The South Carolina State Library has access to a number of historic newspapers dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, including The State (1891-current), through the NewsBank database.
The following is a list of books on various topics containing references to primary source material that are located in the USC Upstate reference collection.
America's Founding Charters by
This extensive work collects all of the major documents, with commentary, pertaining to the structure, formation, and functioning of the political system in colonial and revolutionary America. Documents range from royal charters establishing colonial claims, sermons that question or bolster the established order, pamphlets, state constitutions, debates over the make up of Congress and the Articles of Confederation, and the like. What documents enforced English control over its colonies? Who used pamphlets to voice protest and stir up political resistance? How did colonial settlers envision their future governing structures? This extensive work provides and in-depth look at 260 major documents that shaped the structure, form, and function of the political system in colonial and revultionary America. Documents include royal charters establishing colonial claims, sermons that question or bolster the established order, pamphlets, state constitutions, debates over the make-up of the Continental Congress and Articles of Confederation, and the like. Introductory commentary contextualizes the documents and highlights the reader's understanding of these events as the blueprint for how the colonies became a nation. The work is fully indexed.
The American Republic by
The American Republic is divided into nine sections, each illustrating major philosophical, cultural, and policy positions at issue during crucial eras of American development. Readers will find documentary evidence of the purposes behind European settlement, American response to English acts, the pervasive role of religion in early American public life, and perspectives in the debate over independence. Subsequent chapters examine the roots of American constitutionalism, Federalist and Anti-Federalist arguments concerning the need to protect common law rights, and the debates over whether the states or the federal government held final authority in determining the course of public policy in America. Also included are the discussions regarding disagreements over internal improvements and other federal measures aimed at binding the nation, particularly in the area of commerce. The final section focuses on the political, cultural, and legal issues leading to the Civil War. Arguments and attempted compromises regarding slavery, along with laws that helped shape slavery, are highlighted. The volume ends with the prelude to the Civil War, a natural stopping-off point for studies of early American history.
Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World by
This unique A-Z encyclopedia examines every effort to end slavery in the United States and the transatlantic world. It focuses on massive, broad-based movements, as well as specific incidents, events, and developments, and pulls together in one place information previously available only in a wide variety of sources. While it centers on the United States, the set also includes authoritative accounts of emancipation and abolition in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. "The Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition" provides definitive coverage of one of the most significant experiences in human history. It features primary source documents, maps, illustrations, cross-references, a comprehensive chronology and bibliography, and specialized indexes in each volume, and covers a wide range of individuals and the major themes and ideas that motivated them to confront and abolish slavery.
Encyclopedia of Race and Racism by
The Encyclopedia of Race and Racism is the first such work examining the anthropological, sociological, historical, economic, and scientific theories of race and racism in the modern era. The set delves into the historic origins of ideas of race and racism and explores their social and scientific consequences. Some of the nearly 400 articles address broad theoretical topics that have helped to shape modern ideas about race and racism; others address more specific subjects in the larger fields. The set includes biographies of dozens of significant theorists, as well as political and social leaders and notorious racists. The Encyclopedia of Race and Racism also includes a carefully chosen selection of primary documents that enhance and reinforce the content of the articles. Set includes a thematic outline, a filmography, and a comprehensive general index.
Milestone Documents in American History by 
Milestone Documents in World History by 
Presidents and Black America by
Presidents and Black America: A Documentary History is the first of its kind to document all of the Presidents and their complex relationships with African Americans, from the earliest days of the Republic through the start of the Obama administration. Scholars and students will be able to follow trends and contradictions in those relationships; such as acceptance and rejection of slavery, the struggle for political rights and economic opportunity, policies of tokenism, the rebuff to affirmative action, and the growth of black political power and influence.This reference will incorporate primary and secondary documents ranging from speeches, executive orders, statutes, and correspondence, to articles and editorials from contemporary African American and mainstream publications, political cartoons, and congressional debates. Many of the documents will contradict established opinions about individual Presidents.(For example it is fairly widely-known that Andrew Johnson was an avowed white supremacist but less well-known that Woodrow Wilson tried to segregate previously-integrated government offices.) Chapter introductions with historical data on the respective Presidents and short head notes place the documents in context.
Terrorism by
These volumes of primary source documents focus on leading social issues of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. International in scope, each title is devoted to one topic: Crime and Punishment Environmental Issues Family in Society Gender Issues and Sexuality Government, Politics, and Protest Human and Civil Rights Immigration and Multiculturalism Medicine, Bioethics, and Health Social Policy Terrorism Each title contains approximately 175 full or excerpted documents---speeches, legislation, magazine and newspaper articles, essays, memoirs, letters, interviews, novels, songs, and works of art---as well as overview information that places each document in context. Entries are organized into chapters that feature a general overview of the chapter's subtopic. The following standard subheads are included in each entry: Date Source About the Author Introduction Primary Source Significance Further ResourcesAll titles contain an introduction to its topic, a chronology of major events associated with the topic, and a general index. A comprehensive subject index is included with print set purchases only.
Twentieth-Century America by 
Women's Rights in the United States by
The 125 historical documents in this unique volume bring to life the triumphs, disappointments, and enduring contributions of women's struggle for equal rights in America. This work also reveals often-surprising sources of opposition, such as Abraham Lincoln and the U.S. Supreme Court. Organized into five chronological periods, the documents provide a flavor for the time period in which they were written. Each period and each document is preceded by an explanatory introduction that puts it in historical context. A chronology of significant dates in the history of American women's rights, a topically organized bibliography, and a list of women's organizations for further information completes the work.
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