Congress.govOfficial website for U.S. government information. Includes text of congressional bills, treaties, a link to U.S. founding documents and more.
Library of CongressThis site is a treasure trove of primary source documents for American historical research. On the home page, look at the items listed under “Collection Highlights.” See the collection of photographs, historic newspapers, and American Memory. American Memory is devoted to U.S. history.
Library of Congress WebcastsBrowse the menu on the left side of the page to find webcasts on your subject. Site also includes audio files.
Making of AmericaHosted by the University of Michigan,
Making of America (MoA) is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. The collection currently contains approximately 10,000 books and 50,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints.
U.S. House of Representatives Open GovernmentIn order to operate as transparently as possible, the House provides to the public a variety of disclosure documents, legislative resources, and video archives. Video archives are searchable back to the late 1970s.
World War I Document ArchiveCollection of documents including treaties, personal narratives and correspondence created by the World War I Military History List and based at Brigham Young University.
Local and Regional History Websites
The following is a collection of local and regional history information freely available via the World Wide Web:
Catskill ArchiveExcellent site managed by the Mountaintop Historical Society that features links to websites, articles, historic books, and more.
The Catskills: A Sense of PlaceLink takes you to a 140-page PDF about the human history of the Catskills region. Presented by the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development.
Catskill Tri-County Historical Views"Catskill Tri-County Historical Views is a local history publication containing resource and review articles. It serves as an informational and educational outlet for its readers interested in the Catskills’ cultural and natural history. At full color, 80 bound pages; Tri-County is published twice a year: May and November."
Center for Brooklyn HistoryOfficial website of an archival center devoted to preserving and sharing the history of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Center is an affiliate of the Brooklyn Public Library.
Hudson River HistoryA collection of articles pertaining to the river's history, curated by the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston.
Hudson River Maritime Museum blogBlog of the Kingston museum, written by museum curators and educators. Content includes text and images of maritime activities on the Hudson River.
Hudson River Valley Heritage"Explore digital collections from libraries and cultural heritage institutions that document the rich history of New York’s Hudson River Valley. Discover photographs, diaries, correspondence, artwork, publications, oral history interviews, and more."
Hudson River Valley InstituteHome page of the regional heritage center based out of Marist University. Publishes the journal Hudson River Valley Review.
Library of Congress Digital CollectionsOnline access to print, pictorial and audio-visual collections and other digital services, courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Mountain Top Library Digital CollectionFrom the website: "This collection includes a variety of materials including historic postcards, genealogical records, and photographs related to the mountain top communities in the Catskill region, including locations such as Hunter, Widnham, Prattsville, and Twilight Park."
New Netherland InstituteThe independent, non-profit institute has been transcribing, translating, and publishing the official 17th-century Dutch colonial documents for decades.
New York Heritage Digital CollectionsFrom the website - "This site is a research portal for students, educators, historians, genealogists, and anyone else who is interested in learning more about the people, places and institutions of New York State. The collections represent a broad range of historical, scholarly, and cultural materials held in libraries, museums, and archives throughout the state. Collection items include photographs, letters, diaries, directories, maps, books, and more."
New York Slavery Records IndexHosted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, "The New York Slavery Records Index is a searchable compilation of records that identify individual enslaved persons and their owners, beginning as early as 1525 and ending during the Civil War."
New York State Census Digital CollectionsNew York State Library page that includes digitized primary source state census material from the 19th century. Includes links to other valuable pages.
New York State Census RecordsPage that shows county-by-county listings of the New York state censuses available on microfilm at the state library in Albany. According to the Rochester Genealogical Society's website, "New York State took a census every ten years from 1825 to 1875. They also took a census in 1892; then every ten years from 1905 to 1925. The early census was as much interested in agricultural production as in the number of inhabitants. Only the name of the head of household is listed from 1825 to 1845. Many of these early census records have been lost." In addition, from the same website: "Existing original census records are usually in the County Courthouse or with the County Historian."
New York State Historic NewspapersFrom the website: "The NYS Historic Newspapers project provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to reflect New York's unique history."
New York State Library InstagramImages of a variety of items from the collections of the New York State Library, with accompanying descriptive text.
Old Fulton New York Post CardsDigitization project of a Fulton, NY man that features digitized images of historic newspaper pages, postcards, and more.
Sanborn Maps at the Library of Congress"The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps Online Checklist provides a searchable database of the fire insurance maps published by the Sanborn Map Company."
United States Census BureauThis site contains a wealth of demographic information on all 50 states, plus cities and towns, in addition to economic information. Site includes maps and infographics.
Vedder Research LibraryOwned and operated by the Greene County Historical Society, the Vedder Research Library in Coxsackie houses the most comprehensive genealogical, historical and archival collection in Greene County.
