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HIST 150: Writing Early American Lives (Fall 2023)

Virginia Historical Index

If you're studying a Virginian, you're especially lucky that the main university library has the Virginia Historical Index, created by W&M Librarian Earl Gregg Swem. The Index will indicate every time a notable Virginia was cited in:

  • Calendar of State Papers
  • Hening's Statutes at Large
  • Lower Norfolk County Antiquary
  • Virginia Historical Register
  • Tyler's Quarterly Magazine
  • Virginia Magazine of History and Biography
  • William and Mary Quarterly, first series
  • William and Mary Quarterly, second series

It is an excellent way to find reprinted primary sources about historically important Virginians during the Colonial period. The index & reference materials on the main floor of the library in the reference collection.

Map showing the reference section on the main floor of the library

Example:

Online Version

Note: The online version doesn't link out to every citation and is, in my opinion, actually a bit harder to use than the print.