Penn State University Libraries - HIST 414: Renaissance and Reformation

Try These First

• Historical Abstracts (find scholarly articles on World history from 1450-present)
• International Medieval Bibliography (find articles and other materials in all subect areas about the time period 400-1500)
• ITER: Gateway to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance  (search for information about the time period 400-1700)
  

Additional Database Options

• Art Abstracts  (find articles and material about world art. For Art topics you should also try searching the database “Bibliography of the History of Art” which covers European & American art from late antiquity to the present.)
• Philosophers’ Index (find articles, book chapters and writings about philosophy.)
• ATLA Religion Index (find scholarly articles, essays, and other writings about religion.)
• Index Islamicus (covers all aspects of Islam and the Muslim world, including history, culture, beliefs, etc…)
• MLA Bibiography (find articles, book chapters and other writings on literature.)

Databases by subject: lists databases in additional subject areas.

General Primary Source Databases

ArtStor (images from art and musuem collections around the world)

British History Online (Source documents from medieval and modern British history)

Digital Library of Classic Protestant Texts (works from the 1500’s-1700’s)

Digital Library of the Catholic Reformation (16th and 17th century texts)

Early English Books Online (books published in the U.K from 1473-1700)

Essays, Letters, Diaries, Memoirs, etc…

Search The CAT by the individual’s name, e.g.Martin Luther or Jean Calvin.
To find translations use the “Advanced Search” and limit to English.

To identify sources, use the print publication British diaries : an annotated bibliography of British diaries written between 1442 and 1942  

Also useful is the Royal Historical Society's List of Texts and Calendars

Additional Collections  (in various formats. Search The CAT for location information of print and microfilm collections).  To see if volumes are online search the Internet Archive, Google Books and the Hathi Trust Digital Library. 

Acts of the Privy Council of England (1542-1630).  Records of the activities of the King's advisory council    (British History Online)

Ancient Criminal Trials in Scotland (1488-1624)  (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Calendar of Close Rolls (1227-1509) (sealed letters with orders to crown officials).  Some volumes online, others are available in the Pattee Stacks, Call # DA25.D32

Calendar of Papal Registers Relating to Great Britain and Ireland, 1198-1492  (British History Online)  

Calendar of Patent Rolls (1216-1582)  (royal grants of land, appointments, privileges, etc…). The years 1215-1452 are online: http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/patentrolls.

Calendar of State Papers and Manuscripts in the Archives and Collections of Milan - 1385-1618  (British History Online)

English Cartoons and Satirical Prints (1320-1832) (microfilm)

Calendar of State Papers Relating to Ireland  (1509-1670)  Many volumes online through the Internet Archive, Google Books and the Hathi Trust Digital Library.

Calendar of the State Papers relating to Scotland and Mary, Queen of Scots 1547-1603. Some volumes on the Internet Archives, others in print. 

Calendar of State Papers Colonial  (1513-1736)  Documents covering the administration of the English colonies in the Americas and Asia.  (British History Online)

Calendar of State Papers Domestic  (many volumes, published by monarch/dynasty.) Search the CAT.  Some volumes are available online through the Internet Archive, Google Books and the Hathi Trust Digital Library. 

Calendar of State Papers, Foreign (1547-1589) A good source for English language documents concerning affairs on the European continent.  (British History Online)

Calendar of State Papers Spain  (1485-1553) (British History Online)

Calendar of State Papers, Venice and Northern Italy  (1202-1666)  (British History Online)

Cobbett's Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason and other Crimes and Misdemeanors from the Earliest period to the Present Time  34 volumes. (Hein Online)

Ecclesiastical Memorials Relating Chiefly to Religion and the Reformation of it… 7 volumes, (1513-1558)  Hathi Trust Digital Library

English Drama, 1280-1915   A convenient source of early British plays.  You can search by date to generate a list of plays from the Renaissance/Reformation periods.

English Emblem Books Project  Illustrated texts designed to impart moral advice.

Foedera, Conventiones, Literæ, et Cujuscunque Generis Acta Publica, inter reges Angliæ, et alios Quosvis Imperatores, Reges…   20 volumes (1066-1625)  Eighteenth Century Collections Online.  Collection of diplomatic treaties, agreements and letters between the monarchs of England and other European kingdoms.  In Latin.

Political Poems and Songs Relating to English History (2 volumes, 1312-1485) 

Records of the Government of Medieval London (1275-1509).  (Hathi Trust Digital Library)

Statutes of the Realm  (1235-1713) and English Reports  (1220-1866) (Hein Online) Collection of legal documents.  Englsh Reports includes important court cases.  Statutes of the Realm reproduces the laws.

Tudor Royal Proclamations  (1485-1603)