Archives Unbound delivers historical primary source content online

Written by Jon Ritterbush, Electronic Resources Librarian
ritterbushjr@unk.edu

The Calvin T. Ryan Library is pleased to announce the addition of Archives Unbound, a digital archive providing access to primary source material in four collections:

• American Indian Correspondence: Presbyterian Historical Society Collection of Missionaries Letters, 1833-1893
  Contains 40,000+ pages of letters to and from the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. These letters describe native peoples and cultures, tribal factionalism, relations with the U.S. government and the many problems and achievements of their missionary work.

• The Civil War in Words and Deeds
  Contains 144,000+ pages of regimental histories and personal narratives, chronicling life during the American Civil War.

• Overland Journeys: Travels in the West, 1800-1880
  Contains 71,000 + pages from the microfilm collections “Travels in the West and Southwest” and the “Plains & Rockies;” this digital collection provides a unique view on the exploration and settlement of the Great Plains and Western United States.

• The War Department and Indian Affairs, 1800-1824
  Contains 7,500+ pages of letters to and from the U.S. War Department, including correspondence from Indian superintendents and agents, territorial and state governors, military commanders, Indians, missionaries, and other public and private individuals.

These digital collections may be searched individually at the links above, or simultaneously from the main link for Archive Unbound.  These links are accessible from the library’s “Articles & E-Resources” webpage under the alphabetical links and under the subjects of “History (U.S.)” and “Primary Sources.”

The purchase of these digital collections was made possible with funding from the College of Natural and Social Sciences.