Law and Capitalism: NYPL's Historical Primary Sources + Sources Accessible Remotely to NYPL Cardholders

Below are links to selected sources highlighted in the highly useful presentation: Law and Capitalism in the Archives given by Leah Johanson, Reference Archivist and Librarian in the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Book Division of The New York Public Library (NYPL) on Jan. 24, 2024.  BLS researchers learned there are approximately 10,000 archival and manuscript collections held by NYPL.  BLS students might choose a topic supported by NYPL's Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building) and/or the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture's Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division.  This page provides links to email experts in NYPL's Archives and Manuscripts Divisions.  A BLS researcher can create a Special Collections Account to request a research appointment to view NYPL's archival material.

The New York Public Library: Archives and Manuscripts

• Tip: Search by person, group, organization, place or material type.  A "Y" symbol following the collection's title (shown below) means that part of the collection is available in digital form.  Examples: 
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• Tips: Researchers can filter search results by date range and division/collection.  In a search result, view: Key Terms, which might link to names of other people and will link to subjects (click a subject to find additional collections).

The New York Public Library: Early American Manuscripts Project

• This collection of historic early American manuscripts includes papers of people with legal education (examples: Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison) and business papers of merchants (examples: letterbook of the Gouverneur and Kemble mercantile firm (1796-1798) and Lewis Ogden’s letterbook (1787-1798).
• Tip: Blog Posts on the home page of Early American Manuscripts Project provide historical background and research suggestions.  Example:
  • Mark Boonshoft, Letterbooks, Indexes, and Learning about Early American Business (July 20, 2015)
    • Also, Boonshoft notes: "Historical Society of Pennsylvania has written a useful guide and glossary of early American business records)" - Historical Society Financial Records Guide and Glossary tab: Resources describes terms and types of records.  The Historical Society highlighted the book below, which is now available to BLS patrons as an ebook:

The New York Public Library: Digital Collections

• NYPL describes this as "a living database" of prints, photos, manuscripts, maps and streaming video.
• Tip: Seach by keywords or browse the digital collections.

New York Public Library (NYPL) provides an extensive A-Z Databases list. 

• Tip: Try searching this list by subject (examples: African American and African Diaspora Studies; Business; Manuscripts and Rare Books; Latino Studies; LGBTQ Studies; New York City History; Newspapers - Current and Historical; Oral History; United States History; Women's Studies and World History).

Below are databases accessible remotely to NYPL cardholders that might support research of BLS students in Law and Capitalism:

Multiple Types of Primary Source Material:

Gale Primary Sources: 18th Century Collections Online

• NYPL's description states: "Provides full text, digital images of books, pamphlets, broadsides and other materials published in the United Kingdom between 1701-1800."
• Tip: Search and filter search results (by subjects, publication date, source library, author, "person-about").

Gale Primary Sources: 19th Century Collections Online

• From the main screen, researchers can select a specific collection (example: Europe and Africa, Colonialism and Culture).

Gale Primary Sources: Archives of Sexuality and Gender

• Among the 51 archival collections in this digital resource are 3 collections held by NYPL: The Mattachine Society of New York Records, 1951-1976; Gay Activists Alliance, 1970-1983; and ACT UP: The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power.

Historical News Sources:

America's Historical Newspapers

• NYPL's description states this searchable source includes: "early newspapers, 1690-1922; America's Urban Centers Newspaper Collection, 1807-1880; African American Newspapers, 1827-1998; Ethnic American Newspapers from the Balch Collection, 1799-1971; Caribbean Newspapers, 1718-1876; Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980; and Early American Newspapers, Series 15, 1822-1879: Immigrant Communities."
• NYPL cardholders also can search in a specific subscollection.  Example:

  • African American Newspapers 1827-1998

    • NYPL's description states this searchable source provides: "[h]undreds of U.S. newspapers chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience from more than 35 states."

American Broadsides and Ephemera

• Provides single-sheet broadsides (1820-1900) and ephemera (1760-1900).

Gale Primary Sources: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Burney Newspapers Collection

Gale Primary Sources: British Library Newspapers

• Provides content from 240+ newspapers (18th century-20th century) held by the British Library.

ProQuest Historical Newspapers (large collection)

• NYPL's description states this collection "include[s] titles related to New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., the American Jewish Newspaper Series, and the United Kingdom."
• NYPL cardholders also have remote access to these subcollections:
  • ProQuest Historical African American Newspapers
  • ProQuest Historical Jewish Newspapers
  • ProQuest Historical Newspapers: U.S. Northeast Collection

Historical Periodicals:

American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals Collection

• Provides American periodicals published from 1684-1912.  The subcollections include:
  • African American Historical Serials Collection
  • [Enslavement] and Abolition, 1789-1887
  • Business, Industrial and Professional Periodicals, 1774-1858
  • Foreign Language Periodicals in America, 1684-1904
  • Canadian Periodicals, 1790-1877
  • Military and Law Enforcement Periodicals, 1691-1877
  • Agricultural Periodicals from the Southern, Midwestern, and Western U.S., 1800-1878
  • Women's Periodicals of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century, 1733-1844
  • Current Events and History Periodicals, 1691-1912
  • Advertising Periodicals, 1815-1888
  • Scientific Periodicals, 1771-1901
  • Periodicals of the American West, 1779-1881
  • Popular Educational Periodicals, 1758-1889
  • Masons, Odd-Fellows and Other Societal Periodicals, 1794-1877
  • Religious Periodicals for Women, Children, and Families, 1804-1878
  • Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and Episcopal Periodicals, 1797-1904
  • American Civil War, 1855-1868
  • American Political Periodicals, 1715-1891
  • Agricultural Periodicals from the Northeastern U.S., 1789-1879
  • American Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry Periodicals, 1786-1877
  • Baptists, Quakers, and Independent Church Periodicals, 1797-1881
  • Business, Industrial and Professional Periodicals, 1859-1870
  • Commercial Periodicals from the Southern U.S., 1811-1877
  • College and Student Periodicals, 1806-1877
  • Periodicals of the British Empire and Its Colonies, 1702-1879
  • Story Papers, Dimes and Dollar Periodicals, 1828-1877
  • Women's Periodicals of the Nineteenth Century, 1845-1865
  • Religious Periodicals from the Southern U.S., 1801-1904
  • American Political and Social Movements, 1815-1884
  • Congregational, Presbyterian, and Reformed Church Periodicals, 1803-1902
  • Business and General Education Periodicals, 1800-1885
  • Business, Industrial and Professional Periodicals, 1871-1901
  • Cultural Periodicals from the Southern U.S., 1797-1877
  • General Interest Christian Periodicals, 1743-1889
  • Missionary and Charity Periodicals, 1793-1902
  • Periodicals from Around the World, 1691-1880
  • Women's Periodicals of the Nineteenth Century, 1866-1891

Oral Histories:

History Makers

• NYPL describes this source as "a video collection of oral histories documenting African American life, history and culture."