Category Archives: Electronic resources

US Elections Campaign Archive Exhibition

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With the US presidential election fast approaching, we are exhibiting a selection of materials from the Philip and Rosamund Davies US Elections Campaign Archive.

On display are an exciting range of election ephemera from the past two hundred years. Alongside badges produced by the Trump and Harris campaigns, readers can view Rock the Vote’s leaflet encouraging young people to vote in the 1990s, election guides produced by the League of Women Voters in the 1920s and 1960s, the Illustrated London News’ outraged sketch of fraudulent voters in the 1870s, and a book about the importance of voting written for the American Sunday School Union from the 1820s.

A bird's eye view of items in a display cabinet. On the left are two pamphlets and a small open book; the text is too small to read. In the centre is a copy of the Illustrated London News with a large black and white picture. Below it are two badges, one with a picture of Trump in a red cap and one that reads "Harris Walz obviously" on a blue background. On the right are two pamplets entitled I rocked the vote, and Choosing the president. Below them is a colourful cartoon of a woman filling in a ballot from inside a crocodile's mouth in a jungle, with text "Broom-Hilda: you're never too far away to vote absentee!!"

Readers can view the exhibited materials in the display cabinet on the ground floor, next to our current book display on US presidential elections.

The items chosen for the current display constitute a small part of the Philip and Rosamund Davies US Elections Campaign Archive, an actively growing collection of campaign ephemera from American elections at all levels (National, State, Local). The Archive covers the 19th Century up to and including our current period, but the majority dates from the late 20th Century onwards. Materials include buttons, posters, leaflets, stickers, t-shirts & hats, as well as more unique items such as dolls, jewellery, shoes, bars of soap, playing cards, artwork & commemorative plates! Readers wishing to view items from the archive should contact the Vere Harmsworth Library at vhl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Full details of items on display:

Election Day, written for the American Sunday School Union, and Revised by the Committee of Publication (1820s)

Uncatalogued (post-2020 intake)

The American Sunday School Union was an inter-denominational organisation, originally founded in 1817, to establish Sunday schools of any denominational faith. It commissioned authors, often anonymous, to create stories on American subjects and settings, with the stated goal of creating literature of good “moral character” for children, at low cost. This book shows the process of three young men voting in an election, and discusses the civic importance of taking part in the election. The image in the front of the book shows local people waiting to vote. (An ebook version of this book is available online here through HathiTrust).

The Illustrated London News, 9 Dec 1876, sketch depicting fraudulent voters in the Presidential election in custody, New York

MS. 21407/188

This front image is taken of inside the Post Office Building, one of the polling centres in New York for the 1876 election between Tilden and Hayes. The Chief Supervisor of Elections, John Davenport, reportedly held those suspected of fraudulent voting within the above “cage”. Davenport’s methods were criticised and he was accused of committing election fraud for the Republican Party. The London News had a scathing comment on the proceedings: “it will scarcely tempt the subjects of our gracious Queen to envy the political liberties of the American Republic” (p.6). (An online version of this issue is available here, requiring a single sign on login).

Registration Information and a Guide to the Presidential elections, Massachusetts League of Women Voters (1920)

MS. 21407/191

The League of Women Voters was organised in 1920, a few months before the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The League was originally formed within the National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA), and many local suffrage groups were the basis for local Leagues of Women Voters. This was also the case for the Massachusetts League, which became particularly strong in Boston. The League produced non-partisan guidance for women on the election process, candidates and how to vote, even staging mock voting polls to guide women. (see Woods, “Women Take the Ballot Seriously”: Boston Women in the 1920 Election, National Park Service Blogpost).

Choosing the President, League of Women Voters, 1968

MS. 21407/191

This guide follows a similar template to the 1920 guide, but was produced on a national scale. The League created guides for each election to support its members. Viewing each guide shows how the electoral process has changed (or stayed the same), as well as the concerns of female voters. (An online version of this guide is available here.)

“Broom-Hilda says you’re never too far away to vote absentee” by Russell Myers, printed by the United States Department of Defence (1979)

MSS. Amer. s. 33 / 43 / 3

Broom-Hilda is a popular comic strip witch, created by Russel Myers, and distributed by the Chicago Tribune Syndicate. The character first appeared in April 1970. This poster was printed by the Department of Defence to encourage absentee voting among the military forces. Collecting votes from soldiers on active duty had always been difficult, and legislation to improve this began in the mid-20th Century, partly in reaction to issues encountered in WW2.

