Guide to Historical Research

The titles in the Advertising Periodicals, 1815-1888 collection illustrate consumer marketing in the 19th century, showing the various goods and services available and how retailers marketed them. The database highlights varying approaches to marketing across a diversifying economy, and includes titles such as The Atlantic Monthly Advertiser, The California Land Circular, and The Medical Intelligencer and Quarterly Advertiser.

This collection focuses on publications about farming-related activities in the 19th century. Because most Americans still lived on farms, and because agriculture remained the country's leading industry throughout the century, literature about agricultural development was extremely important.

This collection contains over 180 titles that focus on
agriculture during the nineteenth century.

This collections has 166 titles representing the origins and rapid growth of innovative religious belief and expression in nineteenth-century America.

This database presents over 180 periodicals dedicated to extensive concepts including healthy living and alternative medicine.

American Civil War Periodicals, 1855-1868 consists of over 130 periodicals that span the conflict from the beginnings of the conflict to the Reconstruction.

The American Literary Periodicals, 1782-1834 collection encapsulates the higher forms of literature and literary criticism. The work of many notable writers can be found here, including early pieces by Washington Irving and Charles Brockden Brown, among others. These periodicals and the authors who contributed to them catalyzed the beginning of distinctly American literary movements that marked a sharp break from European literary traditions. Within these pages, researchers will find rich material that not only provides insight into a developing literary canon but a radically changing American society as a whole. Representative titles include the Knickerbocker, the New York Magazine or Literary Repository, and the Monthly Anthology and Boston Review. Additionally, a few reprints of European titles are included to give scholars both a broader context and a perspective on residual European influences. These particular titles include New York editions of the Edinburgh Review or Critical Journal and the Quarterly Review.

The American Literary Periodicals, 1835-1858 collection represents the higher forms of literature and literary criticism. Many of America's most famous 19th-century writers found their start and, in many cases, their livelihoods, by writing for these periodicals. Notables range from James Fenimore Cooper to Edgar Allen Poe. Their work appeared in a several periodicals devoted to literature and the arts, such as the New York Mirror, and more general publications like Putnam's Monthly and Ralph Waldo Emerson's Massachusetts Quarterly Review. Researchers will find literature broad in scope and rich in depth in this sweeping collection.

The American Literary Periodicals, 1859-1891 collection represents the higher forms of literature and literary criticism, focusing on the late nineteenth Century. Many of the most important figures in American literature found their start and, in many cases, earned their livelihoods, through their writing for these periodicals. Notables authors include Mark Twain and Walt Whitman as they published in the definitive literary periodicals of their age such as Lippincott's Magazine, the Galaxy, the Ladies Repository, and Littell's Living Age. Taken together, this collection provides scholars with a well-rounded representation of late 19th-century American Literature.

The American Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry Periodicals, 1786-1877 collection contains publications focused on professional medical thought, including dental practice, during the nineteenth century. Including detailed illustrations and diagrams using what were at the time state-of-the-art printing techniques, these journals chronicle the development of medical and surgical techniques over time. Surgery titles were published across the country, and include the Civil War-era Confederate States Medical & Surgical Journal and the Pacific Medical and Surgical Journal. General practice is covered in such journals as the Richmond and Louisville Medical Journal and Bulletin of Medical Science. Periodicals devoted to medical specialties and specific diseases include the American Journal of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children, the Journal of Psychological Medicine, and the Cholera Gazette. Medical societies are represented by titles such as the New Jersey Medical Reporter and Transactions of the New Jersey Medical Society. Twenty-three titles here are devoted to dentistry exclusively, including the New York Dental Recorder.

The American Political and Social Movements Periodicals, 1815-1884 collection chronicles the prevailing social, religious, political, and benevolent movements of the day. Represented here are the publications of, among others, the anarchists (the Periodical Letter) and the communists (Oneida Circular, the Rational Review, and the Communist). In addition, periodicals published by those espousing rights for workingmen are included (such as the Voice of Labor, the Reformer, or Advocate of Industrial Association, Workingman's Advocate, and the Radical), in addition to publications for immigrants (the Irish Volunteer, the Jewish Times, Der Arbeiter, the People's Friend, the Impartial Examiner and Advocate of Liberty Civil and Religious), and for "native" Americans (the Republican, the Anti-Romanist). Also to be found here are periodicals pertaining to various social movements from early women's rights periodicals (the Women's Journal, the Revolution) to periodicals promoting language reform and phonetics. Together, they tell the story of American society and politics from diverse perspectives, giving voice to the established and powerful as well as to the disenfranchised and subversive.

