The following sources, about United States and New York City history, contain a significant amount of information about the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods and are recommended for those just beginning their research. In addition to the sources listed here, the library also holds lists of military personnel for each of the colonies.
Because so many of the collections from this time period are rare, and often fragile, researchers will be brought surrogate formats—microfilm, microfiche, photostatic copies and Readex cards—when available.
Original materials are reserved for exhibitions, photography and digitization.
The points of view of all participants, including foreign governments and other allies, are represented.
The purpose of this guide is to introduce the researcher to the kinds of resources—reference books, manuscripts, newspapers, broadsides, pamphlets, maps, prints, and current historical journals—available at the Library, and to outline the ways in which these materials can be identified and used.