Research Guides: Microform Research Sets: Western Americana: Frontier History of the Trans-Mississippi West, 1550-1900

About this Collection

Western Americana: Frontier History of the Trans-Mississippi West, 1550-1900

About

This collection covers more than 7,000 titles assembled in cooperation with the Yale University Library and the Newberry Library on the exploration, settlement, and development of the Trans-Mississippi West. Geographically it covers from the Mexican borderlands to the Arctic; the Mississippi to the Pacific.
Among the topics covered are:

exploration
Indigenous - European relations, including trade, warfare, missions, and governmental affairs
Manifest Destiny and expansion
homesteading, farming, ranching, and mining
railroads and transportation

Publications types range from single-page broadsides to multi-volume works, and include personal narratives, government publications, scientific treatises, economic studies, and more. The last reel is a color supplement and atlas.
Note that this collection should not be confused with the University Microfilms publication called "Western Americana."

Location

Library Annex LISA Microfilm ; F591 .W45

Format

microfilm

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by author or by title for anonymous works.

Items

617 reels

Publication

Research Publications, 1976-

Indexes and Guides

Western Americana: Reel Listing
There is also a print version of the guide in the Library Annex ; F591 .W45 Index, 1980.

Online Options

Many of these titles are in the public domain and can be found in HathiTrust, Google Books, or the Internet Archive.

In addition, databases from Adam Matthew contain many of the same publications.

Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America This link opens in a new window
Covers: 1500-. Presents both published and manuscript materials on Indigenous peoples of North America. This resource contains material from the Newberry Library's extensive Edward E. Ayer Collection; one of the strongest archival collections on American Indian history. Search or browse documents, for individual persons or cultural groups, places, events, or themes. Includes maps, images, and a timeline.
AM Explorer This link opens in a new window
Search across millions of pages of primary sources spanning the 15th – 21st centuries. Collections cover topics as far-ranging at the Age of Exploration, Fashion, American Indian Newspapers, the First and Second World Wars, Children's Literature and Culture, Central Asia, China and East Asia, Colonialism and the British Empire, Gender Studies, Consumer and Popular Culture, and World's Fairs. Offers many documents sourced from the British National Archives and other repositories.
HathiTrust This link opens in a new window
The University Libraries are members of HathiTrust; U o fA students, faculty and staff can now download complete works and take advantage of other features, including building and sharing collections of works. Read more on our HathiTrust Guide.
A collaborative archive of digitized books and periodicals. Most books that can be read full-text online were published prior to 1923 but there are a large number of government documents, including very recent Congressional reports and hearings.
HathiTrust (Open Access Version) This link opens in a new window
A collaborative archive of digitized books and periodicals. Most books that can be read full-text online were published prior to 1923 but there are a large number of government documents, including very recent Congressional reports and hearings.

This link provides access to HathiTrust for anyone without requiring authentication. You will be able to download books and periodicals one page at a time. If you are a U of A student, faculty, or staff member, please use our customized link to HathiTrust.
Google Books This link opens in a new window
A growing collection of records for both recent and long out-of-print titles. Because a search may retrieve results from the full-text of many books, Google Books is most useful in helping you to identify titles of interest in your research. A number of popular magazines and government documents have also been added to the Google Books service.