Chicago 17 Citation Guide for History Students

History writing depends on precise source documentation more than almost any other discipline. The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition (Notes-Bibliography system) is the standard citation format across historical scholarship—from undergraduate research papers to peer-reviewed journal articles. This guide addresses the specific challenges history students face: citing primary sources, navigating archival collections, formatting government documents, and handling the unpublished materials that make historical research distinctive. Every example below shows the full citation lifecycle: first footnote, shortened footnote, and bibliography entry.

Why Chicago Notes-Bibliography for History?

History departments almost universally require the Notes-Bibliography (NB) system rather than the Author-Date system used in the social sciences. The reason is structural: historical arguments build through layered engagement with sources in footnotes and endnotes, where discursive commentary often accompanies citations. The NB system supports this by allowing substantive notes alongside bibliographic references—something parenthetical systems like APA 7 or MLA 9 cannot accommodate as naturally.

The NB system uses two components: notes (footnotes or endnotes, numbered sequentially throughout the paper) and a bibliography (an alphabetical list of all sources at the end). The first note for any source gives full publication details. Subsequent references use a shortened form. The bibliography inverts the first author's name for alphabetical sorting.

Core Formatting Rules to Internalize

Books: The Foundation of Historical Citation

Monographs remain the primary vehicle for historical scholarship. Getting book citations right is essential before tackling more complex source types.

Single-Author Monograph

First footnote:

1. Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877 (New York: Harper & Row, 1988), 124.

Shortened footnote:

2. Foner, Reconstruction, 130.

Bibliography:

Foner, Eric. Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.

Note the critical differences: the footnote places publication information in parentheses and ends with a page number. The bibliography inverts the author's name, replaces commas with periods between major elements, removes the parentheses, and drops the specific page number.

Two or Three Authors

First footnote:

3. Steven Hahn and Jonathan Prude, eds., The Countryside in the Age of Capitalist Transformation (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1985), 47–48.

Shortened footnote:

4. Hahn and Prude, Countryside, 52.

Bibliography:

Hahn, Steven, and Jonathan Prude, eds. The Countryside in the Age of Capitalist Transformation. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1985.

Only the first author's name is inverted in the bibliography. The second (and third) author keeps normal order. For four or more authors, the footnote lists all authors on first reference or uses the first author followed by "et al." The bibliography lists all authors up to ten; for eleven or more, list the first seven followed by "et al."

Edited Volume with a Chapter by a Specific Author

History anthologies and essay collections are common. When citing a specific chapter or essay, the chapter author is the primary reference point.

First footnote:

5. Natalie Zemon Davis, "The Rites of Violence," in Society and Culture in Early Modern France (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1975), 152–87.

Shortened footnote:

6. Davis, "Rites of Violence," 160.

Bibliography:

Davis, Natalie Zemon. "The Rites of Violence." In Society and Culture in Early Modern France, 152–87. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1975.

When a chapter appears in a volume edited by someone other than the chapter author, add the editor after the book title:

First footnote:

7. Ira Berlin, "The Revolution in Black Life," in The American Revolution: Explorations in the History of American Radicalism, ed. Alfred F. Young (DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 1976), 349–82.

Bibliography:

Berlin, Ira. "The Revolution in Black Life." In The American Revolution: Explorations in the History of American Radicalism, edited by Alfred F. Young, 349–82. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press, 1976.

Note that "ed." in notes becomes "edited by" in the bibliography.

Translated Works

Working with translated sources is routine in history. The translator appears after the title.

First footnote:

8. Marc Bloch, The Historian's Craft, trans. Peter Putnam (New York: Vintage Books, 1953), 64.

Shortened footnote:

9. Bloch, Historian's Craft, 71.

Bibliography:

Bloch, Marc. The Historian's Craft. Translated by Peter Putnam. New York: Vintage Books, 1953.

Reprints and New Editions

History students frequently cite reprints of older works. Include the original publication date when it is historically significant.

First footnote:

10. W. E. B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America, 1860–1880 (1935; repr., New York: Free Press, 1998), 325.

