“I tell what I have seen”: Treatment of the Mentally Ill in Early America https://ow.ly/I94550ZKJ0C #HealthHistory #MedicalHumanities #MedHum
Readex
@readex.com
Established more than 80 years ago, Readex, a division of NewsBank, Inc., publishes unique, important, and carefully curated primary source collections for academic research.
"Let the trust of James Smithson to the United States of America be faithfully executed by their representatives in Congress : let this result accomplish his object--the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." John Quincy Adams, 1846
"...the chief exponent of the scientific thought of the people of the United States...": How to Research the History of the Smithsonian Institution | Readex
The Smithsonian Institution and its twenty museums and galleries have been in the news recently. There is controversy.
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The name "Social Evil Hospital" likely conjures images of a sinister building with dormer windows filled with darkened silhouettes and occupied by the vilest criminals imaginable. You wouldn't be totally wrong — it did in fact have dormer windows. 📚 https://ow.ly/A1jN50ZKHMv #PrimarySources
Licensed to Sin: Women's Public Health and the St. Louis Social Evil Hospital | Readex
Built in 1872, in St. Louis, Missouri, the facility originally served as a clinic where female sex workers received testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
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"Even as Pullman dreamed of a pastoral town, devoid of conflict, Chicago's workers were busy building their own visions of what America was supposed to be." ▶️ Dr. Beverly Gage reflects on her travels through Chicago: https://youtu.be/AdaCbUQ3GLQ?si=_J0y-iBihEM-M6PH&t=2009 #LaborDay #LaborHistory
This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History
How do the places where history happened shape the stories Americans tell about the past?
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"Modest and impressive of the quiet dignity of labor." —Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1894 Labor Day: from union parades to a national holiday. Explore its roots in Labor in America: https://www.readex.com/products/labor-america #LaborDay #LaborHistory
"The chief of police in a steel town said: 'I'd rather see a mob of armed strikers marching down Main street than have that old lady arrive on the scene.' He meant Mother Jones." Study organizer Mary Harris "Mother" Jones in Labor in America https://ow.ly/iyMQ50ZHHti #LaborHistory #WomensHistory
What city implemented an early women's public health program in the 1870s? 🔎https://ow.ly/Snwv50ZHrU1 #WomensHistory #19thCentury #HealthHistory
BBC Monitoring began 87 years ago 26 August as a small group "...boarded a coach for 'somewhere in the country' and told their mission: to launch something to be called 'the Monitoring Service”'" The archive is available to #AcademicLibraries from Readex.
#OTD in 1632 John Locke, Enlightenment thinker and inspiration to Thomas Jefferson, was born. Only one edition of Two Treatises of Government was printed in North America. Explore Locke’s works in Early American Imprints: https://ow.ly/Ui4b50ZGCMb #America250 #Revolution250 #Democracy #EarlyAmerica
Women gained voting rights 126 years ago but the fight for suffrage began decades earlier. Who were the organizers that harnessed the language of the Declaration of Independence "to demand the equal station to which they are entitled"? 📜 https://ow.ly/e9oI50ZAGvK #WomensEqualityDay #EmpowerHer
New from Readex: Labor in America, the experience & impact of American workers as recorded by the news media: https://www.readex.com/products/labor-america 📚 300+ years of history 📰 15,000+ news sources 🔎 700+ Suggested Searches #AcademicLibraries #FacultyResources #PrimarySources #HistoryResearch
"I tried to conduct my [road] trips as an ordinary tourist...My only special qualification was my background as a historian." Watch Dr. Beverly Gage's thought-provoking discussion of her new book at the Readex Breakfast during #ALAAC26: https://ow.ly/681850ZzXYy 🗃️
"...to promote and encourage art in photography..." (1898) American Institute of the City of New York. Photographical Section. Catalogue of the American Institute photographic salon. American Pamphlets, Series 1, 1820-1922 #WorldPhotoDay #CaptureTheMoment #HumanitiesResearch
The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 devastated a city—but also inspired unforgettable acts of heroism. Explore these powerful stories from history on the Readex blog.
The Great Galveston Hurricane and the Sisters of St. Mary's Orphanage: "They did not save them, but they did their best. Try to save something of real value in the world." | Readex
In September and October 2024, two historic hurricanes slammed into Florida's Gulf coast and wreaked havoc into the Appalachia region, impacting 6 states, and resulting in over 230 casualties. It is in these times that we look back and remember other storms that have made a lasting impact on our cou…
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Indigenous peoples of North and Central America engineered shields and body armor long before colonization—and kept innovating as new threats emerged. Discover their remarkable history from the 18th to 20th centuries: https://ow.ly/Grpg50ZzQ1f
Before the Civil Rights Act, Black vacationers found rest and community in Idlewild, Michigan—a vibrant summer escape from segregation. Learn more: https://www.readex.com/blog/r-and-r-racism-idlewild-michigans-african-american-resort #NationalRelaxationDay #BlackHistory
How do the places where history happened shape the stories Americans tell about the past? Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Beverly Gage explores that question in a thought-provoking discussion of her new book, This Land Is Your Land, recorded at the Readex Breakfast during #ALAAC26. 🗃️
This Land is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History
YouTube video by Readex
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Haiti’s story is one of conquest, resistance, and resilience. From Columbus’s arrival in 1492 to waves of colonial rule, these forces shaped its legacy. Explore how history still echoes today. #CaribbeanStudies #IndigenousPeoples #BlackHistory #Postcolonialism
"White Hell in Black Haiti": An Excursion to Haiti Wherein the Question is Asked, "What Happened?" | Readex
Ah, the Caribbean! Turquoise water, miles of sandy beaches, tropical climate. Island paradises mostly, large and small. The Bahamas. Jamaica. Also, Cuba, but that's another story. Vibrant, ancient cultures with unique resources and vast potential. Perfect destinations for adventure or a relaxing get…
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From early American printers to today’s digital tools, young people have always driven change. What can we learn from 17th–19th century children’s books to inspire future leaders? Explore rare titles and new perspectives on the Readex Blog. #YouthDay #USHistory #PrimarySources
‘Mild as the Harmless Lamb’: Instructions on Conduct for Females | Readex
Among several common themes in early books for children, instruction in conduct recurs frequently. Searching American Children’s Books, 1654-1819, a new Readex database, whether using Suggested Searches or employing Advanced Search, will result in many relevant texts. As for girls, the instructions on conduct sometimes coincide with the instructions for boys, but not always.
