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National Archives

National Archives and Records Administration

Washington, D.C.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) serves as the archival branch of the United States federal government. Besides housing America’s Founding Documents, NARA retains much of the extant records of national governance from its beginnings during the American Revolution to the present day. Its holdings have been arranged into hundreds of Record Groups, each representing the official records of a particular federal department, bureau, or other agency. Examples include RG-0056: General Records of the Department of Treasury, RG-0075: Bureau of Indian Affairs, and RG-0093: War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records. While The National Archives in Washington, DC serves as NARA’s central repository, it also operates various Research Facilities, Federal Records Centers, and Presidential Libraries throughout the United States. These repositories often contain unique textual records related to the surrounding region that are not available at other NARA locations. However, much of NARA’s holdings are on Microfilm, copies of which can be found at most NARA sites and some research libraries. Several Online Research Tools and Aids are available, including a Guide to Federal Records. Items held by NARA may be searched with the National Archives Catalog. Much of NARA’s more popular holdings have been digitized by NARA’s Digitization Partners, including Ancestry.com and Fold3.com.

Library of Congress

Washington, D.C.

The Library of Congress (LOC) is the world’s largest library and one of the United States’ premiere research institutions for the early Americas. Its holdings are vast and contain some of humanity’s most unique and valuable cultural objects. Besides its general collection of nearly 16 million books, the LOC maintains dozens of Collections with Books/Printed Material, such as African American Perspectives, An American Ballroom Companion, and Piracy Trials. Other types of sources held by the LOC include Maps, Notated Music, Newspapers, and Periodicals. The LOC also curates an extensive amount of Manuscripts/Mixed Material. These Manuscript Collections focus on all aspects of American history and include the personal papers of most U.S. presidents, prominent statemen, African Americans, indigenous people, and women, businesses, civic organizations, and much more. There are also transcripts and microfilm of important manuscript collections from archives and repositories from across the world. While the Thomas Jefferson Building is the architectural jewel of the LOC, archival research is conducted across the street at the James Madison Memorial Building. Items held by the LOC may be searched with its LC Catalog. Much of the LOC’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

American Philosophical Society

Philadelphia, PA

Founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin, the American Philosophical Society (APS) is the oldest learned society in the United States. Its collections are particularly strong in early American history, indigenous anthropology and ethnography, and the history of science. The APS Museum contains an extensive collection of 3,000 material objects dating back to the 18th century. Archival collections can be found in the APS Library. Documents are organized into Collection Areas, including Early American History, Indigenous Cultures, and the History of Science. Researchers can browse the APS’s materials through its Subject Guides and Bibliographies, and search its holdings with the Library’s Collections Search and the Museum’s Online Collections Database. Several research centers are located at the APS, including the David Center for the American Revolution, the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research, and the Center for Digital Scholarship. Much of the APS’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed on its Digital Library and its Exhibitions. Many funding opportunities are provided by the APS, including its Native American Scholars Initiative, Resident Fellowships, and the Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellowships.

The Bancroft Library

Berkeley, CA

The Bancroft Library is one of the largest libraries in the United States and serves as the primary special collections library for the University of California - Berkeley. Its collections are particularly strong in the history of Latin America and the western United States. The Western Americana collection chronicles indigenous, Spanish, and American histories west of the Rocky Mountains, while the Latin Americana collection focuses on the history of Mexico and South America before and after European contact. OskiCat serves as the Bancroft’s online search engine. Other online resources include the Bancroft’s Finding Aids and the Bancroft LibGuides. The Bancroft also maintains a guide for its Foreign Archive Microfilm Collection, which includes microfilmed collections from archives in Mexico, Spain, Brazil, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. UC Berkeley’s Digital Collections has digitized some of the Bancroft’s collections, while others are available through CALISPHERE. The Bancroft also offers several Fellowships and Awards.

