Rutgers University Libraries American Urban and Ethnic History

The Basics

Rutgers-restricted Access

Many of the resources listed in the sections below are marked Rutgers-restricted Access. You should have no problem connecting to these from any networked computer on campus. However, in order to use these resources from off-campus, you must log in with your Rutgers NetID. For instructions see the Libraries' Remote Access to Library Resources.

Off-Campus Access

When working from home or some other off-campus locations, you can use the "Off-Campus Link" provided for each Rutgers-restricted resource below to login with your Rutgers NetID and connect to that database or article. Use the link embedded in the citation to access these resources on campus.

IRIS: Find Books

IRIS is the online catalog for all the Rutgers University Libraries except the Newark and Camden Law Libraries. Many of the sections below include suggestions for searching IRIS to locate other books on the topic(s) covered in that section. Show Me How

Getting Books From Other Rutgers Libraries

If a book that you need is not available (not owned/checked out) at the Dana Library, but is available from another Rutgers Library, you can request delivery of that book to Dana by bringing up the record for the book in IRIS and clicking on tbe Deliver/Recall button. Show Me

Book Not Available/Not Owned by the Rutgers Libraries?

The fastest way to get a copy of a book that is not owned or not available (checked out/on Reserve/missing etc.) at the Rutgers Libraries is to request it through E-Z Borrow. E-Z Borrow books are normally received within about five working days. Tell Me More

If a book is not owned by the Rutgers Libraries and is not available via E-Z Borrow, you can place an Interlibrary Loan request. Tell Me More

Becoming an 'Expert' User

Want to maximize your use of Library resources? Check out Searchpath, the Libraries' interactive tutorial.

Citing Your Sources

You will most likely be using Chicago/Turabian style when citing the sources that you use in your research papers. The Chicago Manual of Style and Turabian's Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations are both available at the Dana Library Reference Desk. The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison also has a nice introduction to Chicago/Turabian Documentation that will give you the basic information you need to create bibliographic citations.

The above site does not, however, cover citing online resources. The Library of Congress has a guide on How to Cite Electronic Sources that show Turabian-style examples; the Bedford/St. Martin's site also offers useful information on Using Chicago Style to Cite and Document Sources

You can also import references from IRIS and many of the electronic databases into RefWorks, a web-based bibliography and database manager. RefWorks will build your bibliography for you based on whatever style sheet you specify (MLA, Chicago, etc.). For information on setting up your (free) RefWorks account see the RefWorks FAQ.

Not sure when you need to cite something? Check out the Plagiarism Guide

Remember that plagerism is a violation of the Rutgers University Policy on Academic Integrity for Undergraduate and Graduate Students and could result in your dismissal from the University!

Basic Resources

Encyclopedias

Scholarly encyclopedias can give you an overview of a topic as well as some basic bibliography.

Encyclopedia of American Urban History
Thousand Oaks, Calif., Sage Publications, 2007. 2 vols.
More than 500 signed articles with short bibliographies.
Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History
New York, Macmillan, 1996. 5 vols plus Supplement (2001).
Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History: The Black Experience in the Americas
2nd edition. Detroit, Macmillan, 2006. 6 vols.
Signed entries covering all aspects of African-American history and life. While the 2d edition expands the scope of the work beyond North America, it has only a little more than half of the number of entries found in the first edition. Many of the U.S.-centered articles (for example, entries on states and major cities) are not available in the 2d edition. About half of the articles that appear in both have been updated in the 2d edition. Bibliographic references. Together, a good starting point for research.
Dana Call Number: Ref. E185 .E54 1996.
Dana Call Number: Ref. E185 .E54 2006. Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access
LGBT: Encyclopedia of Lebian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in America
New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. 3 vols.
Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access

Bibliographies

Bibliographies are great for finding out what has been written/is available on a specific topic.

Urban America: A Historical Bibliography
Neil L. Shumsky and Timothy Crimmins, editors. Santa Barbara, Calif., American Bibliographical Center-Clio Press, 1983.
Classified bibliography with abstracts of articles concerned with the development of, and life in, American cities through the 1970s.
Dana Call Number: Ref. HT123 .U725 1983

