Tag: pamphlets
Primary Sources: Pamphlets Relating to Scottish Nationalism, 1844-1973
Pamphlets Relating to Scottish Nationalism, 1844-1973 includes publications written by individuals arguing for Scottish independence (1847-1972), official publications of the Scottish National Party and its Predecessor (1928-1973), calls for an Independent Scotland (1853-1973), visions for the future of Scotland (1844-1973), and critiques of England and its Treatment of Scotland.
This British Online Archives collection has been digitized from the original microfiche that was published in 1978. The quality of the digitized images reflects the quality of the original images produced from the materials at the National Library of Scotland. A PDF guide to that microfiche collection is available from the Center for Research Libraries.
Primary Sources: Broadsides & Ephemera Collection from Duke University
Duke University’s Broadsides and Ephemera Collection “contains broadsides, pamphlets, form letters, posters, newspapers, tickets, and other short printed items dating from the eighteenth to the twentieth century (with the majority dating from the nineteenth century). Truly an interdisciplinary collection, the Broadsides and Ephemera Collection includes materials related to political campaigns, politics, theater, dance, popular entertainments, immigration and emigration, advertising, travel, expositions, military recruitment and campaigns, as well as issues related to race, class, gender, and religion.”
The majority of the collection (over 4,000 items) is material published in the United States; the international collection includes about 1,400 pieces published primarily in Europe.
Primary Sources: 19th Century British Pamphlets
Pamphlets provided individuals, interest groups, political parties, and organizations with an inexpensive way to present and disseminate views and opinions and were an important form of publication during the 19th Century. A few institutions built substantial collections of these pamphlets, but they have never been easy for researchers to find and access. Research Libraries UK (RLUK) corrected that by leading a massive cataloging project that allows scholars to locate pamphlets using a single search tool. They have also digitized more than 26,000 pamphlets from seven major UK research institutions and the collections are searchable and browsable in JSTOR.
Bristol Selected Pamphlets 1800-1899
Cowen Tracts 1603-1898
Earl Grey Pamphlets Collection 1800-1900
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Collection 1545-1900
Hume Tracts 1769-1890
Knowsley Pamphlet Collection 1792-1868
LSE Selected Pamphlets 1800-1899
Manchester Selected Pamphlets 1799-1900
Wilson Anti-Slavery Collection
I recommend reading the guides provided by the project, which describe more fully the collections and how to search them. The guides also point out that the pamphlets don’t only reveal contemporary viewpoints, they contain statistics, illustrations, maps, and other evidence that would inform your research. Because pamphlets were sometimes published in response to another publication putting forward an opposing viewpoint, tracking them can provide insight into public debates.