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Unique Primary Source Collections

Hosting over six million records covering over 500 years of history, BOA's extensive digital archive offers unique insights into global events, trends, and themes.

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Illustration of Satan sat on a throne at the centre of a witches' sabbath. Several figures surround the throne, dancing acrobatically. On the right, people cook dismembered infants in a cauldron, while several humans and devils on the left eat at a table.

Licensed to access Witchcraft and Magic in England, c. 1400–1920

1400   1920
The National Archives (UK) logo
University College London logo
The Folklore Society logo
British Library logo
A photograph of the first session of the general assembly of the United Nations Organisation, 10 January 1946. Clement Atlee stands at a podium, addressing a room of people sat at long tables. A table of three men are sat behind him, on a stage.

Licensed to access The Laws of War: Justice, Rights, and Ethics in Military Contexts

1718   1959
The National Archives (UK) logo

Licensed to access Radicalism and Popular Protest in Georgian Britain, c. 1714–1832

1714   1832
The National Archives (UK) logo
Working Class Movement Library (UK) logo
Illustrated London News Cover for the special issue on the Festival of Britain

Licensed to access The Illustrated London News, 1842–2003

1842   2003
Illustrated London News logo
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Latest Posts

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Text reading The American Women's Club Magazine. The Debating Society. The February Debate.

Document of the Week: Debating Birth Control in the 1920s

Nishah Malik
Published 13th October, 2025 3 min read
A page showing one column of typed text, cropped.

Document of the Week: “Extracts from the report of Doctor Karel Sperber on Auschwitz and other concentration camps” (1947)

Dr Charlie Hall
Published 6th October, 2025 2 min read

All BOA Collections Now on the Universal Viewer!

British Online Archives
Published 5th October, 2025 2 min read
A menorah protrudes from an open book, with text that says Wish you a blessed Yom Kippur.

Yom Kippur 2025

British Online Archives
Published 2nd October, 2025 1 min read

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If you are a librarian, or an academic, who would like your university to either trial or purchase any of our collections, then please get in touch.

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If you are a student or researcher who would like to access one or more collections for a short period, then please explore our collections.

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About us

British Online Archives (BOA) is one of the UK’s leading academic publishers and online repositories. 

Hosting over six million records, carefully sourced from private and public archives, such as The National Archives (UK) and British Library, BOA’s specially curated primary source collections cover over 500 years of world history. They boast extensive documentation from across the globe, providing invaluable source material for students and researchers working within a wide range of scholarly disciplines, including history, politics, sociology, and international relations. Our unique digital holdings offer insights into global historical events and trends, typically through a British lens. They serve to broaden our understanding of history, and help us to make sense of contemporary social, cultural, economic, and political landscapes.

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