Finding Books: Library Catalogs
IRIS
The online catalog for the Rutgers University Libraries. IRIS is not a restricted database, anyone can access it from anywhere. However if you're coming in from off-campus and trying to connect to electronic journals or e-reserves from within IRIS you will need to be logged in. So you might find it less frustrating to use the off-campus version.
Newark Law
Camden Law
Rutgers Law library materials are not listed in IRIS. So if your topic is in some way law-related, be sure and use the Law library catalogs.
Catalog of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Catalog of the New York Public research library "devoted to collecting, preserving and providing access to resources documenting the experiences of peoples of African descent throughout the world." The Schomburg Center contains over 5,000,000 items held in five divisions: Art and Artifacts Division, General Research and Reference Division, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, Moving Image and Recorded Sound Division, and Photographs and Prints Division. [Note: When beginning a search session, select "Schomburg Center" from the pull-down menu on the right.] The Schomburg is in the process of making many of its resources available in the NYPL Digital Gallery.
Center for Migration Studies Library
A major collection devoted to the worldwide movement of peoples. The Center Library has excellent resources for the study of ethnic groups, particularly those in the United States. This Staten Island library is open to the public. Library Hours.
Hagley Museum and Library
Located on the site of the original DuPont Company powder works near Wilmington, Delaware, the Hagley Library research collection consists of over 200,000 published volumes plus manuscripts, photographs and pamphlets documenting the history of American business and technology. Especially strong on materials relating to the Middle Atlantic region. The Library’s catalog is online and the Library is open to the public.
Center for Research Libraries
CRL is consortium of North American university and independent research libraries that acquires and preserves newspapers, journals, documents, foreign dissertations, archives, and other expensive or hard to find materials. CRL's Black Studies collection includes the microfilmed records of the American Colonization Society (1792-1965), the George Washington Carver Papers (1860-1975), portions of the Papers of the NAACP, and the U.S. Committee on Fair Employment Practices Records. As Rutgers is a CRL member, these materials are considered part of Rutgers' collections and can be borrowed via Interlibrary Loan. In addition to the materials listed in their catalog, CRL also supports and provides access to special collections such as ethnic and African-American newspapers, International Dissertations, and Global Newspapers

Doing research that focuses on New Jersey?

IRIS includes a significant portion of the Sinclair New Jersey Collection, the most comprehensive collection of New Jersey materials in the state. The Sinclair Collection (IRIS sublocation SNCLNJ) is part of the Libraries' Special Collections and University Archives, located within the Alexander Library on the New Brunswick campus.

Newark Public Library Catalog The Library's New Jersey Information Center has a wealth of materials on New Jersey, Essex County, and Newark. Anyone who lives, works, attends school, or owns property in the City of Newark is entitled to a free Newark Public Library card. The Library Catalog also includes the holdings of the Newark Museum and the New Jersey Historical Society.

New Jersey Historical Society. The New Jersey Historical Society in Newark has a rich collection of archival and other materials relating to the political, social, cultural and economic history of New Jersey. Their book holdings are included in the Newark Public Library Catalog; you can also browse the Finding Aids to NJHS collections.

Specifically interested in Newark?

For an extensive bibliography (books, articles, reports, web sites) on Newark see The Newark Experience.

Finding Digitized Books

For a book to be legally digitized and available online, either the holder of the copyright has to give permission for the digitization, or the book needs to be in the public domain. In the U.S., books in the public domain are usually those that were copyrighted prior to 1923, although under certain limited conditions later works may also be in the public domain. Books that are freely available online will be those that are in the public domain.

Google Books
Google has partnered with a number of universities to scan the full-text of public domain books in the university library collections. They've developed technology that enables them to scan more than 3,000 books per day. In addtion to the full-text of the books in the public domain, for many titles Google allows you to view snippets or selected pages from books still under copyright.
Internet Archive
Search the "Texts" files for specific titles or books on particular subjects.

Finding Articles plus: Indexes

This is a selected list of databases that you may find useful. There are many other indexes that may focus more specifically on the particular topic that you are researching. Check out the complete list of Rutgers online indexes and databases.

History
America: History and Life
1964- . The most comprehensive index to American (U.S. and Canada) history. Indexes over 2000 journals worldwide, as well as book reviews and dissertations.
Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access.
Historical Abstracts
1955- . The most comprehensive index to world history (excluding that of the U.S. and Canada) from 1450 to the present. Indexes over 2,000 history and history-related journals worldwide, as well as book reviews and dissertations.
Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access.

New Jersey History

The premier journal for articles relating to the history of New Jersey is New Jersey History, formerly (1845-1966) published as the Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. The 1845 to 1995 volumes of this journal are indexed in Periodicals Index Online. Restricted Access

New Jersey History back to 1845 is available in print in Dana.

Most of the 1856 to 1923 volumes of the Proceedings have been scanned and are available from the Universal Library of the Internet Archive. Volumes are available in multiple formats; to change formats select "Details" and then "More Details."

