Below is a collection of databases relating to the study of American Literature to which Kent State has access. For a more complete list access the English Studies Databases.
Find primary source newspaper content from the 19th century, including full-text content and images from newspapers in urban and rural regions throughout the U.S.
The collection encompasses the entire 19th century with an emphasis on such topics as the American Civil War, African-American culture and history, and Western migration and Antebellum-era life.
Explore the African American newspaper archives of the Wisconsin Historical Society, Kansas State Historical Society, and the Library of Congress.
Beginning with Freedom's Journal (NY), the first African American newspaper published in the United States, the titles in this resource include: The Colored Citizen (OH), Rights of All (NY), Wisconsin Afro-American, New York Age, Virginia Journal and Alexandria Advertiser, Richmond Planet, Cleveland Gazette, The Appeal (MN), and hundreds of others from every region of the U.S.
Search records of the literary works of American writers from the American Revolution to 1930, including reprints and variant editions.
BAL originally appeared in print in nine volumes, published for the Bibliographical Society of America by Yale University Press between 1955 and 1991. All nine volumes of BAL are fully searchable together.
550 fully searchable digitized works by Black authors from the Americas, Europe, and Africa, compiled from the Library Company of Philadelphia collection. Includes personal narratives, autobiographies, histories, expedition reports, military reports, novels, essays, poems, and musical compositions. Coverage: 1556-1922.
Discover 440 works of 80 novelists and short-story writers, 1774-1850. Included are the full texts of the first editions of American novels and short stories written before 1850.
Access more than 200 significant 18th- and 19th-century American newspapers.
Based primarily on the newspaper collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Series II also includes titles from the holdings of the Library of Congress, the Wisconsin Historical Society and other organizations.
Gale Literature brings together Gale's literary databases in one search interface. Currently allows for federated searching and access to Gale Literature Criticism, Gale Literature Resource Center, Dictionary of Literary Biography, Contemporary Authors and Something About the Author.
Gale Primary Sources brings together Gale's primary source databases in one search interface. Currently allows for federated searching and access to 12 primary source collections.
Find primary source material from throughout U.S. history, including eyewitness accounts of historical events, descriptions of daily life, editorial observations, commerce as seen through advertisements, and genealogical records.
Discover information on thousands of authors and their works across literary disciplines and timeframes. This full-text database includes major respected reference works, books, literary journals, study guides, and more.
Index of scholarly materials for the study of language, literature, linguistics, rhetoric and composition, folklore, and film. Provides citations to journal articles, books, book chapters, series, translations, scholarly editions, websites, and dissertations with links to full text in JSTOR, Project MUSE, and other resources. Coverage: early 20th century to present.
Find full publication details needed to locate plays in their published manifestations. Searchable by title, author, subject, style, genre, cast type, and more.
Salem Press' Critical Insights and Critical Surveys series provides analytical essays on key literary authors and literary works written in the English language.
Search illustrated biographical profiles of over 20,000 authors and illustrators of children's and young adult literature. Digitized version of the more than 290 volume print edition.
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