“You don’t let other people choose your music. Why let them choose your future?” Rock the Vote leaflet and sticker (1997)

MSS. Amer. s. 33 / 43 / 1

Rock the Vote is a nonpartisan organisation aiming to encourage young people (18-24) to vote and actively participate in the election process. It was founded in 1990 as a joint venture between music artists, executives and political activists, and co-founded by Jeff Ayeroff (former Virgin Records US co-chair). Its first campaign was against censorship, in response to movements to add warning labels to music with explicit content. Rock the Vote continues to be active to this today.

Badges

Donald Trump, Republican Candidate, 2016

MS 21404/5

Kamala Harris, Democrat Candidate, 2024

Uncatalogued (post-2020 intake)

 

New! Online Resources: Gender and Sexuality, Slavery and Antislavery, and Disability Histories!

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Bodleian Readers now have access to three new databases, which build on and expand our collections in three key areas: gender and sexuality, slavery and disability histories.

These three databases are part of a broader purchase of online resources. In line with the Bodleian Libraries’ strategy (pdf) to enhance our collections, the Bodleian Libraries committed substantial funding to a set of purchases of electronic research resources deemed to be important to researchers in the University. The below three have been highlighted as being of interest to Americanists.

You can find out more about all purchases made on the History Faculty Library blog.

Slavery and Antislavery: A Transnational Archive: Part III: The Institution of Slavery

Decorative image of Dred Scott. Caption of image reads: Portrait of Dred Scott (1795-1858) by an unknown artist. Dred Scott was a slave who sued for his and his family's freedom after having lived with their owner in several free states in the 1830s. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Scott, claiming that as a slave, he was not a citizen of the United States and therefore his case could not be heard before a federal court.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Institution of Slavery module explores, in vivid detail, the inner workings of slavery from 1492 to 1888. This compliments our existing collection Part II: Slave Trade in the Atlantic World. Includes:

  • Papers and diaries of slave owners, traders and pro-slavery advocates.
  • Papers of key political figures and families, such as US Attorney General and governor of Kentucky John J. Crittenden, and Massachusetts state senator, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, and U.S. attorney Caleb Cushing.
  • Court records related to the case of Dred Scott, and personal papers of the Blair family, who were involved in Scott’s council during the trial.
  • court cases, petitions and legislation related to slavery from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
  • Records related to East Florida (1737-1858) in English and Spanish, including resources related to slavery.
  • Senate Select Committee papers into John Brown’s raid of Harper’s Ferry (1859).
  • Slave narratives from the Federal Writer’s Project, collected and published in the 1930s.
  • …alongside records related to the institution of slavery in British North America and the Caribbean.

History of Disabilities: Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century

Decorative image of books. Caption underneath reads: Books from Special Collection S.32.A. (Feeble-minded, Mental Deficiency, et al) of the New York Academy of Medicine Library. Photo by Philip Virta, 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century presents monographs (books), manuscripts, and ephemera that provide a historical view of disabilities from the seventeenth to twentieth century. All collections in this database are sourced from the New York Academy of Medicine Library.

  • Papers of the general superintendent of the New York City Asylums from the 19th -early 20th Century, including correspondence, diaries, speeches, and involvement in key legal cases.
  • Case records, patient histories and correspondence of a 19th-early 20th Century nurologist.
  • Douglas C. McMurtrie Cripples Collection – 300 bound volumes containing approximately 3,500 separate books, pamphlets, reports, and articles on disability and the disabled (particuarly children) from the early 20th Century. This collection was established by McMurtrie, who was Directory of the Red Cross Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men. 
  • over 3,000 pamphlets from the 19th/20th Century and historical books from the Library covering disabilities, diagnosis, treatment, memoirs, reports, policy documents, advertisements and more.

Archives of Sexuality and Gender: Sex and Sexuality, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century

The Archives of Sexuality and Gender: Sex and Sexuality, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century is a collection like no other. It is made up of more than five thousand rare and unique books covering sex, sexuality, and gender issues across the sciences and humanities and throughout history. This compliments our existing collections: LGBTQ History and Culture since 1940, Parts I and II.