The University of Michigan has digitized the first volume of the Proceedings:

The African American Experience

The Kaiser Index to Black Resources, 1948-1986.
From the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the New York Public Library. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson, Pub., Inc. 1992. 5 volumes
Unique resource based on the collections of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Over 170,000 citations to journal and newspapers articles, books, pamphlets and reports dealing with black history and culture.
Dana Library Call Number: Ref E185.K25 1992

The Hispanic-American Experience

Chicano Database
c. 1960- . Index to some 130 journals, as well as books, book chapters, popular magazines, and newspapers relating to Chicanos/Chicanas and Mexican Americans. From 1992 forward, includes records for material on the broader Latino experience, including Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Central American immigrants.
Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access
Hispanic-American Periodical Index [HAPI]
1970- . The major multidisciplinary periodical index for Latin American Studies. Indexes over 500 scholarly journals published in the U.S. and Latin America.
Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access

Indexes to Business Articles and News
Business Periodicals Index/Full Text
1982- . Index to over 650 English-language business periodicals. Full text coverage for many journals from 1995 onwards.
Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access
Earlier years of the Business Periodicals Index as well as its predecessor, the Industrial Arts Index, are available in print:
  • Business Periodicals Index:
    DANA: 1958-2002: REF. Z7164 .C81B983
  • Industrial Arts Index:
    DANA: 1922-1957: Z7913 .I7

    • Some 16 volumes of the Industrial Arts Index published between 1915 and 1957 are also available online as part of the Universal Library on the Internet Archive.

    Business Source Premier
    Index to thousands of scholarly and professional publications, academic journals, and trade magazines. A large percentage of the articles are available full-text. Profiles of the world's largest 10,000 companies also available. Most publications indexed back to 1980s or 1990s; individual titles may begin coverage much earlier. Harvard Business Review available in full-text beginning with 10/01/1922.
    Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access

    Political Science and Public Affairs
    Worldwide Political Science Abstracts
    1975- Index to over 1,300 journals in political science, international relations, public policy and related fields.
    Off-Campus Link Rutgers-restricted Access
    Public Affairs Information Service
    1915- Index to books, reports, government documents, and journals dealing with political, social, and public policy issues.
    Off-Campus Link Rutgers-restricted Access

    Sociology

    Sociologial Abstracts 1963-
    Index to approximately 1800 scholarly and professional journals in sociology and related disciplines, as well as to books reviews, books, book chapters, dissertations and conference papers.
    Off-Campus Link Rutgers-restricted Access.

    Sports History
    LA84 Foundation Sports Library
    Index, with full-text access, to journals, books, late nineteenth and early twentieth century sports magazines, and official Olympic publications. Journals indexed include the College Football Historical Society Newsletter (1987-2003), Football Studies (1998-2003), the Journal of Olympic History (1992-2003), the Journal of Sport History (1974-2003), and Sport Management Review (1998-2005), as well as American Golfer (1908-1920), Baseball Magazine (1908-1918), and the Olympic Review (1901-2002).

    Transportation

    TLCat: The Transportation Libraries Catalog
    Search multiple transportation library catalogs simultaneously via OCLC's FirstSearch. Records for books, journal articles, serials, and internet sites; includes holdings information. From the National Transportation Library.

    Can't resist the urge to Google?

    The Press

    For links to many newspaper sites with online searchable archives, as well as to physical collections of newspapers see the Newspapers Research Guide.

    Contemporary Accounts

    Access World News
    Access to the full text of over 600 U.S. and over 700 international newspapers. Includes access to the Newark Star-Ledger back to 1996.
    Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access

    Historical Accounts

    Full-text access to the Newark Star-Ledger is available from 1996 to the present on Access World News (Restricted Access). The Dana Library has the Newark Star-Ledger on microfilm going back to 1980; microfilm reels back to August 1, 1945 are also available from the Rutgers Alexander Library in New Brunswick. The Newark Public Library also has the Star-Ledger in its entirely (1939 forward) as well as its predecessor, the Newark Star Eagle (1916-1939), available on microfilm.

    While there is no complete printed or online index to the pre-1989 Star-Ledger, the New Jersey Information Center at the Newark Public Library has the card file Cummings Index to the Star-Ledger from 1971 to 1996, as well as locally compiled Newark News Indexes, 1916-1970.

    The Pennsylvania Gazette, 1729-1800
    Benjamin Franklin’s newspaper, the major newspaper of the time. Searchable.
    Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access
    American Periodicals Series Online 1740-1900
    The full text of articles, advertisements, illustrations etc., from American popular and literary magazines and journals that began publication between 1741 and 1900. Search by author, title, article type, publication title, date, and keywords in the full-text.
    Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access
    African American Newspapers: The 19th Century
    Search the full text of six major 19th century African American newspapers:
    • Freedom's Journal New York, 1827-1829
    • Colored American New York, 1837-1840
    • North Star Rochester, New York, 1847-1849
    • Frederick Douglass' Paper, 1851-1852
    • National Era Washington, D.C., 1847-1878
    • Provincial Freeman Toronto, Ontario, 1854-1855
    Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access.
    Historical New York Times
    Allows you to search and display the full image of articles published in the New York Times back to 1851. The two+ most recent years are not included, use Access World News.
    Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access.
    Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers
    Full-text database of 500 newspapers published between 1800 and 1900.
    Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access.
    RSAP: Resources for Research
    Lists 18th, 19th, and early 20th century magazines and newspapers that are available full-text on the web. In addition to single titles, lists newspapers included as part of large digital collections (e.g., Cornell's and University of Michigan's Making of American Collections). From the Research Society for American Periodicals.

