Amistad Research Center

New Orleans

In partnership with Tulane University, the Amistad Research Center is an independent archive that focuses on the collection and preservation of materials related to America’s ethnic and racial history. Its Manuscripts & Library holdings include 15 million historic documents dating from the 1790s to the present. According to its website, its collections can be searched via the Tulane Libraries Search. Several Online Exhibitions are available.

Archdiocese of New Orleans Office of Archives and Records

New Orleans

The Archdiocese of New Orleans Office of Archives and Records serves as the official repository for the records of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Its Church Records date back to 1713 and are quite expansive. These records include information on funerals, marriages, and baptisms performed at the St. Louis Cathedral and various other parish churches. There are also several Indexes for the Archdiocese’s sacramental records dated between 1718 to 1815.

Earl K. Long Library

New Orleans

Located at the University of New Orleans, the Earl K. Long Library collects and preserves various materials related to the early history of Louisiana. Much of these can be found it its Louisiana and Special Collections. Although its holdings are especially strong for the 20th century, there are many 18th and 19th century collections that early Americanists may find interesting. Of special note is the Historical Archives of the Supreme Court of Louisiana, which maintains that court’s records from 1813 to 1920. The Library’s holdings can be searched via the its Archives and Inventories. Some of the Library’s collections have been digitized and can be viewed here, but they appear to mostly be 20th century materials.

Edith Garland Dupré Library

Lafayette

The Edith Garland Dupré Library serves as the main library for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Its Special Collections are quite strong in the history of early Louisiana. Holdings date back to the 18th century. Early Americanists will be particularly interested in the Acadiana Manuscripts Collection, which consists of over 500 individual collections of personal or family papers, business and organization records, photographs, oral histories, and more. Finding aids for this collection can be found here. Researchers may also search the Library Catalog to find early sources. The Library administers several Digital Exhibits and has digitized much of its material for inclusion in the Louisiana Digital Library.

Eugene P. Watson Memorial Library

Natchitoches

Part of the Northwestern State of Louisiana University Libraries, the Eugene P. Watson Memorial Library features rare books and archival materials related to the history and culture of Louisiana. Its Cammie G. Henry Research Center is responsible for collecting and preserving these materials. Natchitoches Parish and court records can be found in its holdings, as well as hundreds of private manuscript collections. Chief among these is the Melrose Collection which spans 800 linear feet and covers three centuries of life in and around Natchitoches. Collection Listings are available to researchers.

The Historic New Orleans Collection

New Orleans

The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) is a museum and research center that collects and preserves documents related to the history of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Its holdings are particularly strong in the colonial history of Louisiana, the Louisiana Purchase, the War of 1812, race and slavery, urbanization, jazz, and Mardi Gras. Besides extensive manuscript collections, THNOC maintains a vibrant Oral History Program and administers the Decorative Arts of the Gulf South. Several Research Tools are available to assist scholars, including THNOC’s Research Pathfinders, Mapping the Coastal Slave Trade, and Online Catalog. Researchers can also find digitized materials in its Exhibitions and the Louisiana Digital Library. Many Prizes and Fellowships are offered by THNOC each year.

Latin American Library

New Orleans

Part of the Tulane University Libraries, the Latin American Library boasts an impressive collection of original and copied documents that document Europeans’ exploration and colonization of Latin America and the Caribbean. Its Collections include 15,000 rare prints, over 6,000 linear feet of manuscript sources, 6,000 maps, and much more. The Special Collections of the Library are comprised of 300 manuscript collections of original and unique materials from colonial Latin America. Finding Aids for the Library’s holdings are available. The Library offers several online resources, including its Digital Collections and its Digital Exhibits & Scholarships. Annual Fellowships are offered by the Library for scholars residing in Latin America.

Louisiana State Archives

Baton Rouge

The Louisiana State Archives serves as the official repository for the State of Louisiana. As such, its holdings contain unique and significant government records related to the early history of the state. A Research Library and an Online Catalog are available to assist scholars in locating and examining the Archives’ materials. Several subject guides, informational brochures, indexes, and searchable databases can be found here.

