History and Historical Documents Research
GENERAL SEARCHES
The Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (1885- )
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves. Call Number: GP 3.8: 1885 - 1977
The electronic version GPO Monthly Catalog 1976 - present
is available on Ohio U Campus computers and through OhioLINK.
This is the main index to the publications of the United States government. It is issued monthly with annual indexes. You may look for things by subject, author, title, or keyword. Citations include the Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) call numbers that are the call numbers used in our Government Documents Department.
BY SUBJECT:
Cumulative Subject Index to the Monthly Catalog 1900-1971
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number: Z 1223 .A182 X
The citations here send you to specific entries in specific Monthly Catalogs Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number: GP 3.8: where you will find information on publications on your subject.
BY TITLE:
Cumulative Title Index to United States Public Documents 1789-1976
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number: Z 1223 .Z7 L47
This set has all titles arranged alphabetically and gives the SuDoc call number for each one. Remember: Many U.S. documents published before 1976 are not yet included in ALICE.
RESOURCES OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO HISTORIANS
American State Papers Location: Government Documents Department Call Number: Serial Set Number or ASP number
This is the earliest collection of Congressional and Presidential material covering 1789 to 1838. It is the precursor to the Congressional Serial Set. The volumes are arranged by subjects or "classes."
Class 1: Foreign Relations, Class 2: Indian Affairs, Class 3: Finance, Class 4: Commerce and Navigation, Class 5: Military Affairs, Class 6: Naval Affairs, Class 7: Post Office Dept., Class 8: Public Lands, Class 9: Claims, and Class 10: Miscellaneous.
Use the advanced search of Lexis-Nexis Congressional to access Serial Set, 1789-1969 for searching this set. Or Browse the thirty-eight physical volumes, American State Papers from the Library of Congress, American Memory
Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress 1774 - present
Early Census Materials
Location: Government Documents Department Call Numbers: I 2. through I 16.
The early Census Office was connected to the Interior Department as shown by these
I call numbers. Early Censuses covered population, manufactures, farming, etc. Available online from the Census Bureau
Census of Population and Housing 1790 - 1890 - 1980 - 2000
Some files from the earlier censuses (1790 - 1960) are on the web at the Historical Census Data Browser from the University of Virginia.
Checklist of U.S. Public Documents 1789-1909 (Online-Courtesy University of North Texas)
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number: GP 3.2: C 41/2
This book lists by SuDoc number/agency all documents and series titles published during this early time period. In addition, for titles also published as Serial Set volumes, a serial volume number is given in brackets, i.e. [2353]. There is no subject index but the index by agency is very complete. In addition, the annotations give detailed histories of the agencies and their publications.
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System is a computerized database containing very basic facts about servicemen who served on both sides during the Civil War. Facts about the soldiers were entered from records that are indexed to many millions of other documents about Union and Confederate Civil War soldiers maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration.
Official Records: War of the Rebellion (Army)
Official Records: War of the Rebellion (Navy)
Online-Courtesy Cornell University Library Making of America (MOA)is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
The Civil War on CD-ROM Location: only available at Government Documents Reference Desk
Call Number: E 464.C5 1996x CD-Rom This CD contains full text of four important titles:
- The War of The Rebellion : A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies.
- This is the complete Army 0fficial records of the American Civil War, with complete new indexing. These 127 books are the definitive reference source for the original battle reports and correspondence of the Civil War
- A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion
by Frederick H. Dyer.
- Regimental Losses in the American Civil War (1861-1865)
by William F. Fox
- A User's Guide to the Official Records of the American Civil War by Alan and Barbara Almone.
Congressional Record 1874- present
Call number: X
Paper copies are in the Documents Stacks until 1994, when we switched to microfiche. And, beginning with 1985 (the 99th Congress), the Congressional Record is available on the Internet in several places.
The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the proceedings of the House of Representatives and the Senate, but does not include any committee deliberations or hearings (where the bulk of the business actually gets done). There is an index every two weeks that is superseded by a cumulative index at the end of each session of Congress.
Earlier publications reporting on proceedings on the floor of Congress were Annals of Congress (1789-1824), Register of Debates (1824-1837), and Congressional Globe (1833-1873). All of these titles are filed under Call Number: X preceding the volumes of the Congressional Record.
Congressional Research Service Reports (CRS) 1916 - Current
These are research reports done by specialists at the Library of Congress for the members of the U.S. Congress. The CRS reports provide a variety of in-depth policy analyses and research on every subject of interest to Congress, including background analysis, pro and con arguments, scientific economic and legislative analyses, legal research, and legislative histories. More CRS Reports Info.
Congressional Serial Set
Location: Government Documents Stacks after the regular SuDoc numbers--between the U.S. documents and the Ohio documents.
Digital Full Text Serial Set 1789 - 1969 (Lexis Nexis)
Throughout its history, the Congressional Serial Set has included a wide range of publications: House and Senate Reports and Documents, House and Senate Journals, executive and miscellaneous publications, reports on private and public legislation, the annual reports of executive and independent agencies, reports on audits of federally charted private corporations, investigative and background studies, proceedings of certain societies and associations, etc. etc. For access to this material, use Lexis-Nexis Congressional Publications. You will be able to search by subject, keyword, Congress, etc. Since 1979, the various parts of the Serial Set are on microfiche.
