It was 234 years ago that Paul Revere took a historic ride through Massachusetts to alert the coming of the British during the American Revolution. His famous Midnight Ride was documented and, until now, has been buried within the American Antiquarian Society’s collection of historical documents dating from the 1600s to the 1870s. EBSCO Publishing (EP) is reliving the past as it digitizes the American Antiquarian Society’s (AAS) serials collection.

Digitally scanning the 10-million page collection will take years to complete with an on-site scanning operation that will create products to provide researchers searchable access to centuries-old full text online.

Documenting America

Located in Worcester, Mass., the AAS was established in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas. Its intent was to obtain a copy of all materials printed in the United States between 1640 and 1876, documenting American lifestyle during the Colonial era through the Civil War and Reconstruction in the United States. Having survived wars and floods, 20 miles of historical documents are housed in the facility, all safely preserved in a climate-controlled, fireproof environment.