France: 1454 - 1788

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EuroDocs > History of France: Primary Documents > 1454 - 1788

Before the End of the 100 Years' War (1453)

Eyewitness accounts of historic events from the Black Plague to the Crusades to Columbus’ discovery of America
EyeWitness to History
(585-1597; English transcription)
Collection of 45 books and manuscripts from France around the renaissance centuries
In cooperation with the Library of Congress
(French and Latin facsimiles)
Reproductions of manuscript illuminations and decor preserved in French municipal libraries.
Linked in a database searchable by multiple criteria.
Produced through the auspices of CNRS.
(8th to 18th centuries; facsimiles and metadata)
Royal seals of the Bourgogne dynasty.
Provided on the Ministry of Culture's Archim imagebank.
(9th to 16th centuries; photo facsimiles)
Chronologically organized collection of French literature, including Ancient, Classic and Modern French
From Bibliotheca Augustana
(9th-20th century; facsimiles and transcriptions)
Collection of transcribed French texts from Fordham University's Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
(14 February 842 - 1901; Latin, Langue d'Oc, Langue d'Oil, and French transcriptions and translations)
This section includes primary documents of post-1066 France online.
See especially the section on France.
(1066-1603; facsimiles and transcriptions)
Historical documents and commentary on the former duchy of Savoy.
(1100 to present; French and Latin transcriptions, facsimiles, and commentaries)
This introduction to French illuminated manuscripts from the late fourteenth to the early sixteenth century presents examples of the work of the main artists of that time, as represented in the British Library.
From the British Library
(14-16th century; French facsimiles)
(1302-1464; French transcriptions)
Exhibition showcasing the development of courtly fashion as depicted in the art of Medieval France and the Netherlands.
Timeline spanning from the "Fashion Revolution" (c. 1330) to the beginning of the Renaissance in France.
(1325-1515; manuscripts and descriptions)
Online database for primary documents of the religious changes in Europe
In cooperation with Fordham University
(14th - 17th century; English transcriptions)

France During the Renaissance (1454-1550)

King Réné of Anjou's tournament guidelines.
(1460; Middle French transcription and English translation)
The Roubaix Digital Library in the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais aims to concentrate all the local primary sources for the history of the city in one digital library.
Browse by theme or collection
(15th to 20th centuries; facsimiles, pictures, and descriptions)
Scroll down for index of French explorers in America
Compiled byHistory Central Catalogue
(15th - 17th century; English transcriptions)
(mid to late 15th century; French and English facsimiles)
Here is his account of Louis XI, portrayed as a tyrannical, but in some respects, brilliant King.
From the Internet History Sourcebook
(1498; English translation)
German translation of the memoirs of Philippe de Commynes.
Regarding the times of King Louis XI and Duke Carle of Burgundy.
(Late 15th to early 16th centuries; German translation)
This memoir, by one of the advisors of the French king Louis XI, offers an interesting perspective on the Wars of the Roses and on Edward IV’s 1475 French campaign.
(late 15th century; English translation)
Includes 600 titles in fields of literature, religion, philosophy, medicine, astronomy, travel, and architecture.
Texts provide an illuminating window on the French Renaissance.
(16th century; searchable and browseable database of book facsimiles)
Prayer book from early 16th century France.
(16th century; Latin-text manuscript)
Collection of major literature from the French Renaissance
In cooperation with the University of Virginia Library
(16th century; French facsimiles; English interface)
A collection of primary documents from the Internet Modern History Sourcebook.
(16th to 17th centuries; transcriptions and translations)
Electronic resources dealing with the history of medicine and dentistry.
Digitization project of the "Bibliothèque interuniversitaire de médecine" Department for the History of Medicine.
(16th to 19th centuries; facsimiles)
Digital library of Library of Congress in cooperation with the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
A bilingual site offering digitized books, prints, maps, and manuscripts on French presence in North America.
(16th to 19th centuries; facsimiles, transcriptions, and maps)
  • Works of John Calvin
Works by the founder of Calvinism.
Calvin's Complete Commentaries
Institutes of the Christian Religion
(1509-1564; English tranlsation)
In the prefatory address to his major work, Calvin entreats the King of France to ignore the reputation Calvin has gained among mainstream Catholic priests. Take note of how he backs up his argument. Who is the purest and most traditional church, and why? What are his criticisms of the Catholic clergy?
From the Internet History Sourcebook
(English translation)
Account of the virtuous acts and gestures of the Christian kings and princes of France up until the reign of King Francis I.
Translated from Latin into French in 1514.
(1515; French-language facsimile)
Manuscript from Paris, focused on figures of the apocalypse
Book of Hours 15c found HERE
From Allegheny College
(1515; facsimile)
Digitized French emblem books.
(1536-1615; French, Latin facsimiles)
By Robert Fabyan. Named by himself The concordance of histories.
(1516; English facsimile)
Documents from the Wars of Religion to the Edict of Tolerance.
Reproduced on the Ministry of Culture's Archim imagebank.
(ca. 1540-1788; photo facsimiles)
Epistle by Jean Calvin to King Francis I of France, demonstrating the causes of the troubles in the church at the time.
Part of the 16th century Swiss prints collection of the e-rara.ch database.
(1541; French-language facsimile)
Defense for the King of France
(1544; French facsimile)
Texts from the time of the Wars of Religion.
Growing collection of over 2,100 political pamphlets from the holdings of BYU Special Collections.
(1547-1626; facsimiles)

