Subject Guide
Guides with Digital Primary & Secondary Sources
- American Presidency Project (UCSB)A comprehensive collection of data and primary source documents related to the presidents and their elections, including signing statements, addresses, convention speeches, and much more. From the University of California Santa Barbara.
- American President: An Online Reference Source (UVA Miller Center)Essays on the presidents and their administrations. From The Miller Center at the University of Virginia. See also their speeches, oral histories, and archive of secret White House tapes.
- HeinOnline U.S. Presidential LibraryThis library includes such titles as Messages and Papers of the Presidents, Public Papers of the Presidents, CFR Title 3 (Presidents), Daily and Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, and other documents related to U.S. Presidents.
Compilation of Weekly and Daily Presidential Documents
Note: The Weekly Compilation was replaced in January 2009 with the Daily Compilation as the official publication of presidential statements, messages, remarks, and other materials released by the White House Press Secretary.
- A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents (in print)1789-1897 [ending date different for different editions] James D. Richardson compiled this 10 volume set of presidential messages, going through the first several months of Theodore Roosevelt's presidency (1902). While not nearly as complete as the modern Public Papers and Weekly Compilations it is one of the only sources for early presidential messages. Later editions cover through Woodrow Wilson (1921).
- Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (in print)1965 - 2006 - available in print at UVA Library (Post 2006 available online) Includes all official speeches and messages of the President. Indexes include subject, name, and document categories list (e.g., addresses, executive orders, proclamations, news conferences, etc.) Indexes are cumulative.
- Compilation of Presidential Documents (FDSYS) (1993-present)Weekly Compilation, back to 1993.
- A Compilation of Papers & Messages of the Presidents (LLMC) (1789-1914)In 13 volumes. While not nearly as complete as the modern Public Papers and Weekly Comp it is one of the only sources for early presidential messages.
Presidential & Public Papers of the President
Note: Previous to Herbert Hoover's administration, presidential papers were commercially published.
- Public papers of the presidents of the United States (in print)1929-1933, 1945-2010. Roosevelt listed separately.The Weekly Compilation is cumulated into the Public Papers of the Presidents. However, there are sometimes materials in the Weekly Compilation which do not appear in the Public Papers. There is a cumulative index to each president's papers. Roosevelt listed separately.
- Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States (FDSYS) (1991-present)The Public Papers of the Presidents, which is compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, began in 1957 in response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications Commission. Noting the lack of uniform compilations of messages and papers of the Presidents before this time, the Commission recommended the establishment of an official series in which Presidential writings, addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available.
- Presidential Papers from the Library of CongressThe Library of Congress has digitized many presidential papers including those of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. These vary considerably in scope and coverage.
- Public Papers of the President (UCSB)From the American Presidency Project from the University of California, Santa Barbara, the Public Papers of the Presidents contain most of the President's public messages, statements, speeches, and news conference remarks.
- See also list of U.S. Presidential Papers in Microfilm at UVA LibraryThe above VIRGO search should find all of the Presidential Papers sets that UVA owns in microform.
Presidential Orders, Proclamations & Directives
Print Sources
- Code of Federal Regulations - Title 3
AE 2.166/3: (earlier GS 4.2108/6:)
1971-present in microfiche
Law Library has all editions of CFR.
Note: Title 3 of the CFR contains presidential executive orders and proclamations.
- Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations - microfiche
1789-1983 (near LexisNexis (CIS) Serial Set microfiche)
See also CIS Index to Presidential Executive Orders and Proclamations
This set of fiche, together with the index, reproduces and indexes all presidential executive orders and proclamations back to Washington. Best place to begin that sort of presidential research.
Electronic Sources
- Presidential Directives on National Security Archive (GWU)These are usually related to national security and may not be easily available. From George Washington University, NSA Archive. See useful guide to this sort of material from Library of Congress, Presidential Directives & Where to Find Them .
- Code of Federal Regulations (FDSYS)Current issues of the CFR from GPO Access. Title 3 of the CFR contains presidential executive orders and proclamations.
- Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders (Nat'l Archives)From National Archives/Federal Register. Codification of Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders is available electronically from April 13, 1945 - January 20, 1989.
- Presidential Directives and Executive OrdersTruman-Obama. From the Federation of American Scientists.
Presidential Speeches
- Presidential Speech Archive (UVA Miller Center)An excellent resource for Presidential materials. The collection includes text of speeches from Washington to present, audio of speeches from Franklin Roosevelt to present, and video from Kennedy to present. See also their speeches, oral histories, and archive of secret White House tapes.