Free Online Rhode Island Digital Archives

The Ancestor Hunt has been cataloging and listing links to free online genealogy collections in over 24 different record categories since 2014. These are available for you to view and use via the Resources tab above.

There is a massive amount of genealogy and historical material that can help us researchers as we discover who belongs in our family tree, and more importantly, what is their life story. But much of this genealogical and historical material doesn’t fit nicely into a specific genealogy record category.

As researchers, we should avail ourselves of the types of materials listed below. They definitely will help us in our genealogy and family history research  These online resources are available generally at state libraries and archives, larger public libraries, and college and university digital collections. Hence the creation of these lists of links to free online digital archives for the state. I hope they prove useful to you in your pursuit.

Types of Information Available in Digital Archives

• Scrapbooks
• Diaries
• Family Papers, Biographies, and Other Collections
• Letters
• Oral Histories
• Maps
• Bulletins and Newsletters
• Corporate Collections
• Local Community and County Histories
• Photographs and Postcards
• Rare Books and Manuscripts
• Government Publications and Documents
• and Yes, Genealogy Record Collections and Indexes

The Free Online Digital Archives for the state are listed below, preceded by Archives that are available for the region or the country:

Multistate Archives

• Digital Commons Collections
• Digital Public Library of America
• Library of Congress Digital Collections
• National Archives Online Exhibits
• PastPerfectOnline Collections
• Smithsonian Digital Library

Rhode Island Archives

• American-French Genealogical Society
• Brown University Digital Collections
• FamilySearch – Vermont Online Genealogy Records
• Johnson & Wales University Digital Collections
• Judicial Records Center
• National Archives at Boston
• New England Historic Genealogical Society
• Newport Historical Society
• Providence City Archives
• Providence College Digital Collections
• Providence Public Library Digital Collections
• Rhode Island College Digital Collections
• Rhode Island Genealogical Society
• Rhode Island Historical Society
• Rhode Island Jewish Historical Association
• Rhode Island School of Design Digital Collections
• Rhode Island State Digital Archives
• Rhode Island State Library
• Roger Williams University Digital Collections
• Salve Regina University Digital Collections
• University of Rhode Island Digital Collections
• Westerly Library Special Collections