Sources for U.S. History
Nineteenth-Century Communities

This book offers a detailed and comprehensive guide to contemporary sources for research into the history of individual nineteenth-century U.S. communities.

W. B. Stephens (Author)

9780521531368, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 30 January 2003

580 pages
21.7 x 14.1 x 3.6 cm, 0.738 kg

'His breadth of coverage is particularly impressive: one might expect Stephens to document one activity well, but providing extensive discussions for each area constitutes a remarkable accomplishment … most archivists, even those operating within a particular subject area, could not match the breadth of knowledge reflected in this book … In conclusion, this book is so useful that one wishes it were even longer.' American Archivist

This book offers a detailed and comprehensive guide to contemporary sources for research into the history of individual nineteenth-century U.S. communities, large and small. The book is arranged topically (covering demography, ethnicity and race, land use and settlement, religion, education, politics and local government, industry, trade and transportation, and poverty, health, and crime) and thus will be of great use to those investigating particular historical themes at national, state, or regional level. As well as examining a wide variety of types of primary sources, published and unpublished, quantitative and qualitative, available for the study of many places, the book also provides information on certain specific sources and some individual collections, in particular those of the National Archives.

Author's preface
List of abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. Demography
3. Ethnicity and race
4. The land, settlement, and farming: I
5. The land, settlement, and farming: II
6. Religion
7. Local government, politics, and organized labor
8. Manufacturing, mining, and business activity
9. Maritime activity, communications, and the fur trade
10. Education
11. Poverty, health, and crime
Index.

Subject Areas: Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], History of the Americas [HBJK]