Two of the three libraries which make up the collections are US-based. They are:

  • New York Academy of Medicine Library – more than 1,500 books covering topics in sex, sexuality, and gender, some dating from the 16th century. Also includes records related to the court case of Mary Ware Dennett, an early 20th Century birth control and sex education advocate.
  • The Kinsey Institute for Sex Research – a collection of materials from 1700 to 1860. This is a portion of Dr. Kinsey’s original library which he used to study human sexual behavior from a variety of academic and literary viewpoints.

New! Online Resource: Black Nationalism and RAM; and Papers of Amiri Baraka 

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I am pleased to report that the Vere Harmsworth Library has purchased the previously trialled databases Black Nationalism and the Revolutionary Action Movement and Papers of Amiri Baraka for Bodleian Readers.

Black Nationalism and the Revolutionary Action Movement: The Papers of Muhammad Ahmad (Max Stanford)

The Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM) came into existence as a result of a year of organizing for student rights and involvement in the civil rights movement among a collective of undergraduate students at Central State College (now University) in late May to early June of 1962.

Originally focused in Philadelphia, RAM, engaged in voter registration/education drives, organized community support for the economic boycotts of the Philadelphia “400” ministers led by Rev. Leon Sullivan and held free African/African-American history classes at its office. RAM participated in support demonstrations of the struggles then being waged in the South to end racial segregation. It was also active in coalitions to eliminate police brutality against the African-American community.

RAM became a national organisation in 1964, organising African American students, raising the demand for Black studies and campaigning for economic, social and political equality. It also sent organisers into Southern states. RAM was the first African-American organization to denounce the US government’s war of aggression against the people of Vietnam and support the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF). RAM was dissolved in 1968, following pressure from US government intelligence agencies (most noticeably the FBI) and local police forces.

This collection of RAM records reproduces the writings and statements of the RAM and its leaders. It also covers organizations that evolved from or were influenced by RAM and persons that had close ties to RAM. The most prominent organization that evolved from RAM was the African People’s Party. Organizations which worked with RAM included the NAACP, SNCC and Deacons of Defense. Organizations influenced by RAM include the Black Panther Party, League of Revolutionary Black Workers, Youth Organization for Black Unity, African Liberation Support Committee, and the Republic of New Africa. Individuals associated with RAM and documented in this collection include Robert F. Williams, Malcolm X, Amiri Baraka, General Gordon Baker Jr., Yuri Kochiyama, Donald Freeman, James and Grace Lee Boggs, Herman Ferguson, Askia Muhammad Toure (Rolland Snellings), and Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael).

You can access Black Nationalism and Revolutionary Action Movement using your Single Sign On here.

Papers of Amiri Baraka, Poet Laureate of the Black Power Movement

The collection consists of materials from the years 1913 through 1998 that document African American author and activist Amiri Baraka and were gathered by Dr. Komozi Woodard in the course of his research. The extensive documentation includes poetry, organizational records, print publications, articles, plays, speeches, personal correspondence, oral histories, as well as some personal records. The materials cover Baraka’s involvement in the politics in Newark, N.J. and in Black Power movement organizations such as the Congress of African People, the National Black Conference movement, the Black Women’s United Front. Later materials document Baraka’s increasing involvement in Marxism.