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

New Haven, CT

Located at Yale University, the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library is one of North America’s premiere research libraries. Its Collections comprise one of the world’s largest selections of early American sources. Curatorial Areas include Early Books and Manuscripts, Modern Books and Manuscripts, Maps, the Yale Collection of American Literature, and the Yale Collection of Western Americana. The Beinecke Library’s holdings are especially rich in Americana and feature the personal papers and public writings of prominent early Americans. Featured among the Beinecke’s Collection Highlights are the Codex Reese, Drawings of the Amistad Prisoners, Early American Maps, the Jonathan Edwards Collection, and many more. Another important resource is the Historical Securities Collection, which the Beneicke Library curates in partnership with the Yale School of Management’s International Center for Finance. Researchers may search the Beinecke Library’s holdings with Archives at Yale, or the Yale University Library catalog, Orbis. Early Americanists may be interested in History of the Book, a Yale University program sponsored by the Beinecke Library. Much of the Beinecke Library’s material has been digitized and may be viewed through the Digital Collections at the Beinecke Library. The Beinecke Library also offers several Fellowships each year.

Briscoe Center for American History

Austin, TX

Located at the University of Texas at Austin, the Briscoe Center for American History is one of the leading historical institutions in the United States. Its Collections are wide-ranging and are especially strong for the American South, Texas History, and Western Americana. Highlights include the Natchez Trace Collection, the Papers of Sam Houston, and the Bexar Archives, which consist of 300,000 pages of manuscript material related to the Spanish colonial province of Texas. Finding Aids for the Center’s collections are available, as are Subject Guides and an Archives & Manuscripts Index. Researchers can also search the collections via the University of Texas Libraries’ Online Catalog. The Center also maintains various Exhibitions and has digitized much of its materials for its Digital Collections.

Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library

Princeton, NJ

The Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library serves as the main library for Princeton University. Its Special Collections is home to some of the finest early American sources in the United States. This material is divided between several Collections and Divisions. A robust Rare Book Division boasts approximately 350,000 rare books with particular strengths in Americana. An Historic Maps Collection features a rich selection for North America and the American West. The Manuscripts Division holds some 14,000 linear feet of material, much of which relates to American History from 1750-1865. These collections consist of personal papers of famous early Americans such as Edward Livingston, the Blair Family, the Lee Family, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. Prominent New Jerseyites are also represented, among them Elias Boudinot, William Churchill Houston, Aaron Burr, William Patterson, and many more. Also of note are the Princeton Collections of the American West. Several Catalogs & Databases are available to search the Firestone Library’s holdings, including its Finding Aids and its Online Catalog. Much of the Firestone Library’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through Princeton University Library’s Digital PUL. Several Library Research Grants are offered each year.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) is one of the United States’ largest private repositories for early American sources. Its Collections include 20 million manuscripts which are especially rich in 17th and 18th century materials related to Pennsylvania and the larger Atlantic World. The HSP merged with the Balch Institute in 2002, giving it one of the nation’s largest collections on ethnicity and immigration. These materials can be browsed in the Balch Manuscript Guide. Several other Catalogs and Research Tools are available, including Finding Aids, Subject Guides, and the HSP’s online catalog, Discover. Resources for genealogical research can be found here. Much of the HSP’s holdings have been digitized and can be viewed only through its Digital History Projects, Exhibits, and Digital Library. The HSP operates largely in conjunction with the neighboring Library Company of Philadelphia, offering various Fellowships to support research at both institutions.

Huntington Library, Art Museum, & Botanical Gardens

San Marino, CA

The Huntington Library is one of the world’s great independent research libraries. It boasts millions of items its Collections, with strengths in American History, Hispanic History and Culture, the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Western American History, California, and more. Collections can be searched via the Huntington’s Library Catalog. Early Americanists may find the Huntington’s various research institutes of interest, including the Shapiro Center for American History & Culture, the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West, and the Research Institute for the History of Science and Technology. Much of the Huntington’s collections have been digitized and can be viewed via the Huntington Digital Library. Various Fellowships are available.

Jean & Alexander Heard Libraries

Nashville, TN

The Jean & Alexander Heard Libraries serves as the central library for Vanderbilt University. Its holdings are vast and cover much of the early Americas. Much of this material may be found in its Special Collections and University Archives. At over 75,000 volumes, the Rare Book Collections are some of the most impressive in the United States, with strengths in the American Civil War, Southern literature, South American history and culture, religion, and the history of playing cards. There are also several Latin American Collections, including the J. León Helguera Collection of Colombiana. Early Americanists may also be interested in Vanderbilt’s Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies. The Heard Libraries’ Annette and Irwin Eskind Family Biomedical Library houses Vanderbilt’s extensive History of Medicine Collections. A robust collection of roughly 500,000 photographs can be found in the Vanderbilt Photographic Archives. There are dozens of Collection Guides available. Items held by the Heard Libraries may be searched with its Library Catalog. Much of the Special Collections material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

