HIS131 (Pre-history to Civil War Era) - HIS131/132 - American History - InfoGuides at Central Piedmont Community College

HIS131 American History I (Pre-history to Civil War Era)

On this page, you will find links to primary source collections and resources from Central Piedmont as well as other libraries, archives, museums, and cultural institutions related to your course. To learn more about primary sources and how to use them, visit our Primary Sources guide.

To find secondary and tertiary sources, visit the Start Here tab.

Primary Sources - Central Piedmont Databases

Early Encounters in North America: Peoples, Cultures, and the Environment

This collection of primary source materials provides personal accounts and perspectives of people in North America from 1534 to 1850.

Colonial State Papers

This database provides hand-written documents from 1574 to 1757 for those interested in early American history, British colonial history, Caribbean history, maritime history, Atlantic trade, plantations, and slavery.

The American Civil War: Letters and Diaries

This collection of diaries, letters, and memoirs contains firsthand accounts and anecdotes from the American Civil War era (1861-1865).

Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: A Selection of Primary Sources
This database contains approximately 1,600 primary source documents focused on different phases of Black Freedom, including Slavery and the Abolitionist Movement (1790-1860) as well as The Civil War and the Reconstruction Era (1861-1877).
Civil War Era
This database covers a vast range of topics, including the formative economic factors and other forces that led to the abolitionist movement, the 600,000 battle casualties, and the emancipation of nearly 4 million enslaved persons.
Digital Library on American Slavery
Digital Library on American Slavery (DLAS) is a freely available and searchable database. It brings to light the names of enslaved individuals from court petitions, historical newspapers, and deed records held by Register of Deeds offices across North Carolina.
Early Modern Books 1450-1700
This database includes material from the British Isles and Europe for the period 1450-1700. It also includes Early English Books Online (EEBO), which features page images of almost every work printed in the British Isles and North America.
Manuscript Women's Letters and Diaries
This collection brings together thousands of the personal writings of women of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, displayed as high-quality images of the original manuscripts.
North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories
Composed of contemporaneous letters and diaries, oral histories, interviews, and other personal narratives, this collection provides a unique and personal view of what it meant to immigrate to America and Canada between 1800 and 1950.
North American Indian Thought and Culture
North American Indian Thought and Culture brings together the history of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Peoples. It contains autobiographies, Indian publications, oral histories, personal writings, and photographs.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries
This database includes letters, diaries, and previously unpublished materials depicting the personal experiences of hundreds of women. Contains materials from Colonial times to 1950.
Revolution and Protest Online
Materials from this database focus on important events and themes related to revolutions, protests, resistance, and social movements from the 18th century through the 21st century.
Explore More Primary Source Databases
The Central Piedmont Library has over 35 primary source databases. Browse through this list further to find additional sources related to your topic.

Primary Sources - External Databases and Collections

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) makes millions of materials from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions across the country available to everyone in one location. They also provide Primary Source Sets that include photographs, audio clips, drawings, letters, and much more.

Explore the Digital Public Library of America further to find more primary sources related to your topic.

Library of Congress (LOC)

The Library of Congress (LOC) makes millions of primary sources available online. Here are a few ways to discover LOC's primary sources:

U.S. History Primary Sources Timeline - Contains collections related to Colonial Settlement, the American Revolution, National Expansion and Reform, and Civil War and Reconstruction.
LOC's Digital Collections - Contains maps, cartoons, photographs, and documents from early America to the Civil War.
Primary Source Sets - Contains materials related to early America, American Revolution, National Expansion and Reform, and Civil War and Reconstruction.
LOC's Research Guides - Includes over 40 guides dedicated to primary source documents in American History.
Free to Use and Reuse - Contains Age of Exploration maps, American Revolution maps, and Civil War drawings.

North Carolina Digital Collections

The NC Digital Collections brings together content from the State Archives of North Carolina and the State Library of North Carolina. It contains photographs, state government publications, manuscripts, and other resources on topics related to North Carolina. Here are some primary source collections that might be of interest:

Explore NC Digital Collections further to find more primary sources related to your topic.

Additional Collections and Resources

Colleges & Universities

Harvard University's CURIOSity Collections
Sam Houston State University's U.S. History: Primary Source Collections Online Research Guide
UNC Chapel Hill's Documenting the American South (DocSouth)
University of Maryland's Early Americas Digital Archive
University of Washington's Primary Sources: 17th & 18th Centuries Research Guide
University of Washington's Primary Source: 19th Century Research Guide

Museums, Historical Societies, and Other Organizations

American Battlefield Trust's Civil War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812 Collections
Massachusetts History Society's Digital Collections
New York Public Library's Digital Collections
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's 1600-1800 and 1800-1900 Collections

Additional Help

HIS131/132 - American History

HIS131 American History I (Pre-history to Civil War Era)

Primary Sources - Central Piedmont Databases

Early Encounters in North America: Peoples, Cultures, and the Environment

Colonial State Papers

The American Civil War: Letters and Diaries

Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: A Selection of Primary Sources

Civil War Era

Digital Library on American Slavery

Early Modern Books 1450-1700

Manuscript Women's Letters and Diaries

North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories

North American Indian Thought and Culture

North American Women's Letters and Diaries

Revolution and Protest Online