And, starting with publications from the 103rd Congress (1993), most of the House and Senate Reports, and House and Senate Documents are available on the WWW at the following address:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/multidb.html or
Bills (GPO Access) 103rd Congress (1993-94) - Current http://www.gpoaccess.gov/bills/index.html
Primary Documents in American History including: Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Federalist Papers Northwest Ordinance
Lexis-Nexis Congressional
This is an excellent, friendly electronic source for recent and historic information on Congress and its activities. You can search and browse proposed bills, recently passed laws, hot topics, biographical information on members of Congress, etc. Use the Advanced Search Tab to select types of documents to search from the oldest publications from the U.S. Congress 1789 to the present.
Cumulative Title Index to United States Public Documents
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number:Z 1223 Z7 L47
Covers publications from 1789-1976. If a researcher has the title of an old U.S. document, this is the first place to look. The set lists titles and gives the Superintendent of Documents call number for each.
Conducting Post-World War II National Security Research in Executive Branch Records
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number: UA 23.D275 2001
A guide to help determine what agency and White House records exist, where they are located, and if accessible by the public or not.
Digital National Security Archive
This collection contains many thousands of important declassified government documents that led to American foreign policy decisions in the post-World War II world.
Declassified Documents Reference System
DDRS is an enormous database of full-text scanned images of previously classified federal government documents obtained by presidential libraries from various government agencies, including the White House, the CIA, the FBI, the State Department, and others. Nearly every major foreign and domestic event from the years immediately following World War II through the 1970s is covered: the Cold War, Vietnam, foreign policy shifts, the civil rights movement, and more.
Executive order 11652 revised the regulations governing the handling of Classified U.S. security information. As a result, thousands of post-World War II government documents which formerly had the status of "top-secret", "secret", or "confidential" were declassified. The 1974 Freedom of Information Act has resulted in additional documents being declassified on a regular basis which are published on microfiche as part of the Declassified Documents Reference System (DDRS).
The microfiche versions of DDRS, which includes both retrospective coverage and coverage to 2004 (including a CD-ROM index) are available, check record for location.
For on-line, full-text, versions of similiar materials by general topic or event (or access to microform) also see the Digital National Security Files.
Documents of United States Indian Policy
Location: Government Dociments Index Shelves Call Number: KF 8205.D63 1990
A selection of "essential documents which marked significant formulations of policy in the conduct of Indian Affairs by the United States government".
Federal Government Resources Historic Documents
from the University of Michigan Document Center
Comprehensive sources, information and links to digital collections covering:
African American - American Revolution - Amistad - Civil Rights - Civil War - Cold War - Colonial Period - Congress - Constitution - Cuban Missile Crisis/Bay of Pigs - Declaration of Independence - Early Federal Period - FBI - Federalist Papers - Foreign Relations of the United States - General Land Office Records - Gulf War - House Unamerican Activities Committee - Impeachments - Iran-Contra - JFK Assassination - Korean War - Love Canal - Martin Luther King - McCarthy Hearings - National Security Council - Native Americans - Presidents Salem Witchcraft - Vietnamese War - WPA - Westward Expansion - World War I - World War II
Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)
Location: Government Documents Department Call Number: S 1.1:
Foreign Relations of the United States from 1861-1958/60
(incomplete run - 372 vols.) from University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center
Foreign Relations of the United States 1961/63 - 1969-76
Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State
This series from the U.S. State Department began in 1861 and constitutes the official record of the foreign policy of the United States. The volumes in the series include, "subject to necessary security considerations, all documents needed to give a comprehensive record of the major foreign policy decisions of the United States." Materials are not released for publication until 25 years after they were originally produced. Check ALICE for the library holdings and Internet access to specific volumes.
Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number: AE 1.108: G 94/V.1-3
This three volume set includes descriptions of federal records in the National Archives as of September 1994. Records in the custody of the National Archives date from pre-federal times to the present. They include linen-paper records of the Continental Congress as well as electronic lists of Vietnam casualties i.e. a huge range of subject areas and a variety of formats.
A Guide to Pre-Federal Records in the National Archives
Location:Alden 2nd Floor Reference Call Number:CD3045 .W44 1989
Historical Statistics of the United States Colonial Times to 1970 Part 1 Part 2
Location: Government Documents Reference Desk Collection Call Number: C 3.134/2:H 62/789-970
This two-volume set is a vast compilation of statistics from a variety of sources, not just the government. An introduction to each section includes definitions and text annotations to serve as a guide to other sources. Part 1 Covers: Population, Vital Statistics, Migration, Labor, Social Statistics, Land and Climate, Agriculture. Part 2 Covers:Construction, Manufacturing, Transportation, Energy, Communication, Finance, International Transactions, Government, Colonial & Pre-Federal Statistics.