Louisiana State Museum

New Orleans

The Louisiana State Museum maintains an extensive selection of documents related to the early history of Louisiana. Its Louisiana Historical Center houses various records, including Colonial Documents such as the records of Louisiana’s French Superior Council (1714-1769) and the Spanish Judiciary (1769-1803), Manuscript Collections dating back to 1584 that cover the colonial and national history of Louisiana, and various Newspapers, Maps, and Sheet Music. The Historical Center offers online Finding Aids for its manuscript collections, Indexes for its Spanish colonial documents, and as a Historic Map Database. There are also Exhibitions that can be viewed online.

Louisiana State University Libraries Special Collections

Baton Rouge

Located in Hill Memorial Library, the LSU Libraries Special Collections maintains a wealth of sources related to the early history of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region. It has various Collections & Centers of interest to early Americanists, including Book Collections, State Documents, the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History, Louisiana Newspapers, and the Louisiana & Lower Mississippi Valley Collections. There are Finding Aids and a Library Catalog to help scholars search and browse the Special Collections’ holdings. Much of the material held by the Special Collections is available online through several Digital Collections, including the Digitizing Louisiana Newspapers Project, the Louisiana Digital Library, the Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial Collection, and Free People of Color in Louisiana. Several Research Grants are awarded by the Special Collections each year.

New Orleans Public Library

New Orleans

The New Orleans Public Library holds a significant amount of sources related to early New Orleans. Its City Archives & Special Collections serves as the official repository for the New Orleans municipal government. Holdings of the City Archives includes the records of the Cabildo, the Conseil Municipal, and the Conseil de Ville, as well as mayoral correspondence, police records, tax assessment rolls, and much more. Also available are the records of the Orleans Parish Civil and Criminal Courts, a Newspaper Collection dating back to 1787, and a solid Manuscript Collection. Items held in the City Archives and Special Collections can be searched here. Online resources are also available, including Exhibits & Digital Galleries and its Louisiana Division/City Archives Digital Collections.

Notarial Archives Research Center

New Orleans

A division of the Clerk of Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, the Notarial Archives Research Center houses the parish’s Civil War notarial records from 1735 to 1970. Also available at the Research Center are the Plan Book Plans, a group of thousands of 19th century watercolor lot surveys for New Orleans. Other materials held by the Clerk include the Land Records Division. Historical Notaries’ Indexes are available and organized alphabetically by notary. French Colonial Records have their own index alphabetized by first party name. There are also Online Records, but these are by subscription only.

Tulane University Special Collections

New Orleans

The Tulane University Special Collections maintains nearly 2,500 archival collections, over 100,000 rare books, and other unique materials that chronicle the history and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana. Much of these sources document the colonial and early national history of Louisiana. Notable collections include the Louisiana Research Collection, the Hogan Archive of New Orleans Music and New Orleans Jazz, and the Rare Books Collection. Hundreds of Finding Aids can be viewed online. There are also many Digital Resources available, including several Online Exhibits and the Tulane University Digital Library.

Xavier University of Louisiana Archives & Special Collections

New Orleans

The Xavier University of Louisiana Archives & Special Collections has a wide range of unique source material that focuses on the history of African Americans, New Orleans, Louisiana, and the Gulf Coast. Most of its Collections relate to the 20th century, but its Charles F. Heartman Manuscripts of Slavery Collection stands out as a significant and sizeable grouping of early American sources. It consists of over 6,000 unique items spanning the years 1724 to 1897 and has been digitized. Finding Aids are available for the Special Collections’ other holdings.

Other Louisiana Archives & Sources

The Historical New Orleans Collection maintains A Guide to French Louisiana Manuscripts, a digital expansion of Nancy Miller Surrey’s Calendar of Manuscripts in Paris Archives and Libraries Relating to the History of the Mississippi Valley to 1803. It includes information about Louisiana sources throughout all of France and in North America. Scholars may also find the Louisiana Historical Society’s Resources for Research in New Orleans helpful. A great online resource for researching primary sources is the Louisiana Digital Library, which provides digital images of collections from across the state’s many archives and repositories. Another online resource is LSU’s Digitizing Louisiana Newspapers Project.

Several regional archives maintain sources related to early Louisiana, including the Briscoe Center for American History, the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections, the Mississippi Department of Archives & History, the Missouri Historical Society, and the West Florida History Center. Early Louisiana sources can also be found at the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration.

As a space of French and Spanish colonization, Louisiana is well represented in the archives of both countries. Check with the Archives Nationales d’Outre-Mer and the Bibliotheque Nationale de France in France, and in Spain at the Archivo General de Indias.