    Union Lists

    Union lists identify where runs of specific newspapers are physically held; newspapers on microform may be requested on Interlibrary Loan.

    Newspapers in Microform. United States. Washington : Library of Congress, 2 vols.
    Lists newspapers published in the U.S. by state, city, and title. Indicates which libraries have microform holdings of those titles.
    Dana Call Number: Ref. Z6951.U56a yr.1948/83
    Chronological Lists of U.S. Newspapers in Microform Available at the Library of Congress: 1940-1989
    Chronological lists arranged by state city, and title. Some microfilm are heavily used onsite and are not available for interlibrary loan from the Library of Congress.

    Digital and Other Source Collections
    Microform Collections in the Alexander Library
    Seachable inventory of microform collections of manuscripts, pamphlets, government publications, and other publications held at the Alexander Library in New Brunswick.
    American Memory: Historical Collections for the National Digital Library
    The Library of Congress site offers access to more than 9 million digital items from more than 100 historical collections of primary source materials relating to the history and culture of the United States. The collections include manuscripts, photographs, posters, maps, books, pamphlets, and sheet music, as well as sound recordings and motion pictures and can either be browsed or searched.
    The Making of America
    Digital project developed by the University of Michigan and Cornell University. The Michigan site has a searchable library of primary sources--approximately 8,500 books and 50,000 journal articles published in the 19th century--in American social history from the antebellum through reconstruction. While Cornell's site only provides access to the text of some 270 books, they have digitilized major runs of twenty-two 19th century journals and allows you to search or browse over 100,000 journal articles.
    Documenting the American South
    Collection of sources (texts, images, and audio files)on Southern history, literature, and culture taken primaily from the collections of the University of North Carolina. Includes First-Person Narratives of the American South; the Library of Southern Literature; North American Slave Narratives; the Oral Histories of the American South; and The Church in the Southern Black Community. Includes over 1250 digitized books and manuscripts.
    The Gilded and the Gritty: America, 1870-1912
    Digital Collection from the National Humanities Center.

    Women
    Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000
    Books, images, essays, and primary documents organized around "document projects" that pose a question relating to the role of women in U.S. social movements. Also allows you to go directly to documents relating to specific Social Movements.
    Off-Campus Link Restricted Access.
    North American Women's Letters and Diaries: Colonial Times to 1950
    Searchable collection of "approximately 150,000 pages of published letters and diaries, plus more than 7,000 pages of previously unpublished materials, drawn from 605 sources, including journal articles, pamphlets, newsletters, monographs, and conference proceedings."
    Off-Campus Link Restricted Access

    New Jersey
    New Jersey Digital Highway
    Collaborative project of New Jersey educational institutions, museums, libraries, and archival collections to digitize a variety of matierals relating to New Jersey. The initial collection focuses on The Immigrant Experience in New Jersey.

    Immigrants and Ethnic Groups

    Basic Resources

    Immigration to the United States, 1789-1930
    Online collection of approximately 1,800 books and pamphlets as well as 9,000 photographs, 200 maps and 13,000 pages from Harvard manuscript and archival collections. Emphasis on 19th century materials. An amazing resource!
    Immigration and Multiculturalism: Essential Primary Sources
    K.Lee Lerner, Brenda W. Lerner, and Adrienne W. Lerner, editors. Detroit, Gale, 2006.
    Approximately 175 full or excerpted documents relating to immigration and multiculturalism in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
    Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access
    Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups
    Edited by Stephan Thernstrom. Cambridge, Mass., Belnap Press, 1980.
    "A guide to the history, culture, and distinctive characteristics of the more than 100 ethnic groups who live in the United States."
    Dana Call Number: REF E184 .A1H35
    New Americans: A Guide to Immigration Since 1965
    Edited by Mary C. Waters and Reed Ueda. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard Universtiy Press, 2007.
    Account of changes in American demographics since the major changes in immigation law after 1965, including the new waves of immigratns from non-European countries. Chapters on immigration law and policy, refugees, unauthorized migrants, racial and ethnic identity, assimilation, nationalization, economy, politics, religion, education, family relations, and immigration from specific countries and areas.
    ALEXANDER, CAMDEN JV6455 .N49 2007 [Dana copy On Order]
    We the People: An Atlas of America's Ethnic Diversity
    James Paul Allen and Eugene James Turner. New York, Macmillan, 1988.
    Data based on the 1980 Census, this atlas maps the geographical patterns of 67 ethnic and racial groups in the US.
    Dana Call Number: REF E184 .A1A479 1988
    Executive Summary: U.S. Immigration: A Legislative History
    "Highlights the history of U.S. immigration legislation and the parallel rise and fall in numbers and changing ethnic makeup" up to 2004. From the Population Resource Center.
    Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United States: 1850 to 1990
    22 Detailed tables.

