Finding Original Periodical Sources
The Indexes to Early American Periodicals are comprehensive indexes that cover American periodicals published between 1741 and 1935. They serve as a valuable resource for researching topics in early American history, literature, politics, and culture.
ABOUT EARLY AMERICAN Periodicals
What The Indexes Cover
The 3 "Indexes to Early American Periodicals" cover 3 separate time periods from 1741 to 1935 and are thought to include all known periodical publications that had their inception and ending during this time period. The actual periodicals are on microfilm in three microfilm collections of the same names (often referred to as APS I, APS II and APS III). Therefore, when searching the microfilm for a citation be sure to note the appropriate microfilm collection. The name of the microfilm collection is given on the final citation along with reel number and all other information needed to find a citation.
Accessing Original Periodicals in Your Library
In some cases, your library may have originals of some of these periodicals and the indexes work equally well with the hard copy as the final citation will include the periodical title, volume and page numbers.
1700 - 1799
1800 - 150
1850 - 1935
Understanding the Value of Periodicals in Library Research
In academic and research settings, periodicals play a significant role as sources of up-to-date information. When conducting research in your library, it's important to make the most of the resources available to you.
Comprehensive and Reliable Content
Our website is a trusted source for comprehensive and reliable information about Early American Periodicals. We provide well-researched articles, documents, and resources that cover various aspects of this historical period.
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Description of the Collections
American Periodicals Series (APS I, II, and III), 1741-1935
The more than 1,000 periodicals in these three microfilm collections provide the materials necessary to study trends in the United States from 1741 to 1900. Covering more than 150 years of American magazine journalism, American Periodicals is conveniently divided into three segments. Each covers a definite developmental phase in the history of our country, spanning approximately 50 years.
1741-1800 -- (APS I)
89 periodical titles 33 reels of 35mm microfilm
American magazine journalism began in 1741 with Benjamin Franklin's General Magazine and Andrew Bradford's American Magazine. These and other publications in this first series reflect the political and cultural birth of the U.S. and include the first American short stories published in Massachusetts Magazine (1789-96).
American Periodicals Series I provides valuable research material for students in various disciplines. Students of literature and journalism history, for example, find particularly useful the Independent Reflector (1752-53), one of the best examples of essay journalism from that era. For historians, firsthand accounts of the Revolution, as well as descriptions of the latest inventions, can be found in Tom Paine's Pennsylvania Magazine (1775-76). This 18th-century collection also contains publications in the fields of religion, music, and science, including Medical Repository(1797-1800), America's first scientific journal. Series I is a well-rounded introduction to American periodical journalism as it grew with the nation.
1800-1850 -- (APS II)
911 titles on 1,966 reels of 35mm microfilm
The issue of slavery was debated widely and emotionally for decades before it divided the nation during the Civil War. The periodicals from the pre-war era included in American Periodicals Series II provide social historians with a wealth of literature on this volatile issue. The researcher will discover such materials as: The Genius of Universal Emancipation (1821-39), the first of the many abolitionist journals in this collection; William Lloyd Garrison's Liberator (1831-65), which became the most celebrated abolitionist periodical; and counterpoint publications such as Southern Quarterly Review (1842-57), which upheld the institution of slavery.
American Periodical Series II demonstrate the rapid growth of periodicals after 1800 and include virtually all the significant magazines of the period. Hard-to-locate research materials, such as Poe's contributions to Southern Literary Messenger (1831-64) and Hawthorne's New England Magazine (1831-35), are available to literary researchers through this collection. The venerable North American Review (1815-1940) printed much of the era's leading literature including "Thanatopsis," and many other periodicals took literature or drama as their exclusive provinces.
American Periodicals Series II also includes over 20 women's magazines that flourished during this period such as Godey's Lady's Book (1830-98), as well as children's magazines such as The Youth's Companion (1827-1927) and Merry's Museum (1841-72), which was edited for a time by Louisa May Alcott.
In addition, graduate and undergraduate students and researchers in religion, science, and history will find a rich source of materials in this series.
1850-1935 -- (APS III)
118 periodicals titles on 771 reels of 35mm microfilm
American Periodical Series III includes from the Civil War and Reconstruction era published during the last half of the 19th century. This select grouping focuses on many of the early important professional journals, such as Publications of the American Economic Association and Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
This series also includes many celebrated titles issued by publishing houses--Scribners, Harper's Bazaar, Lippincott's, Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, and Ladies' Home Journal. Students of marketing and advertising will find these popular periodicals useful in exploring the first examples of modern advertising slogans.
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