Documenting the History of African American Religious Life and Organizations

Developed in conjunction with Atla, a membership association of collectors and connectors in religion and theology, African American Historical Serials Collection is the product of more than ten years of organizing and collecting materials.

It is a complete, centralized and accessible resource of formerly fragmentary, widely-dispersed and endangered materials. Titles were collected from 75 institutions, including small institutions that had not previously participated in preservation projects.

Compiled and accessible to researchers in one digital collection, this unique resource documents the history of African American life and religious organizations from 1829 and 1922.

Content features multiple religious denominations, including the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Zion Church and many Baptist churches.

Thousands of searchable primary source content include reports and annuals from African American religious organizations and social service agencies, as well as African American periodicals.

Represented Organizations Include: 

  • Institute for Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Colored Youth of the State of Texas
  • Gammon Theological Seminary
  • Institute for Colored Youths
  • Home for Aged and Infirm Colored Persons
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African American Historical Serials Collection is a fantastic primary source tool for understanding a specific epoch from a unique perspective. Both neophyte undergraduate students and advanced researchers will appreciate its robustness and ease of use.

Choice Magazine

Explore the Past in a New Way

EBSCO’s Historical Digital Archive Viewer replicates the experience of browsing and reading original archive material and enhances it with keyword search, note-taking tools and other useful features.