    Bibliographies

    American Ethnic Geography: A Selected Bibliography of the Ethnic and Cultural Geography of the United States and Canada
    Kilpinen, Jan T.

    Ethnic Newspapers

    Ethnic newspapers are a valuable source of information on the lives and concerns of immigrant and ethnic groups. You can search for ethnic newspapers held by the Rutgers Libraries in IRIS, our online catalog. As your search terms, use the name of the group in which you are interested followed by the word "newspapers;" search this as a SUBJECT Keyword.

    Ethnic NewsWatch
    A full-text collection of over 200 newspapers, magazines, and journals of the ethnic (including Arab and Middle Eastern, Asian-American, European, and Jewish), minority, and native press. Complete articles dating back to 1960, in English and Spanish.
    Off-Campus Access Rutgers-restricted Access
    U.S. Ethnic Press
    Newspapers and periodicals published by various North American ethnic groups and held by the Center for Research Libraries (Chicago). These are available to Rutgers users via Interlibrary Loan. Searchable by ethnic group.
    Dziennik Zwiazkowy
    The Center for Research Libraries has digitized the first ten years (1908-1917) of the Chicago newspaper established in 1908 by the Polish National Alliance.

    The New Jersey Information Center in the Newark Public Library has a large collection of New Jersey Newspapers on Microfilm which includes a number of ethnic New Jersey newspapers.

    Need More?

    See the American Immigration History guide.

    Census Records

    Federal Census Records

    New Jersey census records for the first four federal census--1790, 1800 (except for Cumberland County), 1810, and 1820--have not survived. Except for parts of Hudson County, the 1890 (11th census) records were destroyed in a fire at the National Archives in 1921.

    An online index to the 1880 U.S. census is now available.

    The following population schedules are available at the Rutgers Libraries:

