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Readex
@readex.com
280 followers 960 following 390 posts
Established more than 80 years ago, Readex, a division of NewsBank, Inc., publishes unique, important, and carefully curated primary source collections for academic research.
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Liberty or land grab? In 1813, John H. Robinson called for support of the Mexican revolution—was he fighting for freedom or fertile territory?

Read his letter & decide: https://ow.ly/6iSM50ZO4TK

#PrimarySources #19thCentury
Detailed 19th-century map of Mexico featuring state borders, rivers, and key settlements in a classic cartographic style.
September 16, 2026 at 12:01 PM
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"It was received with universal shouts of joy": The Declaration of Independence is read aloud across the new United States of America: https://ow.ly/SKSM50ZIkGg

#Democracy #PrimarySources #Revolution250 #America250
September 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM
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How do Americans reinterpret their shared history?

Follow Dr. Beverly Gage’s cross-country journey as she uncovers the diverse ways we understand our past. Watch her full talk: https://ow.ly/XLhs50ZNhLT

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This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History | Readex
How do the places where history happened shape the stories Americans tell about the past?Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Beverly Gage explores that question in a thought-provoking discussion of her new book, This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History, recorded at the 2026 Readex Break…
ow.ly
September 14, 2026 at 2:01 PM
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“I tell what I have seen”: Treatment of the Mentally Ill in Early America https://ow.ly/I94550ZKJ0C

#HealthHistory #MedicalHumanities #MedHum
1869 pamphlet cover detailing asylum care and a detailed drawing of the asylum grounds featuring symmetrical gardens and walking paths.
September 10, 2026 at 6:00 AM
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"Let the trust of James Smithson to the United States of America be faithfully executed by their representatives in Congress : let this result accomplish his object--the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men."
John Quincy Adams, 1846
"...the chief exponent of the scientific thought of the people of the United States...": How to Research the History of the Smithsonian Institution | Readex
The Smithsonian Institution and its twenty museums and galleries have been in the news recently. There is controversy.
ow.ly
September 9, 2026 at 6:01 PM
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The name "Social Evil Hospital" likely conjures images of a sinister building with dormer windows filled with darkened silhouettes and occupied by the vilest criminals imaginable. You wouldn't be totally wrong — it did in fact have dormer windows.

📚 https://ow.ly/A1jN50ZKHMv

#PrimarySources
Licensed to Sin: Women's Public Health and the St. Louis Social Evil Hospital | Readex
Built in 1872, in St. Louis, Missouri, the facility originally served as a clinic where female sex workers received testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
ow.ly
September 9, 2026 at 12:01 PM
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"Even as Pullman dreamed of a pastoral town, devoid of conflict, Chicago's workers were busy building their own visions of what America was supposed to be."

▶️ Dr. Beverly Gage reflects on her travels through Chicago: https://youtu.be/AdaCbUQ3GLQ?si=_J0y-iBihEM-M6PH&t=2009

#LaborDay #LaborHistory
This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History
How do the places where history happened shape the stories Americans tell about the past?
youtu.be
September 8, 2026 at 2:01 PM
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"Modest and impressive of the quiet dignity of labor." —Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1894

Labor Day: from union parades to a national holiday. Explore its roots in Labor in America: https://www.readex.com/products/labor-america

#LaborDay #LaborHistory
Historical articles describing Labor Day excursions, parades, and the holiday's establishment in the late 19th century. Artistic representation of laborers working on assembly lines in a bustling factory environment.
September 7, 2026 at 2:01 PM
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"The chief of police in a steel town said: 'I'd rather see a mob of armed strikers marching down Main street than have that old lady arrive on the scene.' He meant Mother Jones."

Study organizer Mary Harris "Mother" Jones in Labor in America https://ow.ly/iyMQ50ZHHti

#LaborHistory #WomensHistory
Three historic newspaper clippings depict Mother Jones' involvement in early 20th-century labor strikes and her defiant activism.
September 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM
readex.com
What city implemented an early women's public health program in the 1870s?

🔎https://ow.ly/Snwv50ZHrU1

#WomensHistory #19thCentury #HealthHistory
Historic city map highlighting street grids and a riverbank, rendered in sepia tones.
September 1, 2026 at 2:01 PM
readex.com
BBC Monitoring began 87 years ago 26 August as a small group "...boarded a coach for 'somewhere in the country' and told their mission: to launch something to be called 'the Monitoring Service”'"

The archive is available to #AcademicLibraries from Readex.
August 31, 2026 at 5:10 PM
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#OTD in 1632 John Locke, Enlightenment thinker and inspiration to Thomas Jefferson, was born. Only one edition of Two Treatises of Government was printed in North America. Explore Locke’s works in Early American Imprints: https://ow.ly/Ui4b50ZGCMb

#America250 #Revolution250 #Democracy #EarlyAmerica
August 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM
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Women gained voting rights 126 years ago but the fight for suffrage began decades earlier. Who were the organizers that harnessed the language of the Declaration of Independence "to demand the equal station to which they are entitled"?

