Key collections of the Newberry Library have been digitized by Adam Matthew Digital. The descriptions below come from their website.
American West is a wide-ranging digital resource presenting a unique insight into the history of the development of the West as well as its enduring legacies. From the earliest, pioneering expeditions that discovered and mapped the West to the growth of industry and settlements, through a range of rare and important documents it is possible to explore the commercial, cultural and social factors that made the West what it was and is. Through items such as maps, manuscripts, journals, rare printed books, periodicals, photographs and more, the appeal of the ‘wild’ West to explorers, emigrants and workers is brought to life, as shifting epochs brought new opportunities and challenges in a rapidly changing country. The development of the popular image of the West can be charted with material depicting the ‘Wild West’ shows, famous outlaws and pioneer personalities, while the clash of cultures that was often a feature of life in the burgeoning United States is represented through a wealth of documents relating to the Mormon exodus and Native American contact.
American Indian Histories and Cultures presents material from the Newberry Library’s Edward E. Ayer Collection, an extensive archival collection on American Indian history. The content ranges from early contacts with European settlers through the expanded occupation of the American west, up through the Indian political movements of the mid-20th century. The collection covers a wide geographic area with a primary focus on North America and Mexico.
The American West and American Indian Histories and Cultures collections are fully cross-searchable.