The American Political Periodicals, 1715-1891 collection chronicles the key political issues and movements of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They cover a range of political affiliations, from republicans to radicals, confederates to communists. Content is similarly diverse, and includes satire and political cartoons, with titles such as the Cartoon and the John Donkey; literary publications like the Socialist, the Reflector and Liberal Advocate, the Political Register, the Democratic Monthly and Western Review, and the Union Monthly Magazine. In addition, issues-focused publications such as Davis' Battle-Axe, the National Register, Kendall's Expositor, and Brownson's Quarterly Review can also be found here.

The Baptists, Quakers, and Independent Church Periodicals, 1797-1881 collection presents the growth of the Baptist church, whose first American church was founded in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638. Baptist churches continued to flourish as the colonies and the nation grew. The history of the Baptist church and the history of America are intimately related, as this collection demonstrates. The collection also contains periodicals representing smaller church communities such as the New Jerusalem Church, Quakers, Shakers, Mennonites, Moravians, Brethren, and Church of God--all of whom, like the Baptists, also established a strong presence in the United States.

The Business and General Education Periodicals, 1800-1885 collection focuses on the long and rich history of education in the United States. The titles found here reflect a broad range of pedagogical methods as they changed over time, and encompass teaching in the classrooms of public and private schools alike. Also included here are titles dedicated to teaching in college, teaching trades and professional skills, teaching English grammar and foreign languages, and more. National and state education is represented in titles such as the Journal of Progress in Education and Social Improvement, the Popular Educator, the Common School and Iowa Journal of Education, and the Maine Common School Advocate. Business school publications include Eastman's State and National Business College, and Bryant, Stratton & Bell's Peoria, Illinois Business College Monthly. Titles dedicated to the trades include the Penman and Accountant, the Phonographic Comet, the Southern Workman: Devoted to the Industrial Classes of the South, and the American Polytechnic Journal. Specialized publications, such as the Gallaudet Guide and Deaf Mutes Companion, the Polyglot, Amerikanische Schulzeitung, Comstock's Phonetic Magazine, the Mnemonical Magazine, and De Fonetic Propagandist demonstrate the diversity of titles in this collection.

The Business, Industrial and Professional Periodicals, 1774-1858 collection represents the subjects of business and industry, broadly defined, dating from 1774-1858. The publications covered include journals devoted to specific trades (such as the Tailors' Magazine and Quarterly Report of Fashion, Operatives' Magazine, Coach Makers' Magazine) and professions (the Civil Engineer and Herald of Internal Improvement, Fireman's Gazette, Cozzens' Wine Press). The collection includes periodicals promoting the interests of large industries, such as the railroads (American Railroad Journal), and the growing financial sector (Debtors Journal, G. Adams' Business Intelligencer, American Insurance Examiner). Together, they chronicle the large-scale shifts in commerce during the years witnessing the rise of capitalism.

The Business, Industrial and Professional Periodicals, 1859-1870 collection represents the subjects of business and industry, broadly defined, focusing on the years 1859 to 1870. The publications include journals devoted to specific trades (such as the New England Mechanic, and Shoe and Leather Reporter) and professions (the American Merchant, Printers' Monthly Bulletin). They also include periodicals promoting the interests of industry (Pacific Railroad, the Journal of Industry). Subjects also include finance (the Insurance Intelligencer, the Wall Street Underwriter and General Joint Stock Register) and the emerging service industries (the Real Estate Register of the North-West, the Detective's Manual and Officer's Guide). Together, they chronicle the large-scale shifts in commerce during the years witnessing the rise of capitalism.

The Business, Industrial and Professional Periodicals, 1871-1901 collection represents the subjects of business and industry, broadly defined, focusing on the last quarter of the nineteenth century, during the second industrial revolution. The publications include journals devoted to specific trades (such as the Iron Molders' International Journal, the Lumber Trade) and professions (the American Letter Carriers' Magazine, Engineering News). They also include periodicals promoting the interests of industry (the Paper Trade Journal, the Coal and Iron Record, the Western Manufacturer, the Railroad Advertiser). Subjects also include finance (the National Business Index, the Banker and Tradesman) and the emerging service industries (the Scranton Law Times, the Real Estate Reporter). Together, they chronicle the large-scale shifts in commerce during the years witnessing the solidification of capitalism, mass production, and industrialization.

The Canadian Periodicals, 1790-1877 is a modest collection representing periodicals published in Canada (the majority), and those whose main subject is Canadian history, literature, or politics (the minority). Titles are in English and French, and were published in cities such as Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto, among others. The publications cover the gamut of subjects, including tourism, education, literature, the law, religion, and even stamp collecting.

The Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and Episcopal Periodicals 1797-1904 includes local church publications, diocesan newspapers, fair periodicals, reports from denominational conferences, and many other titles. Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and Episcopalians all share common elements of worship, sacramentality, and theology and each church successfully rooted itself in the New World. While many common elements of their Old World iterations remained, these distinct churches grew and changed in response to their new and sometimes hostile environs. Subjects covered in this collection include theological disputes, arminianism, ant-clericalism, anti-Catholicism, Wesleyanism, and the spiritual interests of various ethnic communities.

The College and Student Periodicals, 1806-1877 collection captures a broad view of the events, humor, and lifestyle of campuses around the country, and provides researchers with a better understanding of popular culture through the eyes of its younger members.

The Commercial Periodicals from the Southern U.S., 1811-1877 collection is comprised of periodicals published in the South during the nineteenth century, in particular those focused on commercial and business concerns, broadly defined. Here, researchers will find publications devoted to agriculture, banks and banking, business and industry, technology, railroads, and advertising, among other subjects, chronicling small and large plantation farming, the business of keeping slaves, transportation networks, and more.

The Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed Church Periodicals, 1803-1902 collection contains periodicals giving insight into the distinct Protestant ecclesial communities that thrived in America through their participation in the activities of Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches. Congregationalism spoke easily to a people with ardent democratic aspirations, and profoundly influenced the culture and government of the new nation. The Presbyterian and Reformed churches gave expression, in different ways, to the theology of John Calvin, and flourished with their emphases on ordered worship and theological and doctrinal rigor. This collection features a range of periodicals devoted to Congregationalism, including the long-running journal the Presbyterian, the influential Congregational Sunday school periodical the Well Spring, and the Reformed theological journal the Mercersburg Review.

The Cultural Periodicals from the Southern U.S., 1797-1877 collection is comprised of periodicals published in the South during the nineteenth century that focus on cultural concerns, broadly defined. Here, researchers will find publications devoted to education, literature, women's interests, philanthropic and benevolent endeavors, temperance advocacy, Masonic activities, general social movements, and more.

The Current Events and History Periodicals, 1691-1912 collection consists primarily of publications about the current events of the 18th and 19th centuries. These include regular reports on economics and government affairs, with titles such as the New England Post Office Record, the Political State of Great Britain, and the Social Science Review. Also strongly represented in this collection is a group of periodicals dedicated to local news and interests, including Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society, Collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Mad River Valley Pioneer, and Bowen's Boston News Letter. In addition, there are many titles that take the country's history as their main subject: Lexington and Concord Centennial 1775, Stars and Stripes in Rebellion, the Scorpion: A Journal Devoted to the Interests of the Privateersman, the Historical Family Library, the Picture Gallery of the New and Old Worlds, and the Antiquarian and General Review, to name but a few.

The Drama, Humor, and Fine Arts Periodicals, 1764-1877 collection reflects upon the important role arts played in the development of American culture. Together, the titles in this collection -- encompassing architecture, the fine arts, theater, and comic serials -- create a lively portrait of a creative nation which found expression on canvas, on stage, and in print. Titles here run the gamut and include the general arts, such as Cosmopolitan Art Journal, the Illustrated Magazine of Art, and Watson's Weekly Art Journal; photography, with titles such as the Weekly Photographic Art Journal, the American Journal of Photography and the Allied Arts, the Photographic Art Journal, and Humphrey's Journal of the Daguerreotype and Photographic Arts; theater, with titles such as the Theatrical Budget or Actor's Regalio, the Figaro, the Brooklyn Daily Stage, the Play Bill, and the Footlight; and wit and humor, represented by titles such as the Little Joker, the Centennial Comic Pictorial, the Budget of Blunders, the San Francisco Journalist and Humorist, and the Tickler.

The Emerging American Religions, 1821-1895 collection consists of periodicals that chronicle new religious movements that were founded in America, and especially those that flourished during the nineteenth century. This collection features important periodicals devoted to Adventists, Mormons, Disciples of Christ, Holiness/Pentecostals, millennialists, and Unitarians, among others. Subjects include camp meetings, health and wellness, apologetics, and theology.

collection draws from a rich tradition of family and children's literature. Many of the titles found here focus on courtship, marriage and child-rearing by emphasizing moral, wholesome, family living. Highlights include the New York Fireside Companion, Merry's Museum, and Parley's Magazine. Researchers can also find a number of children's Sunday School and temperance periodicals. Taken together, the titles comprising this collection enable scholars to study not only prescribed values but also the social and family dynamics of nineteenth-century America.

