Multi-format Collections
- American History, 1493-1945
From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, this archive documents American history from the earliest settlers to until the end of World War II.
- World's Fairs: A Global History of Expositions
Primary source material from hundreds of fairs and expositions around the world. Of local interest, the collection has documents from the 1982 Knoxville World’s Fair and the 1913 Knoxville National Conservation Exposition.
- Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America
Explores primary sources dating from the earliest contact with European settlers to the mid-twentieth century.
Coverage from 1524 to 1997. - Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational ArchiveThis database includes collections (books, periodicals, legal documents, and manuscripts) on the transatlantic slave trade, the global movement for the abolition of slavery, the legal, personal, and economic aspects of the slavery system, and the dynamics of emancipation in the U.S. as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions.
- Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice
Primary source documents from 1490 to 2007 related to the complex subjects of slavery, abolition and social justice from archives and libraries across the Atlantic world.
- Global Commodities: Trade, Exploration & Cultural ExchangePrimary source materials for the study of global commodities in world history. The commodities featured have been transported, exchanged and consumed around the world for hundreds of years.
- Indigenous Peoples of North America
Full-text primary source collection documenting the impact of invasion and colonization on Indigenous Peoples in North America, and the intersection of Indigenous and European histories and systems of knowledge.
- Crime, Punishment, and Popular Culture, 1790–1920Primary source collection of documents on the evolution of crime and punishment. The archive's focus is on the nineteenth century- the most rapid period of evolution for crime and its associated legal/penal systems.
- Smithsonian Collections Online
Primary source materials from four Smithsonian collections: Evolution of Flight, Trade Literature and the Merchandizing of Industry, World's Fairs and Expositions, and Air & Space and Smithsonian Magazine Archive.
Newspapers
Access to these databases, except when noted otherwise, is limited to UT users.
- Nineteenth Century U.S. NewspapersSearchable digital images of 19th century newspapers.
- Proquest Historical NewspapersCivil War and Reconstruction era titles include Boston Globe Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Hartford Courant, Baltimore Sun, NY Times, NY Tribune, and San Francisco Chronicle. Dates vary. You can select newspapers to search from this page by clicking on change button at top of page. Link searches both newspapers and periodicals together.
- America's Historical Newspapers, 1690-1993Early American newspapers published between 1690 and 1922, with emphasis on the early years.
- The Civil War Part I: A Newspaper PerspectiveFull-text of the New York Herald, Charleston Mercury, and Richmond Enquirer for the war years.
- The Civil War Part IV: A Midwestern Perspective.Full-text of seven newspapers published in Indiana between the years of 1855 and 1869.
- Chronicling America : Historic American NewspapersOpen access database of full-text U. S. newspapers developed under the auspices of the Library of Congress. UT Libraries are part of this cooperative venture and have added selected Tennessee newspapers.
- The Times Digital Archive, 1785-2014Useful for European perspective on Civil War.
- Civil War Era DatabaseOffered through the Tennessee State Library to Tennessee residents only. This database has full-text of 8 newspapers and over 2000 pamphlets.
- African American Newspapers. Series 1, 1827-1998Provides full-text access to approximately 270 U.S. newspapers published by or for African Americans from more than 35 states.
- African American Newspapers. (Legacy) 1827-1909A collection of 19th century newspapers including:
The Christian Recorder (1861–1902)
The Colored American (1837–1841)
Frederick Douglass’ Paper (1851–1855; 1859–1863)
Freedom’s Journal (1827–1829)
The National Era (1847–1860)
The North Star (1847–1851)
Provincial Freeman (1854–1857)
Weekly Advocate (1837–1837)
Books
Access to these databases, except when noted otherwise, is limited to UT users. See tab for Open Access Primary Resources for more full-text book options.
- Sabin Americana : History of the Americas, 1500-1926Full-text based on the bibliography of works on the Americas compiled by Joseph Sabin. Covers 1500-1926.
- Everyday life & women in America : c.1800-1920A resource for the study of American social, cultural, and popular history, providing immediate access to rare primary source material from the Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History, Duke University and The New York Public Library. It comprises thousands of fully searchable images (alongside transcriptions) of monographs, pamphlets, periodicals and broadsides addressing 19th and early 20th century political, social and gender issues, religion, race, education, employment, marriage, sexuality, home and family life, health, and pastimes.
