Research Guides: HIST 476: History of America's National Parks: Finding Online Primary Sources

Primary Source Databases via CSU Libraries

Access World News
Coverage: Varies
Access World News from NewsBank provides full-text information and perspectives from over 600 U.S. and over 700 international sources, each with its own distinctive focus offering diverse viewpoints on local, regional and world issues. Date coverage varies with individual newspaper.
Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection: Series 1
Coverage: Colonial to 1960 (with occasional later items)
U.S. Hispanic history, literature and culture from colonial times until 1960. Focuses on the creative life of U.S. Latinos and Hispanics. Content is written, indexed and searchable in Spanish and English.
Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection: Series 2
Coverage: 18th century to 1970s (with occasional later items)
U.S. Hispanic history, literature and culture from colonial times until 1960. Focuses on Hispanic American civil rights, religion and women’s rights from the 18th through the 20th century. Content is written, indexed and searchable in Spanish and English.
Chicago Tribune (1985-present)
Coverage: 1985 to present
Full text of the Chicago Tribune via ProQuest U.S. Major Dailies.
Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection
Coverage: 1859 to 1923
Provides full-page images of newspapers published in Colorado from 1859-1922, and others post-1922 as copyright clearance permits. Newspapers within the collection come from throughout the state and include papers published in English, German, Spanish, or Swedish.
Denver Post (1895-present)
Full text of the Denver Post 1894-present.
Early American Newspapers
Coverage: 1823-1860
Events covered include: Second Great Awakening, Lowell Textile Mills, Monroe Doctrine, Trail of Tears, Indian Removal, Height of Plantation Slavery, California Gold Rush, Dred Scott decision, Mexican War.
Los Angeles Times (1985-1996)
Coverage: 1985-1996
Full text of the Los Angeles Times via ProQuest U.S. Major Dailies.
New York Times Historical Newspapers (1851-2021)
Coverage: 1851-2008
This is the paper of record in the U.S., best known for its analysis of news, issues and social changes. Navigate by title, date, and page number. Photos, graphs, and tables are replicated providing cover-to-cover full image content.
Nexis Uni
Coverage: Varies
Nexis Uni is a comprehensive database with access to over 17,000 news, business and legal sources. It provides full-text of local, regional, national and international newspapers, as well as access to scholarly journals, trade publications, television and radio broadcasts, newswires and blogs. Its extensive legal sources include federal and state cases and statutes, including U.S. Supreme Court decisions since 1790. With business information on more than 80 million U.S. and international companies and more than 75 million executives, it is a robust resource for in-depth business research.
The Sunday Times Historical Archive, 1822-2006
Coverage: 1822-2006
Provides access to the back issues of The Sunday Times (London). Resource for all humanities and social sciences courses, especially in history, media studies/journalism, literature, cultural studies, politics, and performing arts.
Times Digital Archive
Coverage: 1785-2010
Sponsored By: Years 1986-2005 are a gift from the Irene Bostrom Endowment in the CSU College of Liberal Arts.
The Times Digital Archive is an online, full-text facsimile of more than 200 years of The Times, one of the most highly regarded resources for the 19th – 20th Century history detailing every complete page of every issue from 1785.
Washington Post (1877-2000) (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)
Coverage: 1877-2000
This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.

Archives Unbound
Coverage: Varies
U.S. foreign policy; U.S. civil rights; global affairs and colonial studies; and modern history. Broad topic clusters include: African American studies; American Indian studies; Asian studies; British history; Holocaust studies; LGBT studies; Latin American and Caribbean studies; Middle East studies; political science; religious studies; and women’s studies
Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940
Made possible through the generosity of the College of Liberal Arts. Information on LGBTQ life in the second half of the twentieth century and beyond. Experiences of the LGBTQ community as a whole and individuals of different races, ethnicities, ages, religions, political orientations, and geographical locations. Historical records of political and social organizations founded by LGBTQ individuals, publications by and for lesbians and gays, and extensive coverage of governmental responses to the AIDS crisis. Personal correspondence and interviews. Gay and lesbian newspapers, and much more.
Black Thought and Culture
Coverage: Varies
Contains the non-fiction published works of leading African Americans, including interviews, journal articles, letters and other fugitive material.
Early Encounters in North America
Coverage: 1474 to present
The collection focuses on personal accounts and perspectives from traders, slaves, missionaries, explorers, soldiers, native peoples, and officials, both men and women. Published and unpublished accounts, including narratives, diaries, journals, and letters.
Gilded Age
Coverage: 1865 to 1902
Rare materials, including songs, letters, photographs, cartoons, government documents, and ephemera. Covering such themes as race, labor, immigration, commerce, western expansion, and women’s suffrage, to illuminate the rapidly changing cultural landscape of America during the decades between the end of the Civil War and the election of Theodore Roosevelt.
North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries and Oral Histories
Coverage: 1840 to present
Publications of all kinds, from the political party newspapers at the beginning of the nineteenth century to the dailies at the century's end. Includes major newspapers as well as those published by African Americans, Native Americans, women's rights groups, labor groups, the Confederacy, and other groups and interests. Also included are illustrated papers.
Overland Journeys; Travels in the West, 1800-1880
Coverage: 1800-1880
Selections from the microfilm collections Travels in the West and Southwest and the Plains & Rockies, this digital collection provides a unique window on Western History. 71,133 images
Indigenous Peoples of North America
Coverage: 18th to 20th centuries
For research into the culture and heritage of indigenous people, a comprehensive yet personal collection covering the history of American Indian tribes and supporting organizations. Content is sourced from both American and Canadian institutions, as well as direct-from-source from newspapers from various tribes and Indian-related organizations. Also features indigenous-language materials, including dictionaries, bibles, and primers.

Ethnic NewsWatch
Coverage: 1959 to present
A comprehensive full-text database of the newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic, minority and native press.
Ebony Magazine Archive
Coverage: 1945-2014
Originally published by John H. Johnson beginning in November 1945, Ebony has served as an influential African-American magazine promoting stories important to the black community and focusing on the achievements of African-American leaders. Spanning 70 years of content, from 1945 through 2014, this searchable full-text archive provides an in-depth look at African-American business, history, politics, entertainment, fashion, and culture.
AAS Historical Periodicals Collection. Series 1
Coverage: 1684-1820
Provides digital access to a comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1684 and 1820. Subject coverage includes advertising, health, women's issues, science, the history of slavery, industry, and professions, religious issues, culture, the arts, and more.
AAS Historical Periodicals Collection. Series 2
Coverage: 1821-1837
Provides digital access to a comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1821 and 1837. Subject coverage includes advertising, health, women's issues, science, the history of slavery, industry, and professions, religious issues, culture, the arts, and more.
AAS Historical Periodicals Collection. Series 3
Coverage: 1838-1852
Provides digital access to a comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1838 and 1852. Subject coverage includes advertising, health, women's issues, science, the history of slavery, industry, professions, religious issues, culture, the arts, and more.
AAS Historical Periodicals Collection. Series 4
Coverage: 1853-1865
Provides digital access to a comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1853 and 1865. Subject coverage includes advertising, health, women's issues, science, the history of slavery, industry, professions, religious issues, culture, the arts, and more.
AAS Historical Periodicals Collection. Series 5
Coverage: 1866-1877
Provides digital access to a comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1866 and 1912 Subject coverage includes advertising, health, women's issues, science, the history of slavery, industry, professions, religious issues, culture, the arts, and more.

Congressional Publications (ProQuest)
Coverage: 1789- Present
This is a database of hearings, committee prints, reports, documents and other Congressional resources. Provides full text of hearings and citations and selected full text for other publication types. Primary source content on subjects ranging from war and military incursions to nuclear energy, space exploration, terrorism, and human rights
Historical Statistics of the United States
Coverage: 1790 to present
Historical statistics of the United States, colonial times to 1970. Topics ranging from migration and health to crime and the Confederate States of America.
American State Papers
Coverage: 1789-1838
Sponsored By: Irene Bostrom Endowment in the CSU College of Liberal Arts
Contains the legislative and executive documents of the first 14 U.S. Congresses. The collection includes documents that cover the critical historical gap from 1789 to the printing of the first volume of the U.S. Serial Set in 1817
Serial Set
Coverage: 1817-1994
All the reports, documents, and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives from 1817-1994. Covers subjects ranging from slavery in Antebellum America and the expansion of the American West and the impeachment of presidents to the founding of the United Nations, public and private legislation, and more.
United States Congressional Serial Set
Coverage: 1817 to 1994
Sponsored By: Irene Bostrom Endowment in the CSU College of Liberal Arts
All the reports, documents, and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives from 1817-1994. Covers subjects ranging from slavery in Antebellum America and the expansion of the American West and the impeachment of presidents to the founding of the United Nations, public and private legislation, and more.

Library of Congress Digital Collections

The Library of Congress has numerous primary sources collections related to U.S. National Parks.

The Evolution of the Conservation Movement, 1850-1920

This collection documents the historical formation and cultural foundations of the movement to conserve and protect America's natural heritage, through books, pamphlets, government documents, manuscripts, prints, photographs, and motion picture footage drawn from the collections of the Library of Congress.

Chronicling America

Historic American newspapers selected and contributed by state partners in the National Digital Newspaper Program.

Mapping the National Parks

This collection documents the history, cultural aspects and geological formations of areas that eventually became National Parks. The collection consists of approximately 200 maps dating from the 17th century to the present, including 25 maps of Yellowstone National Park

Search Engines

Search engines can be useful for locating specific primary source documents. If you use Google, enter the names of specific documents in quotation marks.

"Yellowstone National Park"
"Civil Rights Act"

For broader searches, add primary source keyword terms, such as documents, primary sources, or papers to your search.

"Great Depression" "primary sources"
"Martin Luther King" "speeches"

Freely Available Online Archival Collections

History
Photographs

Ask a Librarian

CSU Librarians

Subjects: Accounting, Aerospace & Military Science, Agricultural & Resource Economics, Agricultural Biology, Agriculture (all), Agriculture & Natural Resources, Animal & Equine Science, Anthropology, Apparel & Merchandising, Art & Art History, Atmospheric Science, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biological & Physical Sciences, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Business (all), Business (Company), Business (Finance), Business (Industry), Business (International), Business (Marketing), Chemistry, Citation Style Guides, Communication & Journalism, Communication Studies, Composition & Communication, Computer Science, Construction Management, Counseling & Career Development, Criminology, Dance, Design, Diversity & Inclusion, Ecology, Economics, Education, Engineering, Engineering & Math, English Language & Literature, Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences, Ethnic Studies, Family & Consumer Sciences, Fermentation Science & Technology, Film Studies, Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Biology, Food Science & Human Nutrition, Forest & Rangeland Stewardship, Geography, Geology, Government (U.S.), Health & Exercise Science, History, Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Hospitality & Tourism Management, Human Development & Family Studies, Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts, Journalism & Media Communication, Languages, Literatures, & Cultures, Legal Studies, Library & Information Science, Mathematics, Music, Natural Resources, Occupational Therapy, Organizational Leadership & Human Resources, Philosophy & Religion, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health, Public Policy & Administration, Social Sciences/Human Studies, Social Work, Sociology, Soil & Crop Sciences, Sport Management, Statistics & Data Science, Sustainability, Veterinary Medicine, Water, Women's & Gender Studies

Library Help

Connect with library staff via chat, email, phone or text.