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Religion and Social Justice in America

Primary and secondary sources related to social justice in 19th and 20th century America

Contact Info

contact special collections

Archive, Manuscript & Rare Book collections are accessed in Olin Library at the Special Collections reading room.

HOURS:  Monday - Friday 9:00-5:00 by appointment

LOCATION:  Olin Library, 1st floor, Danforth Campus

REQUESTS / APPOINTMENTS:  314-935-5495  spec@wumail.wustl.edu

*collections stored offsite require advance notice for retrieval and use

Questions about a specific topic? Contact:

University Archives: Sonya Rooney

Rare Books: Cassie Brand

Manuscript: Joel Minor 

Local History: Miranda Rectenwald

Dowd Illustration Research Archive: interim curator

Film & Media Archive: Andy Uhrich

Social Justice & 19th Century Unitarian Church

Reverend William Greenleaf Eliot, a Unitarian Minister, co-founded Washington University and was involved in many reform efforts including:

  • Abolition and Emancipation
  • Women's Rights (voting, education, equality, against prostitution)
  • Laborer's Rights
  • Temperance Advocate (anti-alcohol)

Reverand Eliot's personal notebooks, correspondence, sermons, articles, phootgraphs, and more available to resarchers at University Archives.

For more information about the collection, and links to documents accessible on-line, see:

Social Justice: Equality and Civil Rights

Finding aids to materials in WU Special Collections:

Religion and LGBTQ Rights

Finding aids to materials in WU Special Collections:

Social Justice: Housing and Social Welfare

Finding aid to materials in WU Special Collections:

Social Justice: Science & Religion

Finding aid to materials in University Archives:

Social Justice: Protesting war and the draft

On-Line Primary Sources

Full-Text Databases:(Requires WUSTL log-in if accessed off campus):
Full-text materials available from various sources, freely available: