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HISTSCI 211: History of Modern China in Scientific Objects (Fall 2025) : Primary Sources for Chinese Studies

Historical Newspapers from China

The North-China Daily News & Herald Newspapers and Hong Lists 1850-1951 (NetID required)

  • Major English and Chinese newspapers in late Qing Shanghai
  • Includes titles such as The North-China Herald / Daily News, Chinese Shipping List & Advertiser, Hu Bao, Han Bao, and Xiao Xian Bao
     

Mobilizing East Asia Online (NetID required)

  • Collection of English-language newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, and books
  • Focuses on East and Southeast Asia from early 1900s to 1950s

Digital Historical Archives on China

Adam Matthew (AM) Primary Sources (NetID required)

  • AM databases provide English-language primary sources on East Asian history, politics, and culture, often from Western/British perspectives
  • Collections draw on archives worldwide, especially the UK National Archives’ Foreign Office Files documenting communications with East Asia.
  • Key resources include China: Culture and Society, China: Trade, Politics and Culture, 1793–1980, and Foreign Office Files for China, 1919–1980.
     

China and the Modern World (GALE), 1800s-1990s (NetID required)

  • Primary source archive on China (1800s–1990s), with manuscripts, periodicals, letters, photos, and ephemera
  • Covers diplomacy, trade, politics, religion, education, science, imperialism, and globalization

 

Economic Cooperation Administration’s Relief Mission in Post-War China, 1946-1948 (NetID required) 

  • Digitized archive of Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA) files documenting U.S. economic and cultural engagement with China after WWII.

English Translations of Chinese Resources

 

BBC Monitoring: Summary of World Broadcasts, 1939-2001 (NetID required) 

  • Collection of intelligence briefing reports for Britain and its allies, beginning just before WWII
  • Based on broadcast data from open sources, 1939–2001

 

Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports, 1974-1996 (NetID required)

  • Electronic version of FBIS Daily Reports
  • Provides digitized copies of the original paper editions.

 

Propaganda and the Chinese Press: Global Perspectives 1946-1996 (NetID required)

  • Digital archive of Xinhua or News Agency articles (1946–1996), translated into English by FBIS.