📜 https://ow.ly/e9oI50ZAGvK

#WomensEqualityDay #EmpowerHer
Mural depicting six historical women with the quote 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal' on a brick wall.
August 26, 2026 at 6:00 PM
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New from Readex: Labor in America, the experience & impact of American workers as recorded by the news media: https://www.readex.com/products/labor-america

📚 300+ years of history
📰 15,000+ news sources
🔎 700+ Suggested Searches

#AcademicLibraries #FacultyResources #PrimarySources #HistoryResearch
Industrial workers engaged in various tasks within a busy factory, illustrating the theme of American labor history.
August 26, 2026 at 12:01 PM
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"I tried to conduct my [road] trips as an ordinary tourist...My only special qualification was my background as a historian." Watch Dr. Beverly Gage's thought-provoking discussion of her new book at the Readex Breakfast during #ALAAC26: https://ow.ly/681850ZzXYy
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August 22, 2026 at 12:00 PM
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"...to promote and encourage art in photography..." (1898)

American Institute of the City of New York. Photographical Section. Catalogue of the American Institute photographic salon. American Pamphlets, Series 1, 1820-1922

#WorldPhotoDay #CaptureTheMoment #HumanitiesResearch
Two images: On upper left: 1899 American Institute Photographic Salon poster featuring a woman with flowing red hair holding a photo, styled in Art Nouveau design. On lower right: Text detailing the Salon's purpose to encourage photographic art, mentioning a delayed opening and closing dates in December. Two photos. On left: Black and white photo of a woman wearing an elaborate beaded headdress and necklace, looking confidently upward. On right: An elderly man sits on a chair outside a rustic stone cottage, reading a newspaper in the fading light of evening.
August 19, 2026 at 6:00 PM
readex.com
The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 devastated a city—but also inspired unforgettable acts of heroism. Explore these powerful stories from history on the Readex blog.
The Great Galveston Hurricane and the Sisters of St. Mary's Orphanage: "They did not save them, but they did their best. Try to save something of real value in the world." | Readex
In September and October 2024, two historic hurricanes slammed into Florida's Gulf coast and wreaked havoc into the Appalachia region, impacting 6 states, and resulting in over 230 casualties. It is in these times that we look back and remember other storms that have made a lasting impact on our cou…
ow.ly
August 18, 2026 at 2:01 PM
readex.com
Indigenous peoples of North and Central America engineered shields and body armor long before colonization—and kept innovating as new threats emerged. Discover their remarkable history from the 18th to 20th centuries: https://ow.ly/Grpg50ZzQ1f
Illustration of a traditional Alaskan shield made from feathers and wood, alongside a scene of Chukchi people in hoop armor at Plover Bay.
August 17, 2026 at 2:10 PM
readex.com
🐝 Happy World Honey Bee Day! 🍯

#WorldHoneyBeeDay #SaveTheBees #PrimarySources #PrimarySource
Victorian-era advertisement showing a girl examining a large bee through a magnifying glass with detailed text about bee products and specialties.
August 16, 2026 at 2:00 PM
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Before the Civil Rights Act, Black vacationers found rest and community in Idlewild, Michigan—a vibrant summer escape from segregation. Learn more: https://www.readex.com/blog/r-and-r-racism-idlewild-michigans-african-american-resort

#NationalRelaxationDay #BlackHistory
Historic Idlewild Club building atop a grassy hill with a wooden staircase leading to its porch surrounded by trees.
August 15, 2026 at 12:00 PM
readex.com
How do the places where history happened shape the stories Americans tell about the past?

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Beverly Gage explores that question in a thought-provoking discussion of her new book, This Land Is Your Land, recorded at the Readex Breakfast during #ALAAC26.
🗃️
This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History
YouTube video by Readex
youtu.be
August 14, 2026 at 12:47 PM
readex.com
Haiti’s story is one of conquest, resistance, and resilience. From Columbus’s arrival in 1492 to waves of colonial rule, these forces shaped its legacy. Explore how history still echoes today.

#CaribbeanStudies #IndigenousPeoples #BlackHistory #Postcolonialism
"White Hell in Black Haiti": An Excursion to Haiti Wherein the Question is Asked, "What Happened?" | Readex
Ah, the Caribbean! Turquoise water, miles of sandy beaches, tropical climate. Island paradises mostly, large and small. The Bahamas. Jamaica. Also, Cuba, but that's another story. Vibrant, ancient cultures with unique resources and vast potential. Perfect destinations for adventure or a relaxing get…
ow.ly
August 13, 2026 at 6:00 AM
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From early American printers to today’s digital tools, young people have always driven change. What can we learn from 17th–19th century children’s books to inspire future leaders? Explore rare titles and new perspectives on the Readex Blog.
#YouthDay #USHistory #PrimarySources
‘Mild as the Harmless Lamb’: Instructions on Conduct for Females | Readex
Among several common themes in early books for children, instruction in conduct recurs frequently. Searching American Children’s Books, 1654-1819, a new Readex database, whether using Suggested Searches or employing Advanced Search, will result in many relevant texts. As for girls, the instructions on conduct sometimes coincide with the instructions for boys, but not always.
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August 12, 2026 at 6:00 PM
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Today’s gas vs. electric car debates echo the past—18th-c America saw fierce travel competition too! Even stagecoach innkeepers battled for business. Discover the roots of travel rivalry: https://ow.ly/5S4A50Zys37

#PrimarySources #HistoricalNewspapers #EconomicHistory
"...the malignancy of others compels us to convince the Public...": Fierce competition between innkeepers hosting stagecoach stops plays out in print | Readex
Ambitious inn and tavern owners in the early 1800s understood the profitability of hosting reputable stagecoach lines. Hungry, tired travelers delivered to your doorstep are ideal clientele. One might imagine an innkeeper going to great lengths to attract these lines, but would these lengths include…
ow.ly
August 11, 2026 at 2:01 PM
readex.com
🚴‍♂️ Happy Cycle to Work Day! Just don't get "bicycle face" along the way.

⁉️ Learn more about this "new aliment": https://ow.ly/CWmw50ZuqWA

#CycleToWorkDay #PedalPower #EcoFriendlyJourney #AmericanStudies #HistoricalNewspapers #PrimarySources
Caricature of a man in striped pants holding a bicycle wheel outside a closed inn with a sign reading 'Protection Inn, No Hospitality for Man or Bicycle'.
August 6, 2026 at 6:00 AM