Resources

Edinburgh boasts impressive resources for historians of the Americas.

The School

Our historic building combines study spaces with exhibition areas, including collections of documents, many which have been digitised.

We have our own library known as the Student Research Room, which is a large airy space used both for study and to house the School’s book collections, including modern conflict, American history, and economic and social history.

  • Centre for Modern Conflict Book Collection
  • The Compton Collection of American History
  • Michael Flinn Collection of Economic and Social History

Many of our students are also members of cross-School research groups which aim to stimulate inter-disciplinary, collaborative research, and widen awareness of individual scholarship.

The University

The University Library is one of the largest university libraries in the UK and contains large collections of materials relating to American history, both primary and secondary sources. It also offers access to several important digital collections and databases, including but not limited to America: History and Life, American Foreign Relations since 1600, Congressional Record, 1994-, and Early American Imprints.

Postgraduate students are welcome to study original objects and have made many important research discoveries while working on the archives. There is an incredible range of material in the collections that is available nowhere else in the world.

The City

Edinburgh’s rich historical resources and archives feature prominently in our teaching and the History subject area enjoys close ties with various museums and galleries in Edinburgh. Many of our graduate students find these local repositories invaluable, as they mean most MSc students can complete their degrees without the need for extensive research trips.

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