Early Modern France (1550-1617)

Warning and exhortation issued to the Christian king of France and to his kingdom.
Concerning religion; by Maturin Cordier.
(1561; French-language facsimile)
The Edict of Nantes with documents leading up to it.
(1562-1598; French-language transcriptions)
A chronicle of France
(1566; French facsimile)
Memoirs on the third civil war and of the latest troubles in France under the reign of Charles IX.
Part of the 16th century Swiss prints collection of the e-rara.ch database.
(1570; French-language facsimile)
An eyewitness account of the massacre by De Thou. Edited by J.H. Robinson.
From Hanover Historical Texts Collection.
(1572; English translation)
Memoirs on France, under the reign of Charles IX.
Part of the 16th century Swiss prints collection of the e-rara.ch database.
(1578; French-language facsimile)
First-hand account of indigenous life in the New World.
Described by English seaman Captain Martin Frobisher.
(1578; French facsimile)
Jean Bodin, jurist and statesman, was not only one of the most eminent European publicists of the sixteenth century, but one of the most rational and tolerant thinkers of his time. Yet even such a man could thus write "Of the punishments deserved by witches."
From the Hanover Historical Texts Collection
(1580; English translation)
Part of the Digital Collections at the Brigham Young University Library.
(1592-1597; facsimiles)
Compilation of memorable events in France under the reigns of Henri II, Francis II, Charles IX and Henri III.
Mostly between the years 1547 and 1589.
(1595; French-language facsimile)
Samuel de Champlain's first-hand account of travel in New France.
(1599-1632; French transcriptions with some English translations)
"Subjects in this collection include an account of France’s attempted settlement at Rio de Janeiro (1557), Samuel de Champlain’s account of his voyage to Canada (1613), a peace treaty between the King of France and the Indians of Canada (1667), and numerous memoirs and other books related to French activities in the Americas."
In cooperation with Rare Books and Special Collections Reading Room
(French and English)
Scroll down for French section. Includes links to political testaments and treatises, memoirs, accounts of Louis XIV, and royal edicts.
From the Hanover Historical Texts Collection
(17th century; English translation)
by Edward Fairfax. An excerpt taken from the book about the famed crusader.
Made available by Liber Gentium
(17th century; English transcription)
Digitized sources of diplomatic history, including the old Franco-Swiss alliances.
Part of the collection, Quellen zur Schweizer Geschichte.
(17th century; French)
Collection of digitized French political pamphlets from the Newberry.
(1600-1800; French facsimiles, English interface)
Database from the National Archives of Canada with more than 50,000 digitized images of colonial history.
(Facsimiles)
Important 17th-century contemporary newspaper available online.
Includes subject indexes of the various volumes.
Digitized by the Groupe de Recherches Interdisciplinaires sur l'Histoire du Littéraire.
(1605-1643; facsimiles)
Records of a Strasbourg newspaper.
(1607-1610; German facsimiles)
Missionary texts on the early years of French colonization in North America.
With chronological access to the texts themselves and the Reuben Gold Thwaites English translations.
(1610-1791; French, Italian, and Latin originals with English translations)

Thirty Years' War Era (1618-1648)

Written by Friedrich Schiller.
Available in multiple formats from Project Gutenberg.
(1618-1648; English translation)
Edited by J.H. Robinson.
From Hanover Historical Texts Collection.
(1626; English translation)
These are the Mémoires of Anne-Louise d'Orléans, duchesse de Montpensier (Mlle de Montpensier, usually called "la grande Mademoiselle"), one of the more endearing and beloved members of the French royal family.
1627-1659; French)
Digitized letters of 17th century political figures across Europe
Compiled by Acta Pacis Westphalicae
(1636-1648; German, French, and Swedish transcriptions with German commentary)
Digitized letters of 17th century political figures
Compiled by Acta Pacis Westphalicae
(1636-1648; French, Latin, and German transcriptions with German commentary)
  • Versailles at Princeton University Digital Library Collections
Versailles On Paper
Includes accounts of costumes and architecture of Versailles Palace.
Versailles: La grotte de Versailles
Sketches and plans of Versailles Palace.
Versailles: La Grande Galerie de Versailles
Sketched copies of some Versailles artwork.
From Collections at Princeton University Digital Library.
(1638-1715; French facsimiles)
German peace treaties with France and Sweden
Compiled by Acta Pacis Westphalicae
(17th century; Latin transcription with German interface)
A defence of liberty against tyrants by Junius Brutus.
(1648; English translation)
Peace Treaty ending the Thirty Years War.
From the Avalon Project.
(24 October 1648, English translation)

A European Power Under Louis XIV (1648-1715)