Bibliography:

Du Bois, W. E. B. Black Reconstruction in America, 1860–1880. 1935. Reprint, New York: Free Press, 1998.

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Journal Articles

Historical journal articles follow a consistent pattern. Pay close attention to the distinction between page numbers in notes (specific pages cited) and in the bibliography (full page range of the article).

Standard Journal Article

First footnote:

11. William Cronon, "A Place for Stories: Nature, History, and Narrative," Journal of American History 78, no. 4 (March 1992): 1349.

Shortened footnote:

12. Cronon, "Place for Stories," 1352.

Bibliography:

Cronon, William. "A Place for Stories: Nature, History, and Narrative." Journal of American History 78, no. 4 (March 1992): 1347–76.

The pattern is: volume number, comma, "no." followed by issue number, season or month and year in parentheses, colon, page(s). The bibliography gives the full page range (1347–76) while the note gives only the specific page referenced (1349).

Journal Article Accessed Online with DOI

First footnote:

13. Ada Ferrer, "Haiti, Free Soil, and Antislavery in the Revolutionary Atlantic," American Historical Review 117, no. 1 (February 2012): 44, https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr.117.1.40.

Bibliography:

Ferrer, Ada. "Haiti, Free Soil, and Antislavery in the Revolutionary Atlantic." American Historical Review 117, no. 1 (February 2012): 40–66. https://doi.org/10.1086/ahr.117.1.40.

When a DOI is available, always include it. It is more stable than a URL. Chicago 17 formats DOIs as full URLs beginning with https://doi.org/.

Book Review in a Journal

Book reviews are a staple of historical literature. They have a specific format.

First footnote:

14. David Brion Davis, review of The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation, by David Brion Davis, Journal of American History 102, no. 3 (December 2015): 841–42.

Bibliography:

Davis, David Brion. Review of The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation, by David Brion Davis. Journal of American History 102, no. 3 (December 2015): 841–42.

Primary Sources: The Heart of Historical Research

Primary source citation is where history diverges most sharply from other disciplines. Most citation guides cover secondary sources adequately but leave students struggling with manuscripts, letters, diaries, and other unpublished materials. This section addresses the source types you will actually encounter in archives.

Unpublished Manuscripts and Archival Documents

Archival citations must allow a future researcher to locate the exact document. The key elements are: the specific document, the collection or record group, the box and folder numbers (if applicable), the repository name, and its location. Chicago 17 does not prescribe a single rigid format for archival materials—clarity and consistency are the governing principles.

First footnote:

15. Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, October 28, 1785, James Madison Papers, series 1, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Shortened footnote:

16. Jefferson to Madison, October 28, 1785.

Bibliography:

Jefferson, Thomas. Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, October 28, 1785. James Madison Papers, series 1. Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

For larger archival collections cited repeatedly, establish an abbreviation in your first note and use it throughout:

First footnote (establishing abbreviation):

17. Report of the Freedmen's Bureau Agent, August 12, 1866, Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Record Group 105 (hereafter cited as BRFAL, RG 105), box 3, folder 7, National Archives, Washington, DC.

Subsequent footnote:

18. Affidavit of Sarah Johnson, September 3, 1866, BRFAL, RG 105, box 3, folder 12.

Bibliography:

Records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. Record Group 105. National Archives, Washington, DC.

In the bibliography, archival collections are typically listed by collection name rather than individual document. If you cite only one or two documents from a collection, you may list them individually.

Personal Letters, Diaries, and Memoirs (Unpublished)

First footnote:

19. Diary of Samuel Pepys, entry for September 2, 1666, Pepys Library, Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Shortened footnote:

20. Pepys diary, September 2, 1666.

Bibliography:

Pepys, Samuel. Diary. Pepys Library, Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Published Collections of Primary Sources

Many primary sources are available in edited collections. Cite these like edited books, with the specific document identified in the note.

First footnote:

21. "Memorial of the Planters of South Carolina," December 8, 1791, in The Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America, ed. Charlene Bangs Bickford et al., vol. 8 (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998), 452–55.