Manuscripts
Access to these databases, except when noted otherwise, is limited to UT users.
- Civil War Primary Source DocumentsFull-text of diaries, correspondence, and first-hand accounts from both Confederate and Union troops, societies and individuals and their families. Material is drawn from the NY Historical Society.
- Archives UnboundA selection of full-text primary source databases including:
"Civil War Service Reports of Union Army Generals" and "Confederate Newspapers: A Collection from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama," and "Mountain People: Life and Culture in Appalachia." - ProQuest History VaultCollections with this resource include slavery and law (documents on slaves and free blacks) and southern plantation records.
- Women and Social Movements in the United StatesFull-text of documents from 1600-2000.
- American West : Sources from the Everett D. Graff Collection at the Newberry Library, Chicago
A collection of original manuscripts, maps, ephemeral material and rare printed sources about the American West.
Government and Legal Documents
Access to these databases, except when noted otherwise, is limited to UT users.
- Making of Modern Law: Legal TreatisesDigital images of 22,000 legal treatises on US and British law published from 1800 through 1926. Limit by date and subject to retrieve items from Civil War era.
Personal Papers
- American Founding Era CollectionSearchable full-text versions of the papers of key individuals in the founding of the American republic.
Records for Individuals
Access to these databases, except when noted otherwise, is limited to UT users.
- Ancestry Library EditionLarge database of information for individuals including census records, birth, marriage and death records and immigration records. Includes civil-war era census records.
- HeritageQuest OnlineA collection of six searchable genealogical and historical resources, including U.S. federal census records from 1790-1930 and over 20,000 book titles.
Regimental Histories and Memoirs
Access to these databases, except when noted otherwise, is limited to UT users.
- The Civil War Part II: The Soldiers' Perspective
The Soldiers' Perspective provides an in-depth look at the day-to-day actions of the troops, primarily in the form of regimental histories. Covers the years , 1861-1865. In 2024, database moved from the Accessible Archives platform to Coherent Digital's History Commons platform.
- The Civil War Part III: The Generals' Perspective
Memoirs of Civil War generals from 1861 to 1865. In 2024, database moved from the Accessible Archives platform to Coherent Digital's History Commons platform.
- The Civil War Part V: Iowa's Perspective
This collection consists of the 1861-1865 memoirs, pamphlets, and regimental histories from the Civil War holdings at the University of Iowa. In 2024, database moved from the Accessible Archives platform to Coherent Digital's History Commons platform.
- The Civil War Part VI: Northeast Regimental Histories
Regimental Histories from New England states, New York, and Pennsylvania covering the years 1861-1865. In 2024, database moved from the Accessible Archives platform to Coherent Digital's History Commons platform.
Periodicals
Access to these databases, except when noted otherwise, is limited to UT users.
- American PeriodicalsFull-text access to periodicals published between 1740 and 1940. Can be searched in combination with the Proquest Historical Newspapers. Link allows user to search both newspapers and periodicals together. To change the titles searched, click on the "change" link at top of page.
- Harper's Weekly, 1857-1877Full-text of Harper's Weekly from 1857 to 1877. This periodical was one of the most popular of its day. Contains excellent engravings and maps.
- The Nation Archive Premium EditionFull-text access to The Nation, America's oldest weekly magazine from 1865 to present. Good contemporary resource for Reconstruction era.
- Gale Presents : National Geographic Virtual Library (1888-present)Complete full-text archive of the magazine from 1888 to 1994.
- Eight CenturiesIndexes US and British periodicals from 1786-1925.
History and Medieval Studies Librarian
Images from the Library of Congress
Murfreesboro vicinity.
Men repairing single-track railroad after Battle of Stone's River, 1863
Nashville, Federal outer line, Dec. 16, 1864
Nashville, Fortified bridge over the Cumberland River, 1864
Nashville, Spectators watching the fight between Hood and Thomas, Dec. 15, 1864
Chattanooga, Confederate prisoners at railroad depot, 1864
Johnsonville, Camp of Tennessee Colored Battery, 1864
Chattanooga (vicinity), View of Umbrella Rock, Lookout Mountain, 1864
Nashville, 1864