Contains the names of Intendants and periods of incumbency in different intendances (French provinces).
From the University of Wisconsin.
Free registration required.
(1661-1790; data files)
Edited by J.H. Robinson.
From Hanover Historical Texts Collection.
(26 August 1664; English translation)
Correspondence of French legation in Switzerland
Part of the collection, Quellen zur Schweizer Geschichte.
(1664-1671; German and French)
Excerpts from memoirs of Minister of Finance during Louis XIV.
Edited by J.H. Robinson.
From Hanover Historical Texts Collection.
(1665–1683; English translation)
Excerpts from John Evelyn's diary regarding the restoration of the Stuarts.
From Internet Modern History Sourcebook.
(1666 - 1688; English translation)
His Court and The Regency, by The Duke of Saint-Simon
Memoirs of Lewis the Fourteenth / written by himself, and addressed to his son (French)
(1666; English transcription)
Thoughts of Louis XIV, or, Maxims of Government and Reflections on the Occupation of King.
(French facsimile)
Saint-Simon and Madame de Sevigne's accounts of Louis XIV.
From Hanover Historical Texts Collection.
(1671; English translation)
From Hanover Historical Texts Collection.
(22 October 1685; English translation)
This is a book written for parents on how to raise young daughters and sons, including his insights into child psychology, with topics including the importance of female education, the first foundations of education, principles of religion, defects among girls and the duties of women. French version HERE.
(1687; English translation; book facsimile)
Speech regarding opposition to King Louis XIV's move to install a Catholic to the English throne.
(31 December 1701; transcription)
From the journals of British Admiral Sir George Rooke, recounting battles against the French and Spanish horses.
Digitized by David Stewart of Hillsdale College.
(17-23 October 1702; transcriptions)
Letters between King Louis XIV and his Naval Secretary Pontchartrain.
Reproduced on the Ministry of Culture's Archim imagebank.
(1703-1714; photo facsimiles)
The Duchess of Orleans was married to the king's brother, the much younger Duchess of Bourgogne to the king's grandson. Here the obsessive concern with manners is well-evidenced.
From the Internet History Sourcebook
(1704; English translation)
Extracts from the work by the French philosopher Pierre Bayle.
(1708; English translation)

Louis XV & the Years Preceding Revolution (1715-1788)

A collection of correspondence to and from Voltaire, as well as three pages of poetry written by Voltaire.
Many of the letters are either to or from Frederick the Great, King of Prussia from 1740-1786.
From the Digital Library of the University of Southern California.
(1742-1777; photo facsimiles)
French case for protecting their rights and territory in North America against the English.
(October 1750; transcription)
Regarding French preparations for an inevitable conflict against the English in North America.
(December 1750; English translation)
Part of Exploration, Fur Trade and the Hudson's Bay Company website.
(18th century; searchable access to facsimiles)
Epistle from Voltaire regarding the victorious Battle of Laufeldt
From Athena
(1847)
Primary documents displaying French ideas of communism as well as of anarchy
From Marxists Internet Archive
(1750-1979; English and French)
Important text by Baron de Montesquieu that famously articulates the idea of separation of powers.
(1752; English)
"Where then is the fatherland?"
From the Internet History Sourcebook
(1752; English translation)
An exhibition celebrating the 250th birthday of the Marquis de LaFayette.
With primary documents, artifacts, and commentary from Cornell University.
Available in both French and English interface.
(1757-1834; facsimiles of documents and objects)
The subject of this address is an event of much higher importance, no less than the entire overthrow of Nabob Suraj-ud-Daulah, and the placing of Meer Jaffier on the throne.
From the Internet History Sourcebook
(1757; English transcription)
Constitutional documents, treaties, and other primary sources regarding English and French interests in Canada.
(1760 to the present; transcriptions)
Journey Around the World, by the Frigate of King Boudeuse, and the Flute l'Étoile
(1772; French facsimile)
Treaty includes French recognition of United States independence.
(6 February 1778; facsimile and transcription in English and French)
Documents from the Avalon Project.
(1778-1843; transcriptions and translations)
Report to the King of France from the Finance Minister. Also available in French.
(January 1781; English translation)
(1786; French transcription)
300 digitized pamphlets.
(1788-1789; French facsimiles)
Read about the project here.
Browse by topic.
(June 1788 - December 1804; French facsimiles)

Other Collections

Collection of manuscripts and documents from 1300 to 1700.
(French; facsimiles)
A set of historical maps from Dr. Ronnie Ellenblum's Historic Cities.
(Facsimiles)
Digital library on the history of science and technology.
(18th to 20th centuries; French-language facsimiles of books and periodicals)
Provided by the Rare Book and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University.
Three major digital document collections:
Lafayette Collection
Maurepas Collection
La Forte Collection
(18th to 19th centuries; facsimiles)
Photographic reproductions of constitutions, edicts, treaties, letters, photos, atlases and official seals.
Available either by search engine or by thematic "dossiers."


EuroDocs > History of France: Primary Documents > 1454 - 1788


EuroDocs Creator: Richard Hacken, European Studies Librarian,
Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA.
Feel free to get in touch: Hacken @ byu.edu

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