History Research Guide
Government Documents
The United States Government publishes a wide range of information
sources -- in fact, it is the world's largest publisher. Information
is available from all three branches of government: Executive,
Legislative, and Judicial. Included is information from individual
government agencies covering a wide range of subjects. Locating
goverment information required use of specialized reference tools.
For a general overview of government information at NCSU, see:
Getting
Started with Federal Government Documents
Assistance locating government documents can be obtained from
Michele Hayslett,
Data Services and Government Information Librarian.
Listed below are some examples of government documents that are
of special interest to historians.
Congressional Information
Congressional
Universe
Electronic access to current Congressional information.
U.S. Congressional
Bibliographies
Enumerates and describes meetings held by Congressional committees
since 1985, those for which printed transcripts are issued, and
those that remain unprinted.
CIS Annual: Index (1970-)
D. H. Hill Ref. KF49 .C62
Index to Congressional hearing, reports, and prints. Look for
guide at front of each volume for information on locating text
of materials.
U.S. Congressional Committee Hearing Index (1917-1969)
D. H. Hill Ref. KF40 .C56
Index to early Congressional hearings. Look for guide at front
of each volume for information on locating text of materials.
U.S. Serial Set Index (Including American State Papers)
(1789-1969)
D. H. Hill Ref. J74 .C65
The Serial Set begins with the 15th Congress in 1817. It includes
reports of the Senate and House, usually dealing with topics of
proposed legislation as well as other documents requested by Congress.
Also included are 19th century Executive documents. A similar
set covering the period from 1789-1838 is called the American
State Papers. Look for guide at front of each volume for information
on locating text of materials.
A Century
of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and
Debates
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/amlaw/lawhome.html
Collection of early Congressional materials digitized by the Library
of Congress. Included are the American State Papers, and selected
portions of the U.S. Serial
Set.
Executive Information
CIS Index to U.S. Executive Branch Documents (1789-1932) and (1910-1932)
D. H. Hill Documents Reference Z1223 .Z7 C465
Index to Microfiche collection of executive documents, located in the Microforms Room at MF114
Foreign Relations of the United States
D. H. Hill Docs. S 1.1
This is a major series published by the State Dept, covering the
period from 1861-1976. Recent volumes also available online
through the U.S. Department of State.
Digital
National Security Archive
The National Security Archive is a non-profit research institute
that seeks to obtain government documents that shed light on areas
of U.S. foreign policy. Their materials are organized into collections
that focus on particular regions or topics. Database contains
15 complete collections of declassified documents: Afghanistan,
Berlin Crisis 1958-1962, Cuban Missile Crisis, El Salvador, Iran-Contra
Affair, Intelligence Community, Iran Revolution, Iraqgate, Military
Uses of Space, Nicaragua, Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Philippines,
Presidential Directives from Truman to Clinton, South Africa,
and Soviet Estimate.
Declassified
Documents Reference System
Full text with indexing of declassified U.S. Documents obtained
from presidential libraries. This collection is based on materials
requested by researchers at these libraries. The database ranges
from the years immediately following World War II, when declassified
documents were first made widely available, through the 1970s.
Nearly every major foreign and domestic event of these years is
covered: the Cold War, Vietnam, foreign policy shifts, the civil
rights movement, and others.
Indian
Affairs: Laws and Treaties
http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/intro.htm
Military History
The
War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of
the Union and Confederate Armies
http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.monographs/waro.html
(Digitized version from Making of America)
Also available in print at:
D. H. Hill Docs W45.5:
Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War
of the Rebellion
http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/moa_browse.html
(Digitized version available in: Making of America)
Also available in print at:
D. H. Hill Docs. N16.6:
Census Information
Historical
Census Browser
http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/
Data on population and economy of U.S. states and counties from
1790 to 1960.
Historical Statistics of the United States : Earliest Times to the Present (5 vols.)
D. H. Hill Reference HA202 .H57 2006
This is a treasure trove of statistical data from the early days of the U.S., up to 2005. Broad topics include: Population, Work and welfare, Economic structure and performance, Economic sectors and Government and international relations.
Librarian Contact Information
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