The Foreign Language Periodicals in America, 1684-1904 presents periodicals published in foreign languages primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries. These publications cut across subjects -- and include religious, literary, and political magazines -- speaking to and reflecting the interests and concerns of immigrant and ethnic communities. In addition to works published in the United States, titles also come from Paris, Montreal, London, Hamburg, Leipsig, and Mexico; languages including French, Spanish, Norwegian, German, Swedish, and Welsh are represented.

The General Interest Christian Periodicals, 1743-1889 collection features titles that address broad religious themes and at the time appealed to a general readership. As various Christian communities and churches began to emerge a need arose for more general treatments of Christianity that appealed to a broad audience. Also featured in this collection are a significant number of titles devoted to sermons from various groups.

The Hobbies, Socialization, and Sport Periodicals, 1775-1889 collection captures the many things nineteenth-century Americans did in their spare time, and includes periodicals dedicated to fairs and bazaars, public lectures, sporting events, hobbies, and more. Although they worked extremely hard, Americans nevertheless found time for leisure activities. They printed small periodicals using their own hand-operated presses. They traveled more extensively, especially after the expansion of railroad networks and steamboat lines. They engaged in a diverse array of pastimes, from early forms of body-building to pigeon racing and stamp collecting. A sampling of titles is suggestive of the rich content found in this collection: Turf Field and Farm, the Bat and Ball, the Gymnast, Mason's Coin and Stamp Collectors' Magazine, the Magic Lantern, the Dubuque Chess Journal, and the Voice of the Fair.

The Literary Periodicals of New England, 1789-1878 collection represents literary periodicals published in the cities and towns of the northeast during the nineteenth century. Absent here are publications from Boston as the emphasis is on small publications from more remote places that comprised the backbone of this region. While many of these titles are relatively obscure, they paint a picture of an early, home-grown literary tradition that is starkly different from the more dominant literature found in mass-circulated publications. In addition, this collection also offers periodicals written about Yankees and their culture, most notably the titles Brother Jonathon and Yankee Notions. Ultimately, for researchers of the nineteenth century, these titles offer a rich insight into an often overlooked place of literary and artistic production.

Masons, Odd-Fellows and Other Societal Periodicals, 1794-1877 represents the nineteenth-century Americans, primarily men who organized themselves into various societies loosely based on ethnic, social, or political affiliation. This collection focuses on friendly and fraternal societies -- primarily, but not exclusively the masons. Indicative of the popularity of these various organizations, affiliated publications emerged across the country: the Masonic Journal (Marietta, GA), the Masonic Trowel (Springfield, IL), the Masonic Token (Portland, ME), Iris and Odd Fellows' Mirror (Baltimore, MD), the Patron's Helper and Grange Instructor (Des Moines, IA), the Odd Fellows' Banner and Literary Companion (Bloomfield, IA), the New Weekly Messenger and Odd Fellows Advertiser (New York, NY), and New Age (San Francisco, CA).

The Military and Law Enforcement Periodicals, 1691-1877 collection consists of publications pertaining to the military broadly and to the experiences of soldiers and sailors specifically. They include official publications such as the United States Naval Gazette, the United States Pension Record and Departmental Gazette, and the Military and Naval Magazine of the United States; general titles for soldiers and sailors, such as the Soldiers Casket the War Drum, and the Grand Army Sentinel; publications devoted to military-related benevolent organizations and activities, such as the Seaman's Friend, the Fair Record of the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon, and the Old Soldier's Advocate; and periodicals dedicated to temperance and religious concerns, such as the Soldiers Visitor and the Lifeboat. Supplementing this core of military-related titles is a group of periodicals pertaining to early law enforcement, such as the National Police Gazette.

The Missionary and Charity Periodicals, 1793-1902 collection focuses on missionary and charity work undertaken by various faith groups. All Christian churches engaged in forms of outreach to groups or individuals who were in need, and this outreach was often inseparable from sharing a religious message and mission. The publications in this collection include those for both foreign and domestic missions and represent outreach to many different groups that include African-Americans, Native Americans, women, the poor, immigrants, and specific ethnic groups. Subjects include slavery, home missions, hospital work, and social problems.

This collection allows researchers to discover early America through popular music by gathering publications dedicated to various aspects of music, from the sacred to the secular, from the political to the comic. Often including related content on the arts, literature, and sometimes science, these periodicals show music in a larger cultural context, as music was also an important leisure activity for families and communities.

