British Online Archives—Unique Primary Source Collections

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Illustration shows a restaurant scene with men and women dancing in the background. Shows upper class people in fashionable 1920s fashion.

Culture and Society

1907 photgraph showing women from the Women's Freedom League holding posters that state Women Demand The Vote and Votes For Women.

Politics and Social Movements

Black and white photograph of a statue of a freed slave in Barbados

Slavery and Abolition

Prince of Wales' welcome reception in India in 1906. Illustration shows elephant and people marching next to it.

Colonialism and Empire

Two pamphlet covers on Britain's Economy. The left side has The National Budget 1950/51 pamphlet cover. The right side has The Pound and Our Future pamphlet cover with a large illustration of the £ sign.

Economics

An engraving of a medieval missionary discovering the point where the Earth and sky meet. The Sun, Moon and Stars are shown.

Philosophy and Religion

International Relations

Illustration published in The Illustrated War News on 24 March 1915 depicting the trenches during the Battle of Neuve Chapelle

War, Security, and Intelligence

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Licensed to access Illustrated London News, 1842–2003

1842 2003

Coloured illustration of a British town being bombed. On the left a black and white soldier points to the sky.

Licensed to access Britain Under Threat: Civil Defence in the Era of Total War, 1914–1989

1914 1989

Illustration of The View of Cape Town, Table Bay

Licensed to access British Colonial Rule in the Cape of Good Hope and Basutoland, 1854–1910

1854 1910

Painting by artist Thomas Luny in 1788 of East India Company's Ships

Licensed to access British Mercantile Trade Statistics, 1662–1809

1662 1808

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A black and white photograph of people celebrating the end of the Second World War. The man central to the frame holds up a newspaper that reads IT'S V-E DAY. Everyone is smiling.

80 Years: Victory in Europe Day (VE Day)

Nishah Malik

Published 8th May, 2025 3 min read

A page from the Customs Imports and Exports accounts, covering the period December 1719 to December 1720.

Document of the Week: Tobacco and the American Colonies, 1719–1720

Dr Catherine Bateson

Published 5th May, 2025 3 min read

A young man sat at a desk with a laptop in front of him. He wears glasses and is smiling at the screen. Beside his laptop, there is a brown leather bag, and a cup of coffee.

Enjoy Free Access to Selected BOA Primary Source Collections!

British Online Archives

Published 29th April, 2025 2 min read

A black and white scan of a handwritten journal entry, dated Friday, Jan. 20th 1899.

Document of the Week: Cultural Interactions in the Journal of Missionary Edward Bernau, 1899

Mary Wills

Published 28th April, 2025 3 min read

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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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British Online Archives: Homepage

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.