Research Guides: Primary Sources: American History (primary sources)

Find Primary Sources - Books

OneSearch
UNI search engine for books and articles.
For books choose "Books/Media" to turn OneSearch into the library catalog and look for books owned by Rod Library. To find primary materials set your search or results ("Publication Date") to the specific years of your study.
Note - some recently published books contain primary source material (e.g. quotes, diaries, letters).

Academic Search Elite - EBSCO (1980-present)
To focus your search results on "news" click on either: Magazines or Newspapers

Gale Academic OneFile (1980-present)
Use Advanced Search to improve your search.
Limit search results to magazines or newspapers (the default is Academic Journals).

Historical Periodical Collection (1684-1850)
Search for primary sources from 1684 to 1850.
British and American newspaper and magazine articles.
New York Times (1851-present)
Articles from 1851 to the present.
Searches can be limited by date.
Results can be limited to articles, editorials, cartoons, advertisements.
Newspaper Archive (1607-present)
Very good for local and regional U.S. and Iowa news. Coverage varies tremendously by year and location. To begin - click on the black "Search" option at the very top of the page. Limit by date and geographic location.

Nexis Uni (1980-present)
1980 to the present.
Primary news sources for modern history.

Academic Search Elite - EBSCO - 1980-present
To focus your search results on "news" click on either: Magazines or Newspapers

Gale Academic OneFile - 1980-present
Use Advanced Search to improve your search.
Limit search results to magazines or newspapers (the default is Academic Journals).

Poole's Index to Periodical Literature - 1802-1892
On the Magazine Finder website you will find:
1. Digitized subject indexes (HathiTrust) to magazines published from 1802-1881, 1882-1886, and 1887-1892
2. Abbreviation guides for the magazines listed in Poole's Index.
Poole's Index does NOT provide the article - just information about the article - you must take that information and locate the articles yourself. Use the Magazine Finder to find the article online or in print (Google - Rod Library Magazine Finder - or visit https://guides.lib.uni.edu/historical-magazines)..
Readers' Guide Retrospective - 1890-1982
Locates the names and locations of magazine articles published between 1890 and 1982 on your topic.
Readers' Guide does NOT provide the article - just information about the article - you must take that information and locate the articles yourself. Use the Magazine Finder to find the article online or in print (Google - Rod Library Magazine Finder - or visit https://guides.lib.uni.edu/historical-magazines)..
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature - 1982-present
Locates the names and locations of magazine articles published after 1981 on your topic.
Reader's Guide does NOT provide the article - just information about the article - you must take that information and locate the articles yourself. Use the Magazine Finder to find the article online or in print (Google - Rod Library Magazine Finder - or visit https://guides.lib.uni.edu/historical-magazines)..

"Magazine Finder" - Digitized Historical Magazines
For onine articles published pre-1926 Magazine Finder provides online access to your article via either an archive or a database.
For print articles (mostly published after 1925) Magazine Finder provides the call number to the volumes of the magazine found in the library basement (first floor of Rod Library). Specific instructions are available for finding magazine articles from various time periods: 1802-1890, 1890-1925, 1926-1982, and 1982-present.

(Note, Time, Life, Fortune and National Geographic have their own searchable archives below).

Fortune Magazine Archive
Business and news magazine.
PDF images of articles from 1930 to 2000
Life Magazine Archive
Photo-rich news magazine.
PDF images of articles from 1936 to 2000
National Geographic Archive
Photo-rich magazine covering the geography and culture of the world.
PDF images of articles from 1888-1994
Time Magazine Archive
Major news magazine of the 20th century.
PDF images of articles from 1923 to 2000.