Finding Published Sources
Published sources are easy enough to come by. Printed volumes of presidents’ papers, collections of federal records, and many other document collections can be found in most research libraries. If your local library does not carry something you need, consider an interlibrary loan (ILL).
Many collections of published sources are freely available online, especially those printed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Below are some options for online reading.
Google Books
Google Books provides access to millions of digitized books for free. While many of the books are available with full-text, some only allow partial-text previews. All of the books on Google Books are text searchable.
HathiTrust Digital Library
The HathiTrust Digital Library is a non-profit online platform that provides free access to over 17 million digitized books. Publications that are in the public domain are available in full-text while those that are copyrighted are limited. All of the books on HathiTrust are text searchable.
Internet Archive
Internet Archive is a free online library that provides digital access to over 28 million books. It is a mass collaboration effort between 750 research libraries across the world. All of the books in the Internet Archive are text searchable.
WorldCat
WorldCat is an online catalog that checks the individual catalogs of over 10,000 libraries world wide with a single search. This resource is perfect for finding physical media that your local library does not carry.