Historical Statistics of the United States: Millennial Edition Online from Cambridge University Press
Index to United States Documents Relating to Foreign Affairs 1828-1861
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number: Z 1223 Z7 H2
Material indexed by author, personal name, and subject relating to diplomatic controversy contained in the printed papers of both Houses of Congress; plus the Senate Executive Journal, for diplomatic and consular appointments and treaty ratifications; the Opinions of the Attorneys General, for decisions on questions of international controversy; the Statues-at-Large, for act and resolutions relating to international affairs and the Congressional Globe.
Presidential Papers and Communications Guide
This list provides researchers an overview of the major collections of presidential papers and communications available in Alden Library in print, microfilm, microfiche or electronic formats. It also includes a few guides to presidential materials.
The Presidential Papers on CD-ROM
This CD is only available at Government Documents Reference Desk Call Number: J 81.C95 1995x CD-Rom
The Presidential Papers on CD-ROM provides online keyword searching and full text of two series:
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Messages and Papers of the Presidents
This 10-volume set of over 7900 pages contains: letters, speeches, proclamations, and other primary source documents issued by Presidents George Washington through William Howard Taft.
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Public Papers of the Presidents
This 79-volume set contains over 81,000 pages. It includes documents from Presidents Hoover through Clinton, with Franklin D. Roosevelt's papers are compiled after William Clinton.
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This title is also available in print form in the Documents Department stacks.
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From 1929-1983, the Call Number: GS 4.113:
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From 1984 to present, the Call Number: AE 2.114:
Statistical Abstract of the United States (selected online 1878-present)
Print form in the Documents Department stacks.
1913 - 1937 Call Number: C 18.14: 1938 to present: Call Number: C 3.134:
Statutes at Large First forty-three Congresses, 1789 - 1875 online from the Library of Congress
1789 - 1897 are on microfilm - periodical collection on the first floor.
1897 - 1984 are in the Documents Department shelved under Call Number: GS 4.111:
1985 - Current volumes are shelved under Call Number: AE 2.111:
These volumes give a chronological arrangement of all the laws passed in each session of the Congress. There is a Subject Index at the back of each volume. The more recent volumes include a very brief "Legislative History" at the end of each law. These volumes are usually cited as follows: 103 Stat.157 meaning volume 103 of the STATUTES page 157.
U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings Index
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number: KF 40 C56 1981
This index covers published hearings from the earliest years (early 1800's) through 1969. It provides comprehensive index access to the subject matter and issues covered in all hearings held during this period, including bills and laws discussed, the Federal agencies concerned, the witnesses who testified, and the organizations they represented. It is available electronically as part of Lexis-Nexis Congressional Choose Historical Indexes - Congressional Indexes, 1789-1972 to search this type of information. Although some of the items cited are in Alden Library's Documents Department, most will be available on loan on microfiche from the State Library of Ohio.
There are selected Committee Hearing transcripts from recent Congresses available free on the Internet via THOMAS http://thomas.loc.gov/ and also through the Documents Center from University of Michigan http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/hearings.html
Some include live audio. Pages include an index by speaker that lets you jump to specific people's testimony. There seems to be about a 4-month time lag.
United States Reports V. 502 (1991) - Current from the Supreme Court of the United States
V.1 Dallas (1760) - Current Location: Government Documents Collection Call Number: Ju 6.8:
These are the written decisions of the U.S. Supreme Count. (Some early volumes may be referred to by the names of the compilers such as Dallas, Cranch, Wheaton, Peters, Howard, Black, and Wallace.) A volume at the Documents Desk called United States Supreme Court Decisions Call Number: KF 101.6 G83 1983 and Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the Supreme Court Call Number: KF 8742 W567 1990 serve as indexes to U.S. Supreme Court decisions and can help in locating cases by case name or by the subject of the case.
Full text Supreme Court decisions from 1790 are available to Ohio University through Lexis-Nexis Academic Legal Research and HeinOnline U.S. Supreme Court Library
Decisions from selected years are also available at :
Federal Legal Information Through Electronics (FLITE) 1937 - 1975 Supreme Court decisions. Contains 7,407 Decisions from volumes 300 through 422 of U.S. Reports.
FindLaw's searchable database of Supreme Court Opinions since 1893 U.S. Supreme Court Opinions: U.S. Reports volume 150 - , 1893 - . Browsable by year and US Reports volume number and searchable by citation, case title and full text.
Supreme Court Collection 1990 - to date from LII Legal Information Institute of Cornell University Law School
U. S. Serial Set Index
Location: Government Documents Index Shelves Call Number: Z 1223 Z9 C65
The U.S. Congressional Serial Set is an on-going collection of U.S. Government publications compiled under the directive of the Congress. Although the selection policies have never been entirely consistent, the Serial Set now contains more than 180 years of the following types of publications: Congressional journals and administrative reports; Congressional reports on public and private legislation; reports from Congressional commissions and investigations; annual reports from Federal executive agencies; survey and statistical publications from executive agencies; selected annual or special reports from non-governmental agencies. Lexis-Nexis Congressional through the Libraries InfoTree provides electronic access to the huge, historic set. By choosing the advanced search a user can search by subject, keyword, personal or corporate name, etc. and get a citation to a specific document in the depths of the Serial Set. most of the volumes are available in the Government Documents Department.
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