Liberator

Carrying on in the tradition of the original Liberator, published by abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, this version of the Liberator was issued in the early decades of the twentieth century. It was published as the successor to The Masses, which had been censored by the Justice Department during World War I. It has been called “arguably the greatest radical magazine ever produced in America.” A complete run of the journal between 1918 and 1924 is now available online, with detailed tables of contents and professional quality, high-resolution PDFs.

More information about this important journal and a complete list of issues are available here.

Source: The Riazanov Library Project (San Pablo, CA and Brooklyn, NY)

L’Humanité

Established in 1904, L’Humanité began as a socialist newspaper and later became associated with the French Communist Party. As its peak, the paper had a daily circulation of around half a million readers. Although it has changed ownership several times and faces ongoing challenges to its survival, it continues to be published into the present, under the same name. Gallica, the digital arm of the National Library of France, provides free access to issues spanning 37 years, from 1904 through 1944.

A complete list is available here.

Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France (Paris)

Hidden Treasures of the History Web

A contributor recently wrote to suggest that drawing attention to hidden archival gems is just as important as making new material available. As this site continues to grow and evolve, it makes sense to point readers to already existing, but relatively unknown, resources. Piles of new documents are digitized and placed online by libraries and archives, but remain little known or used, even to specialists in the relevant field. So, in addition to providing links to fresh content that has not been digitized or widely publicized in the past, History Leaks will also bring its users news and information about existing or neglected collections that deserve a wider awareness. And, as always, your comments and contributions are warmly appreciated!

The Papers of Andrew Hull Foote

Andrew Hull Foote (1806-1863) was an important American naval officer and Civil War veteran. Between 1849 and 1851, Foote commanded the USS Perry, a ship in the United States African Squadron. Foote worked with British commanders to suppress the transatlantic slave trade and corresponded with Liberian President Joseph Roberts, Daniel Webster, and other famous figures. His book, Africa and the American Flag, draws on his experiences during this period. Between 1856 and 1858, Foote commanded the USS Portsmouth, part of the East India Squadron. During this time, he became involved in the Second Opium War and led a brief occupation of Chinese territory. Consisting of around 1,000 items, these papers document every stage of his global career.

Reel 1, including correspondence between 1838 and 1856, is available here.

Reel 2, including manuscript writings from 1854, is available here.

Reel 3, including letterbooks between 1839 and 1858, is available here.

Reel 4, including ship papers between 1835 and 1860, is available here.

Reel 5, including miscellaneous ledgers and journals, is available here.

Source: Library of Congress Photoduplication Service (microfilm)