Collection Overview
American Women: A Gateway to Library of Congress Resources for the Study of Women's History and Culture in the United States includes content presented in the book "American Women: A Library of Congress Guide for the Study of Women’s History and Culture in the United States" edited by Library of Congress staff members Sheridan Harvey, Janice Ruth, Barbara Natanson, Sara Day, and Evelyn Sinclair. The online presentation provides a gateway to the American Memory collections and other Library of Congress resources that relate to women’s history while also providing guidance to the non-digital women’s history resources found at the Library. For each Library reading room there is an introductory essay that provides an overview of the materials relating to women’s history found in that particular reading room. Also included are tips for searching the collections and links to information presented during the Resourceful Women symposium presented in June 2003 at the Library of Congress.
Special Features
These online exhibits provide context and additional information about this collection.
Historical Eras
These historical era(s) are best represented in the collection although they may not be all-encompassing.
- Colonial Settlement, 1492-1763
- The American Revolution, 1763-1783
- The New Nation, 1780-1815
- Expansion and Reform, 1801-1861
- The Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1877
- Development of the Industrial United States, 1876-1915
- Emergence of Modern America: 1890-1930
- The Great Depression and World War II: 1929-1945
- Postwar United States : 1945-early 1970s
- Contemporary United States : 1968-present
Related Collections and Exhibits
These collections and exhibits contain thematically-related primary and secondary sources. Also browse the Collection Finder for more related material on the American Memory Web site.
- American Ballroom Companion
- American Life Histories, 1936-1940
- American Variety Stage
- Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938
- First Person Narratives of the American South, 1860-1920
- From Slavery to Freedom: The African-American Pamphlet Collection, 1824-1909
- Hannah Arendt Papers at the Library of Congress
- Quilts and Quiltmaking in America
- Votes for Women, 1848-1921
- "Votes for Women" Suffrage Pictures, 1850-1920
Search Tips
Specific guidance for searching this collection.
Patrons can search this gateway by keyword. Tips are also provided on the home page on how to search the American Memory collections and other Library of Congress resources. For help with search words, go to the Synonym List. For help with search strategies, see Finding Items in American Memory.
Last Updated: 06/12/2009