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History 363: History of Capitalism in the United States: Finding Census & Government Information

Quick Tip

Beyond the databases listed below, HathiTrust, a digital repository for major research libraries, is an excellent place to check for scanned, full-text government documents.

Congressional Publications

Proquest Congressional provides full-text access to Congressional documents from 1789 to present, hearings from 1824 to the present, Executive Branch documents, bills and laws, etc. 

HeinOnline provides access to numerous public documents, including titles such as the Congressional Globe, which contains the debates of Congress from 1833 to 1873.  

American State Papers are the legislative and executive documents of the first 14 Congresses.

U.S. Congressional Serial Set provides full-text access to the reports, documents, and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Date coverage is 1817 to 1994. The Serial Set does not typically include hearings (though some hearings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are included).

 

 

Vital Records, City Directories, and More

                 

 

  • Ancestry Library Edition provides access to census, vital, immigration, church and court records from the U.S. and other countries. It is particularly strong in the area of immigration records.  It is also a great place to check for city directories. 
  • HeritageQuest Online includes the the original images of every extant federal census in the United States, from 1790 through 1930, with name indexes for many decades. You can also access U.S. Freedman's Bank Records (1861 to 1875), city directories, and agricultural and industrial schedules, and more.