The collection has been organised into 18 series,

  • Series I: Black Arts Movement, 1961-1998
  • Series II: Black Nationalism,, 1964-1977
  • Series III: Correspondence, 1967-1973
  • Series IV: Newark (New Jersey), 1913-1980
  • Series V: Congress of African People, 1960-1976 – Organisation founded by Baraka in 1970 to advance his own vision of African cultural nationalism.
  • Series VI: National Black Conferences and National Black Assembly, 1968-1975 –Includes the 1972 Convention in Gary, Indiana, where delegates adopted the National Black Political Agenda, also known as the Gary declaration and formed the National Black Assembly (NBA).
  • Series VII: Black Women’s United Front, 1975-1976 -Formed  in 1974 by Amina Baraka (Sylvia Jones), the wife of Amiri Baraka.
  • Series VIII: Student Organization for Black Unity, 1971
  • Series IX: African Liberation Support Committee, 1973-1976
  • Series X: Revolutionary Communist League, 1974-1982 – founded by Bakara when CAP disintegrated in conflict, and reflects Baraka’s move away from nationalism to a Marxist position.
  • Series XI: African Socialism, 1973
  • Series XII: Black Marxists, 1969-1980–  includes materials on black Marxist contemporaries of Baraka, and older black Marxists such as Harry Haywood, C.L.R. James, and Odis Hyde. The series also includes files on the All African Revolutionary Party, the Black Workers Congress, and the Progressive Labor Party.
  • Series XIII: National Black United Front, 1979-1981
  • Series XIV: Miscellaneous Materials, 1978-1988
  • Series XV: Serial Publications, 1968-1984
  • Series XVI: Oral Histories, 1984-1986 –  transcripts from sixteen interviews conducted by Komozi Woodard and his assistants as part of an oral history project entitled, “The Making of Black NewArk: An Oral History of the Impact of the Freedom Movement on Newark Politics.” Most of the people interviewed were primarily local Newark activists, although there are also interviews with Baraka, Maulana Ron Karenga, and scholar John Henrik Clarke. This series of oral histories is one of the most unique and valuable parts of this collection.
  • Series XVII: Komozi Woodard’s Office Files, 1956-1986

You can access the Papers of Amari Baraka using your Single Sign On here.

New! Online Resource: Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940, Part II

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Decorative poster from Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives. Full citation: You Are Not Alone! n.d. TS Posters from the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives 1134;1992-077/11 N. Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives. Archives of Sexuality and Gender, Gale Document Number ITJQWI002629288

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am pleased to report that Bodleian readers now have access to Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940, Part II. This database was kindly funded by Bloomsbury Publishing.

The Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940, Part II provides coverage of the development, culture, and society of LGBTQ groups in the latter half of the twentieth century. It provides new perspectives on a diverse community and the wealth of resources available in the archive allow for creating connections amongst disparate materials. Oxford researchers now have access to both Part I and II of the Archives of Sexuality and Gender (see our previous blogpost for more information about Part I).

Materials were selected from the following US archives:

  • ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, University of Southern California, Los Angeles – the world’s largest repository of LGBTQ materials, primarily focused on activities in California
  • GLBT Historical Society, San Francisco, California
  • Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
  • Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
  • Lambda Archives, San Diego, California

Collections of interest to Americanists include:

Alongside the above are materials from Canadian and British based collections, alongside ephemera and publications from Mexico, giving researchers a broader geographic context.

You can access Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940, Part II here, or via the Bodleian Libraries Database A-Z.  Note that you will need to use your Single Sign On to access this resource.

Trials: Black Nationalism and RAM; and Papers of Amiri Baraka (trial ended)

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I am pleased to report that the Vere Harmsworth Library has organised trial access to Black Nationalism and the Revolutionary Action Movement and Papers of Amiri Baraka for Bodleian Readers. The trial ran until 18th February 2024 and is now finished.

Black Nationalism and the Revolutionary Action Movement: The Papers of Muhammad Ahmad (Max Stanford)

The Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM) came into existence as a result of a year of organizing for student rights and involvement in the civil rights movement among a collective of undergraduate students at Central State College (now University) in late May to early June of 1962.

Originally focused in Philadelphia, RAM, engaged in voter registration/education drives, organized community support for the economic boycotts of the Philadelphia “400” ministers led by Rev. Leon Sullivan and held free African/African-American history classes at its office. RAM participated in support demonstrations of the struggles then being waged in the South to end racial segregation. It was also active in coalitions to eliminate police brutality against the African-American community.

RAM became a national organisation in 1964, organising African American students, raising the demand for Black studies and campaigning for economic, social and political equality. It also sent organisers into Southern states. RAM was the first African-American organization to denounce the US government’s war of aggression against the people of Vietnam and support the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF). RAM was dissolved in 1968, following pressure from US government intelligence agencies (most noticeably the FBI) and local police forces.