John Carter Brown Library

Providence, RI

Located at Brown University, the John Carter Brown Library (JCB) is one of the world’s premiere research libraries for the study of the early Americas. Its Collection is quite vast and is organized by Places, Genres, Themes, Languages, and Periods. All the Americas are represented in the JCB’s holdings, which date back to the 15th century and include a variety of languages. Some strengths of the collection include American Revolutions, Black History, Cartography, Colonial Law, Commodities and Food, the History of Science, Indigenous History, Maritime History, and Women’s History. These items are often displayed in the JCB’s various Exhibitions. Materials held by the JCB may be searched with the Brown University Library’s online catalog, BruKnow. Much of the JCB’s holdings have been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections. The JCB awards dozens of Fellowships and Grants each year to support research on the early Americas.

Kislak Center at the University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL

Located at the University of Miami, the Kislak Center houses the University of Miami’s Special Collections and maintains some of the most impressive collections of early American sources in the United States. Its holdings are quite vast and document well not just the early history of Florida, but also the Caribbean and Latin America. Some highlights include the Caribbean Documents Collection, the Florida Documents Collection, and the Latin America Documents Collection. Researchers can search the holdings and view finding aids on their Archival Collections page. Much of the Special Collections’ holdings have been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

Maryland Center for History and Culture

Annapolis, MD

Formerly the Maryland Historical Society, the Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) holds a large collection of early Maryland sources. Its Museum boasts some 350,000 material objects, including indigenous artifacts, fine art, furniture, glassware, textiles, and more. Archival and printed materials are kept at the MCHC’s H. Furlong Baldwin Library. These items consist of Architectural Drawings, Ephemera, Maps & Atlases, Photographs, Posters, Prints, & Broadsides, Rare Books & Pamphlets, Sheet Music. The Baldwin Library also manages a vast selection of over 5 million Manuscripts. These include the papers of some of Maryland’s most prominent (and lesser known) individuals, businesses, and organizations. Highlights include the Bank of Baltimore Collection, the Bordley-Calvert Collection, the Calvert Family Letters, the Charles Carroll Letter Book and Accounts, the Lloyd Papers, and the Tilghman Family Papers. Online Finding Aids and Research Guides are available. Items held by the Baldwin Library may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the MCHC’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections. Several Fellowships & Prizes are offered by the MCHC each year.

Mitchell Memorial Library

Starkville, MS

Mitchell Memorial Library serves as the main library for Mississippi State University. Its Special Collections holds an impressive amount of unique materials that document the history of not just Mississippi, but the entire southern United States. These Collections include a large selection of Rare Books, with strengths in early Mississippi book binding and legal history, agriculture, slavery, the Civil War. The Special Collections also holds over 700 manuscript collections, some of which date to the 18th century and chronicle well the history of Mississippi and the lower Mississippi Valley. Some representative collections include the Atkinson/Elliott Indian Agency Collection, the Lenoir Plantation Records, and the Bank of Mississippi Records. There are dozens of Finding Aids available. Besides the Special Collections, the Mitchell Library also maintains the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolnian. This collection has a focus on the life of Abraham Lincoln, his presidency, and the Civil War. Finding Aids are also available for this collection. The Mitchell Library is also home to the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library. It consists of over 15,000 linear feet of artifacts, books, correspondence, photographs, and other ephemera related to the United States’ 18th president. Items held by the Mitchell Library may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the Mitchell Library’s unique materials have been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

The Newberry

Chicago, IL

The Newberry is a world-renowned independent research library with significant holdings for early America. Its Core Collections are very diverse and focus on American History and Culture, American Indian and Indigenous Studies, Chicago and the Midwest, Genealogy and Local History, the History of the Book, Maps, Travel, and Exploration, and Religion. Many of these materials date back to the 16th century and include the personal papers of both prominent and lesser-known historical figures, rare books and unique prints, government documents, military records, and several other primary source types. Researchers may browse the Newberry’s collections with its Research Guides or search its holdings through its Online Catalog. The Newberry operates various Research Centers, including the D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies, the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography, and the Chicago Studies Program. Much of the Newberry’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed through Digital Newberry. Several Fellowships are offered by the Newberry each year.

