"... is a digital collection of some 52 published works by 19th-century black women writers. A part of the Digital Schomburg, this collection provides access to the thought, perspectives and creative abilities of black women as captured in books and pamphlets published prior to 1920. A full text database of these 19th and early 20th- century titles, this digital library is key-word-searchable. Each individual title as well as the entire database can be searched to determine what these women had to say about "family", "religion", "slavery" or any other subject of interest to the researcher or casual reader."
This site provides three different modes of access: Browse Mode - "provides access to all the primary material in the archive -- texts, images, songs, 3-D objects, film clips, &c. -- one at a time." Search Mode - "allows you to search all the primary material at once." Interpret Mode - "includes an interactive timeline, virtual exhibits designed to suggest ways of exploring and understanding the primary material, as well as lesson plans for teachers and student projects. Usually the best place to enter is the BROWSE MODE, which gives you the most direct access to the story of Stowe's story as an American cultural phenomenon." Use this site to research Uncle Tom's Cabin; site includes reviews, articles and numerous other resources..
Suggested terms to look for include - diary, diaries, letters, papers, documents, documentary or correspondence.
Combine these these terms with the event or person you are researching. (example: civil war diary)
Also search by subject for specific people and events, then scan the titles for those keywords or others such as memoirs, autobiography, report, or personal narratives.
Off campus access instructions (for e-books)
Twentieth-Century and Contemporary American Literature in Context [4 Volumes] by 
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CNU ONLY