The Periodicals from Around the World, 1691-1880 collection is comprised of titles that were either published outside of the United States, or published within the United States but largely concerned with foreign countries. They were read by both American and international audiences. Mostly published in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, they represent the continued influence of colonialism on literature, fashions, and politics. London, Calcutta, Ottawa, Montreal, Foochow, Bombay, Madras, Edinburgh, Halifax, and Toronto are among the many places of publication represented here.

Periodicals of the American West, 1779-1881 draws from the publications that created the literary and cultural traditions of the Young America and later Manifest Destiny movements. As the United States expanded so too did its belief in its own exceptionalism, and the necessity of bringing progress to the world. Highlights of this collection include Harper's Weekly, John L. O'Sullivan's writings in Northern Lights, the essays of Josiah Strong in the Home Missionary and Pastor's Journal, as well as numerous small town western publications. This collection provides scholars with a unique snapshot into the periodicals that expressed the ideas that fueled America's westward expansion.

The Periodicals of the British Empire and Its Colonies, 1702-1879 collection represents literature of the British Empire, specifically focusing on colonial North America. Many of the periodicals were printed in Europe, Canada or appear as publications reissued in America. A few titles come from Asia. Notable editors and contributors include Joseph Addison, Daniel Defoe, Samuel Johnson, Thomas Paine, and Richard Steele. As a whole, these titles provide scholars with a unique insight into the colonies' complex relationship with European home countries as they developed their own identity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The Popular Educational Periodicals, 1758-1889 presents the happenings from the 18th and 19th centuries when lyceums, athenaeums, and universities sprung up across the United States as Americans began to educate themselves as never before. The titles in this collection draw heavily from these institutions and address the pursuit of the sciences, history and the arts. Notable publications in this collection include Benjamin Franklin's the General Magazine and Historical Chronicle for All the British Plantations in America (Philadelphia, PA), Benjamin Mecom's the New England Magazine (Boston, MA) and Frank Leslie's New York Journal of Romance, General Literature, Science, and Art (New York, NY). Scholars using this collection will gain an appreciation for how 18th and 19th Century Americans chose to educate themselves.

The Religious Periodicals for Women, Children, and Families, 1804-1878 collection presents important topics faced by families in the 19th Century, including motherhood and fatherhood, child rearing, music, prayer, children's literature, and religious formation. Broader social themes include anti-slavery, Universalism, and temperance.

This collection contains periodicals published in the South during the 19th century which focused on spiritual concerns, broadly defined. Here, researchers will find publications devoted primarily to religion from a number of denominations, including Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, and Unitarians.

This collection contains over 210 publications related chiefly to the hard science disciplines, such as mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, physics, and geology. It also contains a small number of social sciences titles and literary magazines with scientific content.

This historic collection chronicles the African American experience during the 19th century and depicts the ongoing struggles of abolitionists to end slavery in the United States and the response from people who supported slavery for economic and cultural reasons.

In the 19th century, printed materials became cheaper to produce due to technological advances in printing and publishing. This collection reflects the progression of print during the 19th century and contains a vast range of titles that highlight an understudied American literary phenomenon.

The Sunday School Periodicals, 1818-1885 collection features a broad cross-section of Sunday school literature that was read in churches and at home as well as training and preparation materials for teachers. Subjects covered in these publications include Bible and catechism lessons, music, and poetry . In addition, the collection includes literature representing many church communities covering Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Brethren, Unitarian, Lutheran, Church of God, Mormon, and various Sunday school unions.

The Temperance Periodicals in America, 1826-1877 collection explains how the temperance movement originated through religious and benevolent groups, how it quickly spread throughout the country, and the various kinds of temperance advocated, from calls for moderation to total abstinence.

Theology and Biblical Studies Periodicals, 1760-1877 provides a variety of titles that focus on biblical studies and theological reflection, in both lay and academic forms, from a broad cross-section of religious groups and major theological traditions.

This collection is the first of three containing women's-related periodicals that span the 18th through the 19th century and represent a broad range of subjects and places of publication. This collection, containing over 210 periodicals, spans the Colonial through the Jacksonian Eras, from the 1730s to 1840s. Because almost all of the women's periodicals by nature covered many topics, the titles included in this collection highlight radically changing perceptions of womanhood and ideas about the role of women over this period of time.

Women’s Periodicals of the Nineteenth Century, 1845-1865
represents 250 periodicals focusing on female authors and publishers who cemented the foundations of women’s active role in
American social and religious movements.

Women’s Periodicals of the Nineteenth Century, 1866-1891
presents over 230 periodicals that range widely in subject
matter from religious and cultural periodicals from the South to
domestic and parenting magazines from the North.