    Fifth census of the United States, 1830 [microform] : population schedules, New Jersey. 5 microfilm reels
    Contents: Reel 1. Bergen and Essex counties -- reel 2. Burlington and Monmouth counties -- reel 3. Gloucester, Cape May, Salem and Cumberland counties -- reel 4. Morris, Sussex and Warren counties -- reel 5. Somerset, Middlesex and Hunterdon counties.
    Alex: Microfilm 2691
    Population schedules of the sixth census of the United States, 1840 [microform] : New Jersey. 5 microfilm reels
    Contents: Reel 1. Atlantic, Bergen and Burlington counties -- reel 2. Cape May, Cumberland, Essex counties -- reel 3. Gloucester, Hudson and Hunterdon counties -- reel 4. Middlesex and Morris counties -- reel 5. Sussex, Salem and Warren counties.
    Alex: Microfilm 2692
    Population schedules of the seventh census of the United States, 1850 [microform] : New Jersey. 5 microfilm reels
    Alex: Microfilm 2693
    Population schedules of the eighth census of the United States, 1860, [microform] : New Jersey. 7 microfilm reels
    Contents: reel 1. Atlantic, Burlington, and Camden (pt. 1) counties -- reel 2. Camden (pt. 2), Cumberland and Essex (pt. 1) counties -- reel 3. Essex (pt. 2), Gloucester and Hudson (pt. 1) counties -- reel 4. Hudson (pt. 2), Hunterdon and Mercer counties -- reel 5. Middlesex, Monmouth and Morris counties -- reel 6. Ocean, Passaic, Salem and Somerset (pt. 1) counties -- reel 7. Somerset (pt. 2), Essex, Union and Warren counties.
    Alex: Microfilm 2694
    Population schedules of the ninth census of the United States, 1870 [microform] : New Jersey. 9 microfilm reels
    Contents: reel 1. Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden (pt. 1) and Essex (pt. 2) counties -- reel 2. Camden (pt. 2), Burlington (pt. 2, Cape May and Cumberland counties -- reel 3. Essex (pt. 3), Gloucester and Hudson (pt. 1) counties -- reel 4. Hudson (pt. 2) and Hunterdon (pt. 1) counties -- reel 5. Hunterdon (pt. 2), Mercer and Middlesex (pt. 1) counties -- reel 6. Middlesex (pt. 2), Monmouth and Morris counties -- reel 7. Esssex county (pt. 1) -- reel 8. Ocean, Passaic, Salem and Somerset (pt. 1) counties -- reel 9. Somerset (pt. 2), Sussex, Union and Warren counties.
    Alex: Microfilm 2695
    Population schedules of the tenth census of the United States, 1880 [microform] New Jersey. 30 microfilm reels
    Contents: Reel 770-771. Atlantic, Bergen -- Reel 772-773. Burlington. -- Reel 774-775. Camden. -- Reel 776. Cape May, Cumberland -- Roll 777-780. Essex -- Reel 781. Essex, Gloucester -- Reel 782-786. Hudson -- Reel 787. Hunterdon -- Reel 788-789. Mercer -- Reel 790-791. Middlesex -- Reel 792. Monmouth -- Reel 793. Mercer -- Reel 794. Ocean, Passaic -- Reel 795-796. Passaic -- Reel 797-798. Salem, Somerset -- Reel 799-800. Sussex, Warren -- Reel 801. Warren, Union.
    Alex: Microfilm 2696; Index (Soundex): Microfilm 2704 (49 reels)
    You can now also search the 1880 U.S. census online.
    Twelfth census of the United States, 1900, New Jersey. 46 microfilm reels
    Contents: reel 1. Atlantic -- reel 2. Atlantic, Bergen -- reel 3. Bergen -- reel 4. Bergen, Burlington -- reel 5. Burlington, Camden -- reel 6-7. Camden -- reel 8-9. Cumberland -- reel 10-17. Essex -- reel 18. Essex, Gloucester -- reel 19. Gloucester, Hudson -- reel 20-27. Hudson -- reel 28. Hudson, Hunterdon -- reel 29. Hunterdon, Mercer -- reel 30. Mercer -- reel 31. Mercer, Middlesex -- reel 32. Middlesex -- reel 33. Middlesex, Monmouth -- reel 34. Monmouth -- reel 35. Monmouth, Morris -- reel 36. Morris -- reel 37. Ocean, Passaic -- reel 38-40. Passaic -- reel 41. Passaic, Salem -- reel 42. Somerset, Sussex -- reel 43. Sussex, Union -- reel 44. Union -- reel 45. Union, Warren -- reel 46. Warren.
    Alex: Microfilm 2698; Index (Soundex): Microfilm 2703 (203 reels).
    Thirteenth census of the United States, 1910, New Jersey 46 microfilm reels
    Contents: reel 1. Atlantic -- reel 2-3. Bergen -- reel 4. Bergen, Cape May -- reel 5. Burlington -- reel 6. Burlington, Camden -- reel 7-8. Camden -- reel 9. Cumberland -- reel 10-18. Essex -- reel 19. Gloucester, Hudson -- reel 20-28. Hudson -- reel 29. Hunterdon, Mercer -- reel 30-31. Mercer -- reel 32-33. Middlesex -- reel 34. Middlesex, Monmouth -- reel 35. Monmouth -- reel 36. Morris -- reel 37. Morris, Ocean -- reel 38-40. Passaic -- reel 41. Passaic, Somerset -- reel 42. Somerset, Salem -- reel 43. Sussex, Union -- reel 44. Union -- reel 45. Union, Warren -- reel 46. Warren.
    Alex: Microfilm 2699
    14th census of population, 1920. New Jersey [microform]. 59 microfilm reels
    Contents: Reel 1015. Atlantic. -- Reel 1016. Atlantic, Bergen. -- Reels 1017-1019. Bergen. -- Reel 1020. Bergen, Burlington. -- Reel 1021. Burlington. -- Reels 1022-1023. Camden Co.--Camden City. -- Reel 1024. Camden Co.--Camden City; Camden Co. -- Reel 1025. Camden Co., Cape May. -- Reel 1026. Cumberland. -- Reel 1027. Cumberland, Gloucester. -- Reels. 1028-1030. Essex Co. -- Reels. 1031-1039. Essex Co.--Newark City. -- Reels 1040-1050. Hudson Co.--Jersey City. -- Reel 1051. Hudson Co.-Jersey City (cont.), Hunterdon. -- Reel 1052. Mercer Co.-Trenton City. -- Reel 1053. Hunterdon. -- Reel 1054. Mercer Co.-Trenton City. -- Reels 1055-1057. Middlesex. -- Reels 1058-1059. Monmouth. -- Reel 1060. Morris. -- Reel 1061. Morris, Ocean. -- Reels 1062-1063. Passaic. -- Reels 1064-1066. Passaic Co.--Paterson City. -- Reel 1067. Salem, Somerset. -- Reel 1068. Somerset, Sussex. -- Reels 1069-1071. Union. -- Reel 1072. Union, Warren. -- Reel 1073. Warren.
    Alex: Microfilm 2718; Index (Soundex): Microfilm 2734 (253 reels).
    15th census, population, 1930. New Jersey [microform]. 84 microfilm reels
    Contents: Reel 1-2. Atlantic (part) (1308-1309) -- reel 3. Atlantic (part), Bergen (part) (1310) -- reel 4-9. Bergen (part) (1311-1316) -- reel 10. Bergen (part), Burlington (part) (1317) -- reel 11. Burlington (part) (1318) -- reel 12. Burlington (part), Camden County, Camden City (part) (1319) -- reel 13-15, Camden County, Camden City (part) (1320-1322) -- reel 16-17. Camden (part) (1323-1324) -- reel 18. Camden (part), Cape May (1325) -- reel 19. Cumberland (part) (1326) -- reel 20. Cumberland (part), Essex (part) (1327) -- reel 21-25. Essex (part) (1328-1332) -- reel 26-35. Essex County, Newark City (part (1333-1342) -- reel 336-37. Essex (part) (1343-1344) -- reel 38. Gloucester (part) (1345) -- reel 39. Gloucester (part), Hudson (part) (1346) -- reel 40-42. Hudson 9Part) (1347-1349) -- 43-49. Hudson County, Jersey City (part) (1350-1356) -- reel 50-53. Hudson (part) (1357-1360) -- reel 54. Hunterdon Mercer (part) (1361) -- reel 55-58. Mercer County, Trenton City (part) (1362-1365) -- reel 59-62. Middlesex (part) (1366-1369) -- reel 63-65. Monmouth (part) (1370-1372) -- reel 66-67. Morris (part) (1373-1374) -- reel 68. Ocean Passaic (part) (1375) -- reel 69-70. Passaic (part) (1376-1377) -- reel 71-74. Passaic County, Paterson City (1378-1381) -- reel 75. Passaic (part), Salem (part) (1382) -- reel 76. Salem (part), Somerset (part) (1383) -- reel 77. Somerset (partt), Sussex (1384) -- reel 78-80. Union County, Elizabeth City (part) (1385-1387) -- reel 81-83. Union (part) (1388-1390) -- reel 84. Warren (1391).
    Alex: Microfilm 2847

