigate unique primary source personal accounts, shipping logs, printed literature and organisational papers supplemented by carefully compiled teaching and research aids.
Politics, society, literature, diplomacy, theater, music, high & popular culture, etc. Books, newspapers, pamphlets, manuscripts, ephemera, maps, and statistics. Coverage: 1800-1899.
The Papers of Neville Chamberlain contain political papers documenting his policies as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Prime Minister, but also highlight his personal correspondence with his family. An Archives Unbound database. Coverage: 1869-1940.
This resource is produced in association with the Perdita Project based at the University of Warwick and Nottingham Trent University. Their goal was to identify and describe all manner of writing by early modern women from diaries to works of drama in Early Modern Britain.
Weekly newspaper published in Great Britain that defined the style of photojournalism in the 20th century. Complete and searchable. Coverage: 1938-1957.
This resource contains digitizations of popular culture collections from the U.S. and U.K. between 1950 to 1975. These original archival materials are from various libraries and archives. Topics include student protests, civil rights, consumerism, and the Vietnam War. The collection includes pamphlets, letters, government files, eye witness accounts, underground magazines, visual and video materials and ephemera and memorabilia. Part II contains additional material, such as music, press kits, mail order catalogues, advertising proofs, additional photos from the Mirrorpix archives, and documents on student unrest and the Troubles in Northern Ireland from the National Archives.
Discover what life was like for the poorest communities in Victorian Britain, and explore the government policy, social reform movements and philanthropic efforts of charitable institutions that sought to alleviate poverty.
Collection of databases devoted to disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. See titles of individual databases for further information. Coverage: Varies by database.
This digital resource offers unparalleled access to the single largest collection of working notebooks, verse manuscripts and correspondence of William Wordsworth and his fellow writers anywhere in the world. With access to the annotated full manuscripts of such notable works as The Prelude and Michael, or Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Dejection: An Ode this project is unrivalled in its content and scope.
When it was founded in 1817, The Scotsman was so radical that it was considered “incendiary.” Today, it continues to provide an independent voice and uniquely Scottish analysis of local and global events. The Scotsman captured the unprecedented turmoil and change occurring on both sides of the Atlantic during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Early modern British and European history. English government, including social & economic affairs, law & order, religious policy, exploration, crown possessions & intelligence gathering, as well as Britain's international relations and foreign policy. English government documents. Coverage: 1509-1714.
These files allow scholars and researchers the opportunity to assess, from a British, European and Commonwealth perspective, Nixon’s handling of numerous Cold War crises, his administration’s notable achievements, as well as his increasingly controversial activities and unorthodox use of executive powers culminating in Watergate and resignation.
Weekly literature review published in London. Complete facsimile edition, fully searchable. Book reviews, arts reviews, poems, letters, and commentary pieces. Coverage: 1902-2014.
House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (HCPP) includes the complete file of House of Commons Parliamentary Papers, also known as Sessional Papers or Blue Books, dating from 1715 through to today. Also, ProQuest has partnered with the National Library of Scotland to create the very first digitised collection of 19th Century House of Lords Parliamentary Papers, providing online access to previously unseen and valuable historical documents.
Victorian Popular Culture is a portal comprised of four modules, inviting users into the darkened halls, small backrooms, big tops and travelling venues that hosted everything from spectacular shows and bawdy burlesque, to the world of magic, spiritualist séances, optical entertainments and the first moving pictures.
Includes fully searchable previously unpublished transcripts of over 500 documents from the Virginia Company Archives; records of the Virginia Company of London; complete Ferrar Papers from Magdalene College, Cambridge; and a wide range of maps, illustrations, and other works. Coverage: 1590-1790.
The original primary source documents cover the campaign for women's suffrage in Britain, 1903-1928 and the granting of women's suffrage in colonial territories, 1930-1962. The addition of four significant HO 45 files on the suffrage question plus an extended chronology further enhance the collection.
World War I and Revolution in Russia, 1914-1918; Records of the British Foreign Office
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This collection documents the Russian entrance into World War I and culminates in reporting on the Revolution in Russia in 1917 and 1918. The documents consist primarily of correspondence between the British Foreign Office, various British missions and consulates in the Russian Empire and the Tsarist government and later the Provisional Government.
Research Assistance
Rick Mikulski
Instruction & Research Librarian