This collection of RAM records reproduces the writings and statements of the RAM and its leaders. It also covers organizations that evolved from or were influenced by RAM and persons that had close ties to RAM. The most prominent organization that evolved from RAM was the African People’s Party. Organizations which worked with RAM included the NAACP, SNCC and Deacons of Defense. Organizations influenced by RAM include the Black Panther Party, League of Revolutionary Black Workers, Youth Organization for Black Unity, African Liberation Support Committee, and the Republic of New Africa. Individuals associated with RAM and documented in this collection include Robert F. Williams, Malcolm X, Amiri Baraka, General Gordon Baker Jr., Yuri Kochiyama, Donald Freeman, James and Grace Lee Boggs, Herman Ferguson, Askia Muhammad Toure (Rolland Snellings), and Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael).

You can access Black Nationalism and Revolutionary Action Movement using your Single Sign On here.

Papers of Amiri Baraka, Poet Laureate of the Black Power Movement

The collection consists of materials from the years 1913 through 1998 that document African American author and activist Amiri Baraka and were gathered by Dr. Komozi Woodard in the course of his research. The extensive documentation includes poetry, organizational records, print publications, articles, plays, speeches, personal correspondence, oral histories, as well as some personal records. The materials cover Baraka’s involvement in the politics in Newark, N.J. and in Black Power movement organizations such as the Congress of African People, the National Black Conference movement, the Black Women’s United Front. Later materials document Baraka’s increasing involvement in Marxism.

The collection has been organised into 18 series,

  • Series I: Black Arts Movement, 1961-1998
  • Series II: Black Nationalism,, 1964-1977
  • Series III: Correspondence, 1967-1973
  • Series IV: Newark (New Jersey), 1913-1980
  • Series V: Congress of African People, 1960-1976 – Organisation founded by Baraka in 1970 to advance his own vision of African cultural nationalism.
  • Series VI: National Black Conferences and National Black Assembly, 1968-1975 –Includes the 1972 Convention in Gary, Indiana, where delegates adopted the National Black Political Agenda, also known as the Gary declaration and formed the National Black Assembly (NBA).
  • Series VII: Black Women’s United Front, 1975-1976 -Formed  in 1974 by Amina Baraka (Sylvia Jones), the wife of Amiri Baraka.
  • Series VIII: Student Organization for Black Unity, 1971
  • Series IX: African Liberation Support Committee, 1973-1976
  • Series X: Revolutionary Communist League, 1974-1982 – founded by Bakara when CAP disintegrated in conflict, and reflects Baraka’s move away from nationalism to a Marxist position.
  • Series XI: African Socialism, 1973
  • Series XII: Black Marxists, 1969-1980–  includes materials on black Marxist contemporaries of Baraka, and older black Marxists such as Harry Haywood, C.L.R. James, and Odis Hyde. The series also includes files on the All African Revolutionary Party, the Black Workers Congress, and the Progressive Labor Party.
  • Series XIII: National Black United Front, 1979-1981
  • Series XIV: Miscellaneous Materials, 1978-1988
  • Series XV: Serial Publications, 1968-1984
  • Series XVI: Oral Histories, 1984-1986 –  transcripts from sixteen interviews conducted by Komozi Woodard and his assistants as part of an oral history project entitled, “The Making of Black NewArk: An Oral History of the Impact of the Freedom Movement on Newark Politics.” Most of the people interviewed were primarily local Newark activists, although there are also interviews with Baraka, Maulana Ron Karenga, and scholar John Henrik Clarke. This series of oral histories is one of the most unique and valuable parts of this collection.
  • Series XVII: Komozi Woodard’s Office Files, 1956-1986

You can access the Papers of Amari Baraka using your Single Sign On here.

Please send any feedback you have regarding these resources to bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Access to online Anglican missionary archive resources – Early North American History

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[The following is adapted from the History Faculty Library blogpost]

The landing page of USPG. It shows a black & white print of harbour scene, links to browse through volumes and documents, a link to view highlights. and a text box of insights which read: "The USPG and other missionary organisations aim to facilitate the spread of Christianity by appointing missionaries to visit and stay in various countries around the world. Whilst on a mission, representatives of the Church are expected to perform a number of tasks to promote Christianity. This may involve providing a Christian education, engaging in charitable work, and performing services."

America in records from colonial missionaries, 1635-1928

We are pleased to announce that Oxford researchers now have online access to 14 collections of the Anglican missionary archive, the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (USPG), which have been digitized by British Online Archives. Previously only available in the Weston Library, the digitised material can now be accessed throughout the University and remotely with the Oxford SSO.

