Research on the Web| Reference Sites

Websites devoted to the Civil War, from academic databases to individual blogs, have multiplied prodigiously in the past decade. Scholars and students can easily access an array of resources through the Internet.

We have compliled a selection of recommended websites as a starting point for those insterested in online research. Some sites contain searchable archives while others provide information on new literature concerning the Civil War. As always, please feel free to contact us with any additional websites that could be added to this list.

A. Lincoln at 200 - Created to commemorate his two hundredth birthday. This site contains archives and exhibits devoted to Lincoln and his memory in the United States.

BlackPast.org - A collection of reference materials on African American history.  It includes encyclopedia entries, speeches, photos, and many other primary documents.  Maintained by the University of Washington, Seattle.

Born in Slavery - The Library of Congress' digital collection of Works Progress Administration interviews with former slaves.

Civil War 150- The Washington Post has developed this section of their website as a collecting ground for Civil War information on the web in honor of the sesquicentennial. Opinion articles, book reviews, and interactive battle maps are just a few of the interesting features of this website.

Civil War Librarian- Provides descriptions on new Civil War histories and literature.

Digital Library on American Slavery - This database contains finding aids, abstracts, and archival material related to nearly 80,000 slaves, 8,000 free blacks, and 62,000 whites throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Maintained by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Documenting the American South -provides text, images, and audio files related to the American South. Maintained by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Freedmen and Southern Society Project -Established in 1976, this website provides an overview of the project's publications and research. Select documents are available for viewing on the website. Maintained by the University of Maryland.

New York Divided -Contains a virtual exhibit and documents about New York during the Civil War. Emphasis is placed upon the 1863 Draft Riots, immigrants, and African Americans. Maintained by the New-York Historical Society.

Secession Era Editorials-Contains a variety of newspaper articles on events during the 1850s, such as the Brooks/Sumner incident, Dred Scott, and John Brown's Raid. Maintained by Furman University.

Shermans March and America: Mapping Memory- Dr. Anne Sarah Rubin designed this digital project around her work on Sherman’s 1864 March to the Sea.  Digital maps and videos highlight the civilian, military, tourism, and fictional accounts of the March. 

Stone Sentinels: Battlefield Monuments of the Civil War - Four battlefields are provided on this page: South Mountain, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Monocacy.  Monuments and markers are listed with pictures and descriptions. 

Teaching the Civil War Technology-The site offers training programs and information about using technology in the classroom to teach the Civil War.

Unknown No Longer -Online database devoted to "Virginians of African descent." The collection is constantly growing and contains nearly 1,500 slaves as of September 2011. Maintained by the Virginia HIstorical Society.

Valley of the Shadow -The project presents two counties in the Shenandoah Valley, one in Virginia and one in Pennsylvania, during the 1860s. A wealth of information is cataloged in graphs, maps, and artifacts. Maintained by the University of Virginia.

Virtual Antietam - Provides a searchable database for all monuments and markers at Antietam National Battlefield.