Shortened footnote:

22. "Memorial of the Planters," in Documentary History, 8:453.

Bibliography:

Bickford, Charlene Bangs, et al., eds. The Documentary History of the First Federal Congress of the United States of America. Vol. 8. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.

Common Mistakes with Archival Citations

Wrong: Providing vague repository information that would prevent another researcher from locating the document.

23. Letter from a soldier, Civil War Collection, National Archives.

Correct: Include the author, recipient, date, collection name, box/folder, repository, and city.

23. Pvt. James W. Collins to his wife, March 14, 1863, Civil War Miscellaneous Collection, box 2, folder 14, United States Army Heritage and Education Center, Carlisle, PA.

Wrong: Citing individual archival documents in the bibliography when you use many items from the same collection.

Correct: List the collection as a whole in the bibliography. Individual documents are identified in the notes.

Government Documents

Government documents are essential to political, legal, diplomatic, and social history. They follow special citation patterns because they often lack named individual authors.

Congressional Records and Debates

First footnote:

24. Congressional Record, 71st Cong., 2nd sess., 1930, 72, pt. 10:10828.

Shortened footnote:

25. Cong. Rec., 72, pt. 10:10828.

Bibliography:

Congressional Record. 71st Cong., 2nd sess., 1930. Vol. 72.

The Congressional Record is typically cited only in notes. If included in the bibliography, cite the volume as a whole.

Congressional Hearings and Reports

First footnote:

26. US Congress, Senate, Committee on Foreign Relations, Hearings on the Treaty of Versailles, 66th Cong., 1st sess., 1919, S. Doc. 106, 221.

Shortened footnote:

27. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Hearings on the Treaty of Versailles, 221.

Bibliography:

US Congress. Senate. Committee on Foreign Relations. Hearings on the Treaty of Versailles. 66th Cong., 1st sess., 1919. S. Doc. 106.

Presidential Documents

First footnote (executive order):

28. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Executive Order 9066, "Authorizing the Secretary of War to Prescribe Military Areas," February 19, 1942, Federal Register 7, no. 38 (1942): 1407.

Shortened footnote:

29. Roosevelt, Exec. Order 9066.

Bibliography:

Roosevelt, Franklin D. Executive Order 9066. "Authorizing the Secretary of War to Prescribe Military Areas." February 19, 1942. Federal Register 7, no. 38 (1942): 1407.

Published Government Reports

First footnote:

30. National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, Report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1968), 1.

Shortened footnote:

31. National Advisory Commission, Report, 10.

Bibliography:

National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. Report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1968.

Supreme Court Decisions

Legal citations in history papers can follow either standard legal citation (Bluebook) or Chicago format. For history papers, Chicago style is generally acceptable unless your department specifies otherwise.

First footnote:

32. Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896).

Shortened footnote:

33. Plessy, 163 U.S. at 551.

Bibliography:

Plessy v. Ferguson. 163 U.S. 537. Supreme Court of the United States. 1896.

Court cases are typically cited only in notes. Include them in the bibliography only if they are central to your argument.

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Historical Newspapers

Newspapers are vital primary sources for social, cultural, and political history. Chicago 17 has specific rules for newspaper citations that differ from journal articles.

Named Article with Byline

First footnote:

34. Ida B. Wells, "Lynch Law in America," Arena 23 (January 1900): 15–24.

Shortened footnote:

35. Wells, "Lynch Law," 18.

Bibliography:

Wells, Ida B. "Lynch Law in America." Arena 23 (January 1900): 15–24.

Unsigned Newspaper Article

Many historical newspaper articles lack bylines. Cite them by article title or, if untitled, by a descriptive phrase.

First footnote:

36. "The Panic Spreads," New York Times, October 25, 1929.

Shortened footnote:

37. "Panic Spreads."

Bibliography:

New York Times. "The Panic Spreads." October 25, 1929.

Important: Chicago 17 notes that newspapers cited in notes need not appear in the bibliography at all. If you do include them, you may list the newspaper as a whