Library Guides: HIST 12: History of Pennsylvania: Historical &amp; Biographical Sources

Top Picks - Databases

America: History & Life with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Most comprehensive database for American Studies research.
Search for articles on all aspects of the history of the United States and Canada from prehistory to the present. Articles from national, state and local historical journals are covered, as well as historical articles in major humanities and social science journals. Also includes citations to reviews, books, and dissertations. Keywords: African-American, Afro-American, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Colonial, Pennsylvania, Native Americans, women, gender, revolution, revolutionary war, civil war, Vietnam War, Cold War, World War I, World War II, Immigration, Immigrants, labor, agriculture, culture, society, politics, religion, economic, military, historiography.
County and Regional Histories & Atlases: Pennsylvania This link opens in a new window
Essential source for county histories in Pennsylvania. Contains 283 titles, primarily county histories published during the late 19th and early 20th century. The atlases provide additional information on land use and settlement patterns and some early town and city plans.
County and Regional Histories & Atlases: Pennsylvania provides portraits of people, places and events, putting the state’s local history into current context with the examination of demographic, social and cultural transformations. Included in this collection of 283 titles are tables and lists of vital statistics, military service records, municipal and county officers, chronologies, portraits of individuals and views of urban and rural life. The atlases provide additional information on land use and settlement patterns and scarce early town and city plans. Use this collection to support research in areas such as regional studies, social history, genealogy, economics and business.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Essential for historical research. Contains full-text content, including back issues of journal articles in various arts and humanities fields such as the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, Eighteenth Century Studies, and William and Mary Quarterly.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization that provides a trusted archive of important scholarly journals and a selection of scholarly books. Content in JSTOR spans many disciplines, primarily in the humanities and social sciences. While indexing for JSTOR articles is covered in LionSearch, the full text of the articles is not searched in LionSearch. Search JSTOR itself to ensure detailed coverage of full texts.
Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) This link opens in a new window
Excellent resource with full-text reference sources (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, etc.) on many different topics. Use this to search for broad overviews of a topic and to find more references.
A collection of over 2000 reference resources.

Top Picks - Journals

Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies
A quarterly journal that publishes current scholarship on the history of the Commonwealth and the region. In addition to articles, the journal features documents, book reviews, reviews of museum exhibits, films, and historical collections. Published since 1934, Pennsylvania History is the official journal of the Pennsylvania Historical Association (PHA).
Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography
The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography (PMHB) is the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s scholarly magazine, published since 1877. PMHB publishes original research or interpretation concerning the social, cultural, political, economic, and ethnic history of Pennsylvania, or work situating Pennsylvania history within comparative regional or international contexts.
Western Pennsylvania History
Western Pennsylvania History is the region's oldest continually-published magazine, presenting scholarship for a broad audience since 1918. It is currently published by the Senator John Heinz History Center. The journal was originally published as Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine, and in the 1990s as Pittsburgh History. It offers extensively illustrated articles that cover numerous subjects including history, archaeology, cultural interests, sports, literature, architecture, railroading, folk art, and much more. Thanks to a unique partnership with Penn State University through Penn State Libraries' Open Publishing, every issue of WPH between 1918-2017 is available for free online.

Top Picks - Historical Newspapers and Broadsides

American Broadsides and Ephemera This link opens in a new window
Offers searchable database of 15,000 broadsides printed (1820 and 1900) and 15,000 pieces of ephemera (1760-1900).
Based on the American Antiquarian Society's collection this database offers fully searchable facsimile images of approximately 15,000 broadsides printed between 1820 and 1900, and 15,000 pieces of ephemera printed between 1760 and 1900. Broadsides range from contemporary accounts of the Civil War, unusual occurrences and natural disasters to official government proclamations, tax bills and town meeting reports. Ephemera include early trade cards, theater playbills, stock certificates, menus and invitations, popular songs and music, and poetry. American Broadsides and Ephemera can be searched as a single collection, or combined with other resources in the Archive of Americana.
NewsFinder This link opens in a new window
Use NewsFinder to locate newspapers in any format and location within the University Libraries collections.
The University Libraries provide access to many newspaper titles in print, electronic, and microfilm formats. Use NewsFinder to locate newspapers in any format and location within the University Libraries collections.
Pennsylvania Historic Newspapers (via PA State Library) [full page reproduction] This link opens in a new window
One of the gems of the State Library is the Pennsylvania newspaper collection. The library collects newspapers from all 67 counties of Pennsylvania.
A collection of digitized State Library of Pennsylvania materials freely available to all.
Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive This link opens in a new window
Freely accessible web resource developed and hosted by Penn State University Libraries. The Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive is the gateway to the Commonwealth's historical full-text searchable newspaper database. Newspaper titles and holdings will continue to be added as they become available from all 67 counties stretching back to our colonial roots to the present.
The Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive is an open access gateway to the Commonwealth's historical full-text searchable new database. Newspaper titles and holdings from all 67 counties (stretching back from our colonial roots to the present) will continue to be added as they become available.

Top Picks - Biographical Sources

American National Biography Online This link opens in a new window
Offers portraits of more than 17,000 men and women whose lives have shaped the history of the United States.
The American National Biography Online offers portraits of more than 17,000 men and women -- from all eras and walks of life -- whose lives have shaped the nation. The online version reproduces the full-text of the original 24 volume set published in 1999, with new and updated entries added regularly. The online edition features thousands of illustrations, hyperlinked cross-references, links to select web sites, and powerful search capabilities.