Guides: HIS 491A: Adv Seminar Imperialism in Africa and Asia: Archives

Archives

A few notes on using Archives

Review the archive's website to learn about how the archive is arranged, the type of material it collects and organizes, and also how to access this material. Most archive websites will have a research section in which it details how researchers are able to find and use the archives.

Many archives also have an online catalog which will allow you to search for materials of interest. Take time to search through the online catalog to find some specific materials before contacting the archive for additional assistance.

Many archives have online collections or digitized materials available to use. Since many of the archives you will probably be exploring for this course are in Europe, Africa, or Asia it is unlikely you'll be able to visit them during the course of the semester. You can use the online collection and digitized material options in place of actually visiting the archives.

How do you get access to non-online materials from an archive?

Every archive is different and their policies for how they send copies of materials is going to depend upon their particular rules and regulations. However, it never hurts to ask! If you find materials you are interested in looking at for your research, find a contact email or phone number and see if you can request the material to be copied and sent to you. Archives are meant to assist and provide access to primary source material for researchers like yourselves, so in most cases there are options available for getting the materials you need. Here are a few tips for contacting an archive:

State clearly that you are a researcher from an academic institution and that your request is for a research project you are working on for the semester.
Provide a brief description of your research project and why the materials at this particular archive will be useful for you.
Clearly state exactly which materials you are interested in obtaining from the archive. Get as specific as possible, including the box and folder in which this material is housed if you can find it.
Inquire about access options. State you are studying in the United States and an in-person visit will not be an option.

Important Note: while you may be able to obtain access to materials in some capacity, note that most archives charge a fee for copying and sending materials. Make sure you know the final cost before proceeding.

Also Note: many of the archive websites you will be working with for research in this class are in different languages. In the upper right corner of the webpage there is usually a list of languages in which you can easily translate the page. If this is not available, right click on the page and select the "Translate to English" option.

IMAGE ATTRIBUTION: "US National Archives Building" by David Samuel, User:Hellodavey1902 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.

General

Wilson Center Digital Archive
The Digital Archives contains newly declassified historical materials from archives around the world including diplomatic cables, correspondence, meeting minutes, and more. Use their browse by location section to view documents within that region.

Internet Modern History Sourcebook

The Internet Modern History Sourcebook is one of the best sources for topic overviews and primary sources. This sourcebook is produced and maintained by Fordham University and contains free public domain and copy-permitted historical texts for education use.

In addition to the Internet Modern History Sourcebook there are a number of subsidiary sourcebooks which are linked below.

Internet Modern History Sourcebook
The Internet Modern History Sourcebook is one of series of history primary sourcebooks. It is intended to serve the needs of teachers and students in college survey courses in modern European history and American history, as well as in modern Western Civilization and World Cultures.
Internet Indian History Sourcebook
Subset of texts derived from the three major online Sourcebooks listed below, along with added texts and website indicators.
Internet African History Sourcebook
Subset of texts on Africa derived from the three major online Sourcebooks..
East Asian History Sourcebook
Subset of texts derived from the three major online Sourcebooks, along with added texts and website indicators on East Asia.

European Archives

National Archives of the United Kingdom
The National Archives of the UK is the official archive and publisher for the UK government, and for England and Wales.

Use the "Explore Our Records" link on the homepage to view a list of research guides available. You might start with "Foreign and Colonial History."
Cadbury Research Library - Special Collections
The University of Birmingham's Cadbury Research Library holds the Church Missionary Society Archives and other personal papers of individual missionaries.
Borthwick Institute for Archives
The University of York's Borthwick Institute for Archives contains primary source material on Southern Africa, in particular Rhodesia and South Africa.
British Library
The British Library contains a number of collections on topics related to colonialism. Use the "Explore the British Library" catalog to find materials within the main catalog, on their website, and freely available articles. The British Library has many digital collections available under the "Collection" tab on the homepage.

Two collections of interest at the British Library are:

Manuscript Collection
Contains personal papers of many colonial administrators.
Asia, Pacific, and Africa Collection
Contains records documenting the British presence in the sub-continent. Highlights of holdings include official records of the East India Company, Board of Control and India Office, and personal papers of individuals serving in these regions.

State Archives of Belgium
The National Archives and State Archives of Belgium seeks to obtain and preserve archive documents from courts, tribunals, public authorities, notaries, and private sectors and individuals.

African Archives

National Archives Record Service
The National Archives Record Service is the main archives in South Africa. It's mission is to preserve national archive heritage for use by the government and people of South Africa and to manage and care for records. Use the "Search National Automated Archival Information Retrieve System" link on the homepage to search within a specific database.
Royal Museum for Central Africa
The RMCA archives contains archival records from the museum itself, private individuals, companies and institutions, and other documents related to the history of Central Africa. View the Archives homepage for details of some significant collections.
Middle East Centre Archive
The Middle East Centre Archive of St Antony's College contains materials of individuals who lived and served in the Middle East such as senior government representatives, members of the armed forces, bankers, businessmen, missionaries, or travellers.

Asian Archives

MIT's Visualizing Cultures Project
Visualizing Cultures provides historical images with scholarly commentary on topics in Asian history. Browse their list of units for great collection of primary source images. Many units contain links to where you can access the primary sources.
Japan Center for Asian Historical Records
Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR) is a digital database providing resources and materials on Japan's historical relations in Asia and elsewhere.
National Library of China
The National Library of China seeks to pass on and promote chinese culture. View their "Chinese Memory" page for resources.
National Archives of Cambodia
The National Archives of Cambodia contains records that trace the events and decisions shaping Cambodia since the 19th Century. Documents produced or collected by both French Colonial and Cambodian government are available.
Centre of South Asian Studies
The University of Cambridge's Centre of South Asian Studies contains materials covering aspects of life in South Asia including many paper collections and also an archive on oral history recordings.