The USPG is a UK-based Anglican missionary organisation, founded in 1701, which sent missionaries to many parts of the world and was involved in educational, charitable and medical work as well as evangelization. The material also throws light on social conditions, travel and daily life abroad from the view point of British missionaries and their families.

The digitized material is relevant to British, Commonwealth and global history, covering the 17th to mid-20th centuries. It has been organised into 14 collections which can be found via SOLO or Databases A-Z

Of particular interest to North Americanists are:

  1. America in Records from Colonial Missionaries, 1635-1928
  2. ‘Bray Schools’ in Canada, America and the Bahamas, 1645-1900
  3. Colonial missionaries’ papers from America and the West Indies, 1701-1870
  4. The West Indies in records from colonial missionaries, 1704-1950
  5. Canada in records from colonial missionaries, 1722-1952

Early modern and modern source materials

The digitized material dates from 1635 to 1967 and includes letters, journals, reports, minute books, financial records, statistical returns, drawings, leaflets, questionnaires, school records, press cuttings, and printed books and magazines.

A single page handwritten letter from Franklin to Lyttleton.

Letter of 3 June 1786 from Benjamin Franklin, while President of Pennsylvania, to Rev. Thomas Lyttleton concerning the lease of land for a school.
Shelfmark: USPG Bray/N.America/3/f.2/item 4
©2014 Microform Academic Publishers with permission of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel

Topics covered include:

  • the establishment of the Anglican Church in north America
  • the American War of Independence
  • slavery and its abolition
  • the establishment of Christian schools
  • indigenous communities
  • women missionaries
  • the impact of colonialism
  • philanthropy

The digitized material represents a proportion of the whole USPG archive which is held on deposit in the Bodleian Library and is available for consultation in the Weston Library.

Lucy McCann, Senior Archivist, Special Collections, Bodleian Libraries

Other useful subscription resources:

New: Women’s Studies Archive: Issues and Identities

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[Partially re-blogged from the History Faculty Library blog]

As we continue to grow our eresources collections on women’s history, we are pleased to announce that Oxford researchers now have access to Women’s Studies Archive: Issues and Identities.

Home page of the resource showing a search box and an image of a line of suffragettes holding a poster which reads "Mr Presidents, how long must women wait for liberty".

National Woman’s Party members picket outside the White House in 1917 with the message, “Mr. President, How long must women wait for Liberty” Source: Women of Protest: Photographs from the Records of the National Woman’s Party, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 12 © Gale Cengage

This collection traces the path of women’s issues in the 19th and 20th centuries, drawing on primary sources from manuscripts, newspapers, periodicals, and more. It captures the foundation of women’s movements, struggles and triumphs, and provides researchers with valuable insights. It focusses on the social, political, and professional achievements of women, the pioneers of women’s movements, and is useful to understand the issues that have affected women and the many contributions they have made to society.

It is, however, more generally also a useful resource to research WWI, WWII, social and economic conditions, and world events in the 20th century, as described and seen from women’s perspectives and revealed in periodicals, correspondence and papers.

Individual source collections of particular interest to US historians are:

  • Periodicals and newsletters from the Herstory Collection, tracing the women’s rights movement in the US and abroad; alongside primary source collections focused on women’s health/mental health and the law.
  • Manuscript records of key women involved in political movements, missionary work or American pioneer activities.
  • Records of the Committee of Fifteen (1900-1901), a private group based in New York who collected evidence of “vice” – prostitution and gambling- to spur local authorities into action and promote anti-vice legislation.
  • Records of the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) and its founders.
  • Records of political anti-war movements, such as the Woman’s Peace Party (1914-1920), the Women’s Peace Union (1921-1940) and the United States section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) (1919-1959).
  • Files from two key grassroots feminist organisations based in Boston and San Francisco, which were part of the second-wave feminist movement.
  • Records from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, including records from it’s predecessors (American Birth Control League and the Birth Control Clinical Research Bureau). Documents include minutes of meetings, conferences, subject files, correspondence and personal papers of key founders.

You can search across the above collections and other Gale databases via Gale Primary Sources. Please note that you will need to use your Single Sign On to access these resources.