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Today’s gas vs. electric car debates echo the past—18th-c America saw fierce travel competition too! Even stagecoach innkeepers battled for business. Discover the roots of travel rivalry: https://ow.ly/5S4A50Zys37 #PrimarySources #HistoricalNewspapers #EconomicHistory
"...the malignancy of others compels us to convince the Public...": Fierce competition between innkeepers hosting stagecoach stops plays out in print | Readex
Ambitious inn and tavern owners in the early 1800s understood the profitability of hosting reputable stagecoach lines. Hungry, tired travelers delivered to your doorstep are ideal clientele. One might imagine an innkeeper going to great lengths to attract these lines, but would these lengths include…
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🚴♂️ Happy Cycle to Work Day! Just don't get "bicycle face" along the way. ⁉️ Learn more about this "new aliment": https://ow.ly/CWmw50ZuqWA #CycleToWorkDay #PedalPower #EcoFriendlyJourney #AmericanStudies #HistoricalNewspapers #PrimarySources
It’s primary day in many states! Did you know Susanna Salter became the first woman mayor in the U.S. in 1887—after being placed on the ballot as a joke? Her win made history. Read more: https://ow.ly/63X650Zut3V 🗃️ #USHistory #AmericanHistory #WomensHistory #PoliticalHistory #KansasHistory
Hamilton’s 1792 tariff policy paid war debt and sparked U.S. manufacturing—a debate still alive today. Invite students to explore both sides with primary sources: government docs, imprints, and newspapers. Discover resources: https://ow.ly/g24o50ZuriZ
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini became unlikely friends in the early 20th century. Their bond was forged by the spiritualist movement, sparking a lifelong debate about the supernatural. Were they believers or skeptics? https://ow.ly/akj050Zu0Ar #FriendshipDay #CelebrateTogether
How did a failed marriage and a wildfire lead to the creation in 1902 of Big Basin Redwoods, California's oldest state park? 🕵️https://ow.ly/jTk050ZtA6r 🗃️ #ConserveNature #LoveOurPlanet #EnvironmentalHistory #WomensHistory
In 1867, Josephine Clifford left her "very high tempered" husband at Fort Bayard in New Mexico to join family in California. She went on to live a remarkable life as a journalist and writer but truly left her mark as the "Savior of the Sequoias." #LoveIsKindDay #WomensHistory #EnvironmentalHistory
Trial by Fire: Josephine Clifford McCrackin Survives Personal Disaster in New Mexico Territory and California to Become "The Savior of the Sequoias" | Readex
A failed marriage and a wildfire led to the creation in 1902 of Big Basin Redwoods, California's oldest state park. Big Basin contains the largest continuous stand of coast redwoods south of San Francisco, featuring trees hundreds of feet tall and well over a thousand years old. The park would likel…
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What became the "Post-Office of the United States" was established #OTD in 1775. 📨 How did the new nation build and adapt the Post Office for the new republic? Read more: https://ow.ly/R51q50Zm5oZ 🗃️ #PostalHistory
“Bad roads, high waters, and various accidents”: The First Decades of the United States Postal Service | Readex
Before the American Revolution, postal service, such as it was, was administered by the British. Mail within the colonies was sparse, while the preponderance of mail was between North America and Great Britain. Benjamin Franklin was postmaster of Philadelphia when, in 1753, he became one of the two…
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🍷🧀 Mammoth Cheese and Escapernog Wine...what more do you need to celebrate National Wine and Cheese Day! 📚 Ode to the Mammoth Cheese from Early American Imprints. 📜 Escapernog Wine advertisement from American Broadsides and Ephemera, 1749-1900. #WineAndCheeseDay #CheersToLife
Self care trends have deep historical roots. In the 1870s, General A.J. Pleasonton sparked a blue glass craze, an 1877 article claimed, "Since the introduction of blue glass here the mortality bill has fallen off wonderfully..." 👉 https://ow.ly/eqqN50ZomKh #SelfCareDay #HealthHistory #HealthHist
Reflecting upon the influence of the blue color of the sky: Seeing the world through General A.J. Pleasonton's blue-tinted glasses | Readex
In 1871, General A.J. Pleasonton presented ten years' worth of experimental findings to the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture in an effort to "shed light" on a new subject. Standing before them, Pleasonton—a retired Civil War officer whose experience in horticulture and science was limi…
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