Sit down with a collection.
ask the records is a reading desk for historical collections: pick one, ask questions in plain language, and get answers drawn from the records themselves — every answer cites the records it uses, and every record points back to its source.
Not sure where to start?Ask across the collections — your question goes to each participating collection separately, and the answers come back grouped by source. The Richmond Planet and European Commission answer only on their own shelf.
History of the Negro Race in America, 1619–1880
George Washington Williams's pioneering history, published 1882
64 chaptersRecords organized: not yetNames and dates reviewed: not yetCounts and comparisons: not yetChecked against the records: not yetThe Debates in the State Ratifying Conventions, 1787-88
The states argue over the Constitution, day by day, 1787–1788
108 daysRecords organized: not yetNames and dates reviewed: not yetCounts and comparisons: not yetChecked against the records: not yet
The Richmond Planet
A Black newspaper of record, 1883–1938 — the complete run, 1895–1900
279 issuesRecords organized: not yetNames and dates reviewed: not yetCounts and comparisons: not yetChecked against the records: not yetEuropean Commission
The Commission's meeting minutes, week by week, 2000–2026
13,241 recordsRecords organized: yesNames and dates reviewed: yesCounts and comparisons: yesChecked against the records: yes
The Federalist Papers
Hamilton, Madison, and Jay argue for the Constitution, 1787–1788
85 essaysRecords organized: not yetNames and dates reviewed: not yetCounts and comparisons: not yetChecked against the records: not yet
The Frederick Douglass Papers
Autobiographies, speeches, writings, and correspondence, 1841–1923
170 worksRecords organized: yesNames and dates reviewed: yesCounts and comparisons: yesChecked against the records: yes