New: Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive, part II: Slave Trade in the Atlantic World

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[Partially re-blogged from the History Faculty Library blog]

We are delighted to announce that Oxford researchers now have access to Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive, part II: Slave Trade in the Atlantic World.

This collection provides access to a wide range of materials to help understand the inception of slavery in Africa and its rise as perpetuated on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, with particular focus on the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.

It covers a wide spectrum of subjects related to the history of slavery: legal issues; economics; the Caribbean; children and women under slavery; modes of resistance; and much more, from 1490 to 1896.

This collection will be of interest to those studying the broader institution of slavery. Individual source collections of particular interest to US historians are:

  • Correspondence to the US Secretary of the Navy from the Officers of the Africa Squadron, a US-British manned squadron which patrolled the West African Coast to intercept and search slave trading ships.
  • Legal documents, including backgrounds, proceedings and prior rulings related to The Amistad slave rebellion, which became an important rallying point for the abolitionist cause.
  • Manuscript collections related to enslaved and free people of colour in New Orleans, such as deeds and estate appraisals, bank and tax files, military rosters, bills of lading, and many other municipal materials.
  • US Customs Service Records for New Orleans, documenting the transfer of incoming and outgoing enslaved persons from the port. These important records include key details such as names, destinations, enslavers and shippers.
  • The papers of Oliver Pollock, a former commercial agent of New Orleans and Virginia, who was a major financier of the American Revolutionary War, primarily through his role in the slave trade.
  • Collections from the British Library, such as the letter books of the Virginia Colony (1634-41) and manuscript collections from the Egerton Collection of official papers relating to the English settlements in America, 1627-1699.

You can search across the above collections and other Gale databases via Gale Primary Sources. Please note that you will need to use your Single Sign On to access these resources.

New Databases from Archives Unbound!

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I am pleased to report that the VHL has committed funding towards four new databases from the Archives Unbound collections from Gale.

These four collections are now available for all Bodleian readers to use, and can be found in SOLO or our Database A-Z. You can find out more about each collection below. Their topics range from the American Confederacy, religion, politics and African American movements in 1930s/40s America.

You can search across all the above databases via Gale Primary Sources. Please note that you will need to use your Single Sign On to access these resources.

Confederate Newspapers: A Collection from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama

This collection is a mixture of issues and papers from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Alabama ranging from 1861-1865. These newspapers “recorded the real and true history of public opinion during the war. In their columns is to be found the only really correct and indicative ‘map of busy life, its fluctuations and its vast concerns’ in the South, during her days of darkness and of trial.” The newspapers are text-searchable, and include advertisements. Topics include everyday life in the Confederacy, as well as discussions of the Civil War and Slavery.

You can access this database directly here.

Election of 1948

This collection provides documents and the perspectives of the four base camps from the 1948 United States presidential election: Democrat incumbent President and eventual victor Harry S. Truman (1884–1972; U.S. President, 1945–1953), Republican and New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey (1902–1971), Progressive and former Vice President Henry A. Wallace (1888–1965) and Dixiecrat and South Carolina Governor J. Strom Thurmond (1902–2003). Sources include Papers of Harry S Truman, Thomas E. Dewey Papers, Papers of Americans for Democratic Action as well as selections from several southern newspapers. These sources show the political landscape of the United States post-WWII, and the growing tensions within the country.

You can access this database directly here.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and Race Relations, 1933-1945

This new series contains a collection of essential materials for the study of the early development of the Civil Rights Movement-concerned with the issues of Lynching, Segregation, Race riots, and Employment discrimination. FDR’s record on civil rights has been the subject of much controversy. This new collection from FDR’s Official File provides insight into his political style and presents an instructive example of how he balanced moral preference with political realities. Topics also include the migration of African Americans to northern states, the role of Eleanor Roosevelt in championing equal rights and racial justice, and reports on key individuals and organisations, such as the NAACP.

You can access this database directly here.

Global Missions and Theology

This collection documents the broad range of Nineteenth Century religious missionary activities, practices and thought in the United States by reproducing pivotal personal narratives, organizational records, and biographies of the essential leaders, simple missionaries, and churches. This collection includes materials on missionary activities among Native Americans and African Americans, both slaves and freedmen. In addition, it highlights activities in far-flung regions and countries, such as Africa, Fiji and Sandwich Islands, India, China, Southeast Asia, Japan, and Hawaii.

