Online Resources
History, Geography & Culture
Databases
Learn about Black History and explore over 500 years of the African American experience, history and culture.
This primary source collection offers an expansive window into centuries of African American history and illustrates the significant impacts African Americans have had on culture, the arts, science, politics, religion and more.
Search America’s historic newspaper pages from 1777–1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690–present.
Explore countries, states and provinces with photos, videos, biographies, recipes and other cultural staples.
Collection of over 6,000 ebooks on various subjects. Books can be downloaded for offline reading on Windows and Mac operating systems using Adobe Digital Editions. More information on the app is available via the Quick Start Guide and Frequently Asked Questions.
Search multiple online resources from Ebsco at once, covering a wide range of topics.
Access information from magazines and books on many topics, from animals to math, designed for elementary school students.
Access information for high school students on many topics from magazines, newspapers, books, biographies, country reports, primary sources, videos and more.
Access information for middle school students on many topics from magazines, newspapers, books, biographies, country reports, primary sources, videos and more.
Search interface for general-interest magazines, encyclopedias, reference books, business publications and more.
A collection of reference ebooks on a wide variety of topics. More information on the app can be found on Gale Support.
Articles, images, maps, activities, experiments and reference information on all subjects that are appropriate for elementary students.
Provides information on hundreds of the most significant people, events and topics in American history from many sources.
Provides information on hundreds of the most significant people, events and topics in world history from multiple sources.
This primary source collection offers an expansive window into centuries of Hispanic history and illustrates the significant impacts Hispanic and Latino Americans have had on culture, the arts, science, politics, religion and more.
Provides free online access to historical local and regional newspapers in South Carolina since 1815. Lexington County newspapers include: The Batesburg Advocate, Batesburg, S.C., 1901-1911; The Lexington Dispatch, Lexington, South Carolina, 1873-1916; Lexington Dispatch-News, Lexington, S.C., 1917-1919; and The Dispatch-News, Lexington, S.C., 1919-1922.
Provides access to full-text reference ebooks, encyclopedias, peer-reviewed journals, primary source documents and images covering U.S. and world history.
Access reference titles related to literature, history, science, health and business. Includes H.W. Wilson: The Reference Shelf volumes on issues of importance in modern society.
A joint project of South Carolina Humanities, the University of South Carolina Press, the USC Libraries, the USC College of Arts & Sciences, the USC Institute for Southern Studies, the South Carolina State Library, and many other organizations, the South Carolina Encyclopedia is a reference source of the people, places, events, things, achievements, and ideals that have contributed to the evolution of the Palmetto State.
Ebooks
Includes essays on events, publications, lifestyles and individuals important to particular eras in U.S. history.
- Early American Civilizations & Exploration to 1600
- The Colonial Era, 1600–1754
- The Revolutionary Era, 1754–1783
- Development of a Nation, 1783–1815
- Reform Era & Eastern U.S. Development, 1815–1850
- Westward Expansion, 1800–1860
- Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860–1877
- Development of the Industrial United States, 1878–1899
Includes primary sources documenting events, publications, lifestyles and individuals important to a particular era in U.S. history.
- Early American Civilizations & Exploration to 1600
- The Colonial Era, 1600–1754
- The Revolutionary Era, 1754–1783
- Development of a Nation, 1783–1815
- Reform Eras & Eastern U.S. Development, 1815–1850
- Westward Expansion, 1800–1860
- Civil War & Reconstruction, 1860–1877
- Development of the Industrial United States, 1878–1899
- The Ancient World, Prehistory – 476 c.e.
- The Middle Ages, 477 – 1453
- Renaissance & Early Modern Era, 1454 – 1600
- The Seventeenth Century, 1601 – 1700
- The Eighteenth Century, 1701 – 1800
- The Nineteenth Century, 1801-1900
- The Twentieth Century, 1901 – 1940
- The Twentieth Century, 1941 – 1970
- The Twentieth Century, 1971 – 2000
- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Events
- Modern Scandals
- The Ancient World, Prehistory, 476 c.e.
- The Middle Ages, 477–1453
- Renaissance & Early Modern Era, 1454–1600
- The Seventeenth Century, 1601–1700
- The Eighteenth Century, 1701–1800
- The Nineteenth Century, 1801–1900
- The Twentieth Century, 1901–2000
- African Americans
- Asian & Pacific Islander Americans
- Inventors & Inventions
- Jewish Americans
- Latinos
- Notorious Lives
- Scientists & Science
- The Incredibly Wealthy
- Representative American Speeches 2014 – 2015
- Representative American Speeches 2015 – 2016
- Representative American Speeches 2016 – 2017
- Representative American Speeches 2017 – 2018
- Representative American Speeches 2018 – 2019
- Representative American Speeches 2019 – 2020
- Representative American Speeches 2020 – 2021
- U.S. National Debate Topic 2015 – 2016: Surveillance
- U.S. National Debate Topic 2016 – 2017: U.S. – China Relations
- U.S. National Debate Topic 2017 – 2018: Education Reform
- U.S. National Debate Topic 2018 – 2019: Immigration
- U.S. National Debate Topic 2019 – 2020: Arms Sales
- U.S. National Debate Topic: 2020 – 2021: Criminal Justice Reform
- U.S. National Debate Topic: 2021 – 2022: Water Resources
- U.S. National Debate Topic: 2022-2023: Emerging Technologies & International Security
- Affordable Housing
- Alternative Facts, Post-Truth and the Information War
- American Political Speeches
- Campaign Trends & Election Law
- College Sports
- Democracy Evolving
- Food Insecurity & Hunger in the United States
- Guns in America
- Hate Crimes
- Immigration
- Internet Abuses & Privacy Rights
- Internet Law
- LGBTQ in the 21st Century
- Mental Health Awareness
- New Frontiers in Space
- Policing in 2020
- Pollution
- Prescription Drug Abuse
- Propaganda & Misinformation
- Racial Tensions in a “Post-Racial” Age
- Rethinking Work
- The American Dream
- The Digital Age
- The South China Sea Conflict
- The Supreme Court
- The Transformation of American Cities
- The Two Koreas
- UFOs
- Vaccinations
- Whistleblowers
Examines major civilizations that have flourished from antiquity to modern times, with a global perspective and a strong emphasis on daily life and social history.
- European Renaissance & Reformation, 1350–1600
- Rise & Spread of Islam, 622–1500
- Roman Republic & Empire, 264 B.C.E.–476 C.E.
- Medieval Europe, 814–1350
- Ancient Egypt, 2615–332 B.C.E.
- Classical Greek Civilization, 800–323 B.C.E.
- Imperial China, 617–1644
- Ancient Mesopotamia, 3300–331 B.C.E.
- Industrial Revolution in Europe, 1750–1914
- West African Kingdoms, 500–1590
Best of the Web
Discover 48,707,324 images, texts, videos and sounds from across the United States.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation.
The South Carolina Digital Library provides free access to historic materials from over 40 cultural heritage institutions across the state.
Statistical Abstract data present here ranges from last published edition in 2011 to the historical abstracts compiled throughout the decades.
Lexington County & South Carolina
Since South Carolina’s political borders often changed, historical maps are often important in helping you discover the specific location of your ancestor’s hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.
List of South Carolina governors since colonial times with links to biographies.
