Research Databases A-Z

Most subscription databases are only accessible from Colonial Williamsburg Foundation computers.

Filter databases:

Title	Description
Accessible Archives (now HistoryCommons)	Search 18th-century Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia newspapers, including the Virginia Gazette; 19th-century African-American newspapers; county histories; and 19th-century periodicals including Godey's Lady Book.
Adams Papers Digital Edition	The definitive record of the nation’s first great political family, The Adams Papers Digital Edition comprises John Adams’s complete diaries, selected legal papers, and the ongoing series of family correspondence and state papers.
African American Newspapers, 1827–1998	Search 19th- and 20th-century African American newspapers.
America's Historical Imprints	Search full-text books published in America, 1639–1819.
America's Historical Newspapers	Search American newspapers primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries.
American Ancestors	Search 366 databases from the New England Historic Genealogical Society, including The Virginia Genealogist. A complete list of databases is available.
American Children’s Books	More than 6,400 works for children published between 1654 and 1819, including books for entertainment, instruction, education, devotion, and play.
American Historical Periodicals from the American Antiquarian Society	More than 6,500 periodical titles published between 1693 and 1877 provide a history of the American people and a testament to the growth of the nation from the colonial period through the nineteenth century. Includes unusual and short-lived magazines as well as better-known titles with long runs.
American Indian Histories and Cultures	Search a collection of manuscripts, artwork and rare printed books dating from the earliest contact with European settlers to the mid-twentieth century. Browse through a wide range of rare and original documents from treaties, speeches and diaries, to historic maps and travel journals.
American State Papers, 1789–1838	Search United States legislative and executive documents, 1789–1838.
Ancestry Library Edition	Search multiple databases to access genealogy records from throughout the world.
AP Stylebook Online	A standard resource used as a writing and editing reference in newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide.
ARTFL Project	Search 3000 full-text French pieces of literature, 13th–20th centuries, including the Encyclopedia Diderot.
Bray Schools in Canada, America and the Bahamas, 1645-1900	Search correspondence files, minute books, and financial reports compiled by the Associates of Dr. Bray during the period 1724-1900. The Associates was a group comprised of English clergymen and philanthropists who created and funded schools for Black, and to a lesser extent, Indigenous North American, children in the American colonies between 1758 and 1776.
Burney Collection Newspapers	Search the mostly British 17th- and 18th-century newspaper collections of the Reverend Charles Burney (1757–1817).
Caribbean Newspapers, 1718–1876	Search 18th- and 19th-century newspapers from 22 Caribbean islands.
Chicago Manual of Style Online	The venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format.
Colonial America	Search 17th and 18th century primary sources from Britain's Colonial Office files: documents covering early settlement and expansion; colonial legislation and politics; the French and Indian War; and the American Revolution.
Colonial Caribbean	Search primary records from Britain’s Colonial Office files for the Caribbean covering the period 1624 – 1832. Topics covered include interactions with indigenous inhabitants; the establishment of colonies; legislation, legal proceedings and court records; trade and shipping; the management of plantations and agriculture; the slave trade and interactions with enslaved people.
Defining Gender	Explore the study and analysis of gender through a vast body of original British source material. Key thematic areas include: Conduct and Politeness; Domesticity and the Family; Consumption and Leisure; Education and Sensibility; The Body.
The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution	Search The Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution, a landmark work that draws upon thousands of sources to trace the development of the U.S. Constitution.
Early English Books Online	Search digital facsimile page images of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700.
ECCO, Eighteenth-Century Collections Online	Search 180,000 18th-century English books by author, title, or keyword.
Eighteenth-Century Journals, Modules II and V	Search a collection of British periodicals, ca. 1685–1835, including Joseph Addison's Freeholder, John Almon's Political Register, and a full run of The Lady’s Magazine: or Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex.
FirstSearch	Search WORLDCAT, a bibliographic database of library holdings in North America.
Fold3	Search primary source documents from the U.S. National Archives, including passport applications, naturalization records, and military records.
HeritageQuest Online	Search selected U.S. census records, the Freedman's Bank, the Periodical Source Index Archive (PERSI), and full-text genealogy books.
HistoryCommons (was Accessible Archives )	Search 18th-century Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia newspapers, including the Virginia Gazette; 19th-century African-American newspapers; county histories; and 19th-century periodicals including Godey's Lady Book.
Humanities E-Books	Search approximately 4,300 high-quality humanities books.
Indigenous Peoples of North America	Search content sourced from both American and Canadian institutions as well as newspapers from various tribes and organizations. This archive also features indigenous language materials, including dictionaries, religious texts, and primers.
Invaluable (previously Artfact)	Search this online auction marketplace for fine art, the decorative arts, and collectibles.
Jefferson Papers Digital Edition	Since 1950, Thomas Jefferson's writings have been compiled in two ongoing projects, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson at Princeton University, and The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Rotunda’s digital edition brings together the content of the published volumes into one searchable online resource.
JSTOR	Search academic periodicals in the arts and sciences by keyword, title, or author. A complete title list is available.
Madison (Dolley) Papers Digital Edition	Dolley Payne Madison was the most important First Lady of the nineteenth century. This collection is a full edition of her correspondence and selected non-literary documents such as visiting lists and lawsuits.
Madison(James) Papers Digital Edition	The Papers of James Madison documents the life and work of one of the most important political and constitutional thinkers in our nation’s history.
Marshall Papers Digital Edition	John Marshall was the longest-serving chief justice on the U.S. Supreme Court and arguably the most influential. This digital edition of Marshall’s papers includes the complete contents of the print edition.
Newspapers.com	Search an extensive database of 4000+ historical newspapers dating from the early 1700s into the 2000s: full runs and portions of runs of well-known regional and state titles as well as small local newspapers in the United States and other countries.
Nineteenth-Century U.S. Newspapers	Search 19th-century U.S. newspapers by keyword.
Oxford English Dictionary	Search the accepted authority on the meaning, history, and pronunciation of English words.
Prices4Antiques	Find prices for antique and collectible furniture, pottery, silver, glass, clocks, lighting, paintings, prints, and more. Auction prices from 1999 to present with full color images for every object.

49 database(s) found