
Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress.All pages from the 1861–1865 Civil War period have been scanned including the engravings and illustrations. The site is searchable and is arranged chronologically with thumb-nails of the front pages. The archive of this popular weekly newspaper highlights only the Civil War years.

Search across the newspapers for a range of contemporary stories from both sides of the war. Examples of newspaper titles include: Memphis Appeal (1857–1886), Chattanooga Rebel (1862–1865), New York Sun (1859–1916), and New York Daily Tribune (1842–1866). Over 1,400 newspapers are in the archive, but not all of them are from the Civil War years. This site offers access to multiple newspapers from both the Confederate and Union states. The archive is maintained by the Brooklyn Public Library. The archive is searchable, can be browsed by date, and includes zooming capabilities to see the tiny text up close. An important daily newspaper, the Eagle was unusual for its time since it covered national as well as regional news. These websites include digitized newspaper archives for both the Union and Confederate sides of the struggle, collections of letters and diaries, digitized photographs, maps, and official records and dispatches from the battlefields. This guide is not comprehensive, but it highlights a diverse collection of free websites of primary sources for the study of the war. Hundreds of websites offer insight into the American Civil War. To understand the conflict, take a look back at the primary documents that highlight decisions of generals, the everyday drudgery of soldiers, and the photographic images of battle. When the South finally surrendered, the Confederacy collapsed, and slavery was abolished. This split in the fabric of the country began a bitter war, concluding in the death of more than 750,000 soldiers. Within months of President Lincoln’s inauguration, seven southern states began the secession from the Union and declared the Confederate States of America. The American Civil War began in 1861, lasted until 1865, and was ruinous by any standard.