You can access this database directly here.

 

Trial Access: Race Relations in America and Everyday Life and Women in America (Trial Ended)

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[Update: These trials have now ended. If you have any feedback you wish to give regarding these databases, please contact Bethan Davies, VHL Librarian – 2nd March 2023]

I am pleased to announce that the VHL has organised trials of two databases; Race Relations in America and Everyday Life and Women in America, 1800-1920.

The trials for both databases last until the 1st March 2023 – please plan your use of these databases accordingly, and pass any feedback that you have to bethan.davies@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Race Relations in America title. Image of a group of African American children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Race Relations in America

Based at Fisk University from 1943-1970, the Race Relations Department and its annual Institute were set up by the American Missionary Association to investigate problem areas in race relations and develop methods for educating communities and preventing conflict. Documenting three pivotal decades in the fight for civil rights, this resource showcases the speeches, reports, surveys and analyses produced by the Department’s staff and Institute participants.

Key themes covered include:

·         Desegregation of schools, industries and public transport – survey material documents the attitudes of the community towards prospective desegregation, as well as analysing the results. The progress of legislation and legal cases can also be explored within the collection, alongside statistical data used in key Supreme Court Cases.

·         Migration of African Americans from the rural South to urban centers, which had a significant impact on American industry and the labour movement, as well as domestic issues such as housing, overcrowding and poverty.

·         The role of the Church in the Civil Rights Movement and in African American communities, from helping to fund organizations like the Race Relations Institute, to the part played in encouraging integration or segregation among their congregations. Other religious and spiritual groups are also covered.

·         Race riots and other racial tensions, which the Race Relations Department worked to diffuse or prevent by aiding communities to identify and address their problems. Alongside surveys created by field workers are reports on specific events, with testimonies from individuals involved in events such as police brutality.

·         Activities of the Civil Rights Movement, including protest marches, sit-in demonstrations, student movements, and legal cases. Reports and correspondence are kept on key organisations, as well as the activities of specific hate groups.

·         Speeches and reports by key figures of the time, including Thurgood Marshall and Rosa Parks, alongside sociologists, activists, psychologists, teachers, ministers, students and housewives.

Alongside this are contextual essays, thematic guides, audio recordings and video interviews, interactive maps of survey locations and data on attendees of Race Relations Institute.

Title Everyday life and women in America. Illustration of a family around a dining table. A text box reads "Discover the Collection: Explore documents from the Sallie Bingham Centre for Women's History and Culture, Duke University and the New York Public Library.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyday Life and Women in America, 1800-1920

Everyday Life & Women in America comprises thousands of fully searchable images of monographs, pamphlets, periodicals and broadsides addressing 19th and early 20th century political, social and gender issues, religion, race, education, employment, marriage, sexuality, home and family life, health, and pastimes. The collection is especially rich in conduct of life and domestic management literature, offering vivid insights into the daily lives of women and men, as well as emphasizing contrasts in regional, urban and rural cultures.

Key themed areas within the collection are:

·         An extensive number of periodicals, with either complete or near complete runs, covering both national and local levels. Titles include society periodicals like Town Topics and general household magazines such as Household News. Periodicals focused on religious, political and social causes are included (like the anarchist Lucifer, The Light Bearer, which later became the American Journal of Eugenics), alongside official publications of clubs, organisations and educational institutions. Topics also cover national events and topics, such as the American Civil War, suffrage movements and race.

·         Documents which refer to, and were aimed for, African Americans, Native Americans and Jewish women. There are also publications aimed at and for white supremacist movements (such as Installation ceremonies; Women of the Ku Klux Klan).

·         A broad collection of popular fiction series and sensational literature.

·         Guidance books, etiquette manuals and advisory literature on the expected behaviour of women and their conduct, marriages, motherhood and house roles.

·         Works and official reports on the role of women in education and the workplace.

·         Rare cookbooks, medical guidance works and collections of home remedies.

·         Fashion advertisements and periodicals, as well as works on the “ideal form of Beauty”.

Alongside this are contextual essays, thematic guides, an interactive chronology of events throughout 1800-1920, and subject search directories.