New-York Historical Society Museum & Library

New York City, NY

Founded in 1804, the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library is one of the United States’ premier research institutions for the study of early America. Its Museum is the oldest in New York City and features various Exhibitions. The Patricia D. Klingenstein Library is home to millions of items organized into Printed Collections, Graphic Collections, and Manuscript Collections. Most of these items date to the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, and include Books and Pamphlets, Newspapers, Personal and Family Papers, Business and Industry Collections, Religious and Charitable Organization Collections, and Military Collections. Finding aids are available for both Manuscripts and Graphics, and the Library’s holdings can be searched through its Online Catalog. Much of the Historical Society’s holdings have been digitized and be be viewed through its Online Exhibitions and the Shelby White & Leon Levy Digital Library. The Historical Society also offers various Fellowships each year.

New York Public Library

New York City

The New York Public Library (NYPL) is the largest public library system in the United States. Several Research Divisions operate at the Library, many of which hold extensive early American sources. Its Manuscripts and Archives Division contains over 29,000 linear feet of archival material spread across 5,500 individual collections. A highlight of the Division is its Early American Manuscripts Project, which has digitized over 50,000 pages of the Library’s early American collections. Other Divisions include the Rare Book Division and the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy. Early Americanists may also be interested in the NYPL’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, which has its own Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, as well as the Lapidus Center for the Historical Analysis of Slavery. The NYPL provides a very useful Guide for exploring these archival collections, as well as an Archives Portal and a Research Catalog. Much of the NYPL’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections. The NYPL also offers various Fellowships each year. Considering the size of the NYPL system, it is very important to Plan Your Research Visit.

William L. Clements Library

Ann Arbor, MI

Located at the University of Michigan, the William L. Clements Library is one of the world’s premier research institutions for the study of early America. Its collections are organized into several divisions. The Book Division comprises some 80,000 rare books, pamphlets, broadsides, and periodicals, with strengths in African American history, Native American history, women’s history, politics, religion, education, and the Caribbean. A robust Manuscript Division touts over 2,700 unique collections with a keen emphasis on British North America and the early United States. Highlights include the Thomas Gage Papers, the William Petty, 1st Marquis of Lansdowne, 2nd Earl of Shelburne Papers, the George Sackville Germain Papers, the African American History Collection, the Weld-Grimké Family Papers, and the Native American History Collection. There is also a sizeable Map Division and a beautiful Graphics Division. Several Search Tools are available for navigating the Clements Library’s collections, including Finding Aids, Subject Guides, and a Library Catalog. Much of the Clements Library’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed through its Online Exhibits and Digitized Collections. The Clements Library also offers numerous Fellowships each year.

W. S. Hoole Special Collections Library

Tuscaloosa, AL

Part of the University of Alabama Libraries, the W. S. Hoole Special Collections Library maintains a large assortment of early American sources. Its Published Materials contain vast selection of rare books, with particular focus given to 18th and 19th century American literature and travel narratives. Louisiana and New Orleans are well represented. A standout among the printed works is the David Walker Lupton African American Cookbook Collection, which consists of over 500 volumes dating back to 1827. There is also thousands of Alabama Maps. The Library also holds over 4,000 Manuscript Collections. Hundreds of collections pertain to Alabama’s colonial past, as well as the plantation economy and culture that developed there in the 19th century. Several collections relate to American history in general. Some standouts include the Creek Indian Land Sales Collection, Documents of African American Revolutionary War Soldiers, the Elizabeth Tyler Coleman Papers, the Jefferson Davis Papers, and the Wade Hall Collection on Slavery in the United States. Some of these collections pertain to Latin America and the Caribbean, such as an Account of the Battle of Cartagena, the Marguerite Le Noir De Rouvrary, Comtesse de Lostanges Papers, and the Wilfred A. Joubert Papers from Suriname and Meixco. Several Research Guides are available. Printed items held by the Hoole Library may be searched with the University of Alabama Libaries’ online catalog, Scout. Archival materials may be searched with the Hoole Libary’s Archives Database. Much of the Hoole Library’s material has been digitized and can be searched with the University of Alabama Libraries’ Digital Collections.