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Government Documents for Historians

A guide to federal government sources useful to historians and recommended by the library.

Public Papers of the President

President's public messages, statements, speeches, and news conference remarks.

Compilation of  the Messages and Papers of the Presidents (1789-1902)

GovInfo - Public Papers of the Presidents

American Presidency Project (transcripts, and an audio/video archive of presidential speeches)

University of Michigan Public Papers of the President (from the Hoover to Clinton presidencies)

The Public Papers of President Ronald W. Reagan

Compilation of Presidential Documents since 1993

Presidential Election Debates

Transcripts from the Commission on Presidential Debates (unofficial transcripts of most presidential and vice presidential debates)

Debates - American Presidency Project (also convention speeches, party platforms and elections data)

Other Resources

The Federal Register (official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents)

The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials, 1952-2012

Presidential history (UVA Miller Center)

Library of Congress collections (search to find papers of many U.S. presidents)

Presidential Libraries' digital archives: some, like Robert F. Kennedy's library, have digital collections. See list of presidential libraries.

Librarian

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Dominique Daniel
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