Library of Congress
African Americans
1800 ~ 1870

"The Library of Congress was formed in 1815, when the nation purchased Thomas Jefferson's personal library of about six thousand volumes . . . Today, the Library's vast holdings - nearly 110 million items in formats ranging from manuscripts to motion pictures and sound recordings . . . The Library has been built and sustained by Congress for its constituents and thus serves not only as a congressional library, but also as the national library of the United States."

American Treasures in the Library of Congress. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1997.

You may visit the library on-line at http://www.loc.gov

You may visit the library in Washington, D.C. Permanent exhibitions displaying scores of priceless original American documents are accessible to visitors of all ages.

You may visit the library for research purposes, without demanding special permission or accreditation from a university or other institution, as long as you are over the age of eighteen.