LibGuides: History: Find Primary Sources

Genealogy & Census Data

Census records can provide the building blocks of your research, allowing you to both confirm information, and to learn more.

Usually, you can begin searching census data if you know your relative's first and last name as well as the state they resided in at the time of the census.

Here are a few ways you can begin to research your ancestors:

MyHeritage This link opens in a new window
Research genealogy from the census data of several countries, vital statistics records, military and immigration records and much more.

National Archives
Full-text resources and links for data 1790-current census.

About this page

Now is a great time to be researching history! Every day, more and more content that was previously accessible only in special collections and archives is now being scanned, digitized, and posted on the web.

Search for primary source documents both online and in the library catalog.

Doane University Archives

If you are doing research on a Doane topic, refer to the Doane University Archives research guide to access the directory of the archives.

Special Digitized Collections in the Doane Library

The library has purchased the following collections of primary source documents for your use:

Gateway to North America: People, Places and Organizations of 19th-century New York This link opens in a new window
Search this collection for resources concerning New York City's social and economic history from the late 1700s through the early 1900s.
Civil War Primary Source Documents This link opens in a new window
Research perspectives of the Civil War (1861 to 1865) from both the North and South, in this collection of primary materials.
Revolutionary War Era Orderly Books This link opens in a new window
Find information from official military orders for British and American troops -- called orderly books -- dating from the French and Indian War through the War of 1812, with the bulk coming from the American forces during the Revolutionary War.
MyHeritage This link opens in a new window
Research genealogy from the census data of several countries, vital statistics records, military and immigration records and much more.
European Views of the Americas: 1493-1750 This link opens in a new window
Search for information about the Americas written by European authors before 1750.

Digitized Collections - Nebraska

Here are websites specific to Nebraska:

Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska
more...less...
First published in 1882 by The Western Historical Company, A. T. Andreas, Proprietor, Chicago, IL, this is a valuable resource on the very early years of the territory and state.
Center for Digital Research in the Humanities University of Nebraska Lincoln
Homestead Records Broken Bow Nebraska Land Office
Nebraska Memories
more...less...
This is a cooperative project with the Nebraska Library Commission to digitize all Nebraska-related historical and cultural materials, and to make them available via the internet for all ages of researchers.
[Nebraska] Online State Documents Program
more...less...
The Nebraska Library Commission provides public access to and preservation of government information at the federal and state level. This page provides links to public documents on state agency websites, and a searchable database providing free access to digitized historic annual reports of Nebraska state agencies 1956 to the present (with plans to extend access to documents back to 1891).
History Nebraska Collections
more...less...
Search collections, History Nebraska publications, virtual collections and more.

Other Digitized Collections

This is a representative list of history websites that might be helpful in your research. Ask at the Circulation Desk to consult the following books, which are in Course Reserves (under Dr. Jarvis' name), for more websites:

The American history highway : a guide to Internet resources on U.S., Canadian, and Latin American history, by Dennis Trinkle
U.S. history matters : a student guide to U.S. history online, by Kelly Schrum

Abraham Lincoln: A Resource Guide
America's National Game
The Albert G. Spalding Collection of Early Baseball Photographs
American Family Immigration History Center Passenger Search
Chronicling America
Digitized newspapers from across the nation
Civil Rights Digital Library
Some information on this site may be difficult to read or view.
David Rumsey Map Collection
Rare 18th & 19th century maps
Digital Library on American Slavery
Discovering American Women's History Online
Early America's Digital Archive
Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies
Making the History of 1989
Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute
Milestone Documents in American History
National Anthropological Archives and Human Studies Film Archives
National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. About 1-3% of all federal documents are preserved here to search for information about your family histories, veterans' military service, or other topics of historical interest.
Digital Vaults on DocsTeach
Old Maps Online
Search Old Maps Online for a location, and it will provide you with free archival maps for the same location. This service utilizes Google Maps, and it includes maps from the USGS Topographic Maps collection.
Pop History Dig
Exploring the history and power of popular culture
REESWeb
Russian & Eastern European Studies
Slavery and Abolition in the US
Travelers in the Middle East Archive
Western interactions with the Middle East in the 19th and early 20th centuries
USGenWeb
Presents actual transcriptions of public domain records on the Internet: census records, marriage bonds, wills, and other public documents.
Vietnam Center and Archive