    The National Archives and Records Administration has an online Census Microfilm Locator for the 1930 census. The Locator allows you to determine exactly which microfilm reel you will need by searching Enumeration District (ED) descriptions by state, county, city, and place names, including names of towns, streets, post offices, rural townships, election precinct and ward numbers, and rivers and lakes, as well as residential institutions.

    State Census Records

    The State of New Jersey also conducted a census in 1855, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905, and 1915. There are no indexes to these census records.

    New Jersey State census, 1855 [microform] Trenton : New Jersey Dept. of State, 1855. 3 microfilm reels
    Contents: Reel 1. Atlantic, Bergen, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester -- reel 2. Hunterdon, Hudson, Monmouth, Morris -- reel 3. Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Warren.
    ALEX : Microfilm 1855
    NJ State census, 1865 [microform] Trenton : New Jersey Dept. of State 1962. 4 microfilm reels
    Contents: Reel 1. Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden. -- Reel 2. Cumberland, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon. -- Reel 3. Middlesex, Monmouth, Passaic. -- Reel 4. Salem, Union.
    Alex: Microfilm 2683
    New Jersey State census,1875. Hunterdon County. Trenton : New Jersey Dept. of State, 1989. 2 microfilm reels
    Contents: reel 1. Alexandria Township-Raritan Touwnship -- reel 2. Raritan Township-West Amwell Township.
    Alex: Microfilm 2684
    New Jersey State census, 1885 [microform]. Trenton : New Jersey State Dept. of State], 1962. 45 microfilm
    Contents: 1. Atlantic County -- 2. Bergen County -- 3-4. Burlington County -- 5-7. Camden County -- 8. Cape May County -- 9-10. Cumberland County -- 11-16. Essex County -- 17. Gloucester County -- 18-25. Hudson County -- 26. Hunterdon County -- 27-28. Mercer County -- 29-30. Middlesex County -- 31-32. Monmouth County -- 33-34. Morris County -- 35. Ocean County -- 36-38. Passaic County -- 39. Salem County -- 40. Somerset County -- 41. Sussex County -- 42-43. Union County -- 44. Warren County.
    Alex: Microfilm 2685
    New Jersey State census, 1895 [microform]. Trenton : New Jersey Dept. of State, 1962 54 microfilm reels
    Contents: Reel 1. Atlantic. -- Reels 2-3. Bergen. -- Reels 4-5. Burlington. - - Reels 6-8. Camden. -- Reel 9. Cape May. -- Reels 10-11. Cumberland. -- Reels 12-21. Essex. -- Reel 22. Gloucester. -- Reels 23-33. Hudson. -- Reel 34. Hunterdon. -- Reels 35-37. Mercer. -- Reels 38-39. Middlesex. -- Reels 40-41. Monmouth. -- Reels 42-43. Morris. -- Reel 44. Ocean. -- Reels 45-48. Passaic. -- Reel 49. Salem. -- Reel 50. Somerset. -- Reel 51. Sussex. -- Reels 52-53. Union. -- Reel 54. Warren.
    Alex: Microfilm 2686
    New Jersey State census, 1905 [microform]. Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Dept. of State, 1962 42 microfilm reels
    Contents: 1. Atlantic County -- 2-3. Bergen County -- 4-5. Burlington County -- 6-7. Camden County -- 8. Cumberland County -- 9-16. Essex County -- 17. Gloucester County -- 18-26. Hudson County -- 27. Hunterdon County -- 28-29. Mercer County -- 30. Middlesex County -- 31-33. Monmouth County -- 33-34. Morris County -- 35-37. Passaic County -- 38. Salem County -- 39. Sussex County -- 40-41. Union County -- 42. Warren County.
    Alex: Microfilm 2687
    New Jersey State census, 1915 [microform]. Trenton : New Jersey Dept. of State, 1962 63 microfilm reels
    Contents: 1-2. Atlantic County -- 3-7. Bergen County -- 8. Burlington County -- 9-11. Camden County -- 12. Cape May County -- 13. Cumberland County -- 14- 25. Essex County -- 26. Gloucester County -- 27-40. Hudson County -- 41. Hunterdon County -- 42-44. Mercer County -- 45-47. Middlesex County -- 48-49. Monmouth County -- 50-51. Morris County -- 52. Ocean County -- 53-57. Passaic County -- 58. Somerset County -- 59-62. Union County -- 63. Warren County.
    Alex: Microfilm 2688

    City Directories

    In addition to the large compilations of New Jersey city directories that the Rutgers Libraries have available in microfilm/microfiche, Special Collections and University Archives has some 800 New Jersey city directories in their collection.

    Many of these directories have been cataloged and can be found by searching IRIS, the Rutgers' online catalog. To search for cataloged city directories, at the IRIS search screen, enter the name of the city followed by the word "directories" as your search term and then select "WORDS anywhere" from the pulldown menu.

    An unpublished finding aid to the city directory collection is also available in the Special Collections department.

    The New Jersey Information Center at the Newark Public Library has an extensive collection of New Jersey city directories. While directories for all parts of the state are included, the collection is particularly strong for Newark and other Essex county municipalities.

    City Directories of the United States, 1860-1901 : Guide to the Microfilm Collection. -- Woodbridge, CT : Research Publications, 1983, c1984.
    Includes index to the contents of the two Research Publications microfilm sets (U.S. City Directories, 1861-1881 and U.S. City Directories, 1882-1901) below.
    Alex Call Number: Ref. E154.7C57 1983

    Newark City Directories

    1835-1860

    New Jersey City Directories, 1835-1860 [microform
    Woodbridge, Conn. : Research Publications, Inc., [198-?]
    226 microfiche
    Contents: New Jersey -- Camden -- Jersey City -- Newark -- New Brunswick -- Paterson -- Trenton.
    Part of the City directories of the United States through 1860, a compilation based on Spear, Dorothea N. Bibliography of American directories through 1860, Worcester, Mass.: American Antiquarian Society, 1961. [Dana Call Number: Ref. Z5771 .S7]
    Alex Call Number: Microfiche 260
    Directory of Newark for 1835-6: With an Historical Sketch
    Newark, 1836.
    Name index, with links to the original scanned pages, to the first Newark city directory. Includes the historical sketch.
    1840-41 City Directory for Newark, New Jersey
    Directory of the City of Newark for 1849-50.
    Pierson, B.T. Newark, 1849.
    Dana Call Number: In Process
    Directory of the City of Newark for 1851-52.
    17th edition. By B.T. Pierson. Newark N.J., Holbrook's Steam Press, 1851.

    1861-1881

    U.S. City Directories, 1861-1881 : New Jersey [microform]
    Woodbridge, Conn. : Research Publications, Inc, [1984?]
    20 reels of microfilm
    Contents: [pt.1.] Jersey City (7 reels) -- [pt. 2.] Newark (10 reels) -- [pt. 3.] Paterson (3 reels).
    Alex Call Number: Microfilm 2413

    1882-1901

    U.S. City Directories, 1882-1901 : New Jersey [microform]
    Woodbridge, Conn. : Research Publications, Inc., [1984?]
    32 reels of microfilm
    Contents: [pt. 1.] Jersey City (9 reels) -- [pt. 2.] Newark (17 reels) -- [pt. 3.] Paterson (6 reels)
    Alex Call Number: Microfilm 2414

    1902-1935

    United States City Directories--Newark, N.J. [Segment IV: 1902-1935] [microform]
    .
    Woodbridge, Conn. : Research Publications, [198-]-1987.
    26 microfilm reels
    Alex Call Number: Microfilm 2667
    Questions?
    Natalie Borisovets (natalieb@andromeda.rutgers.edu)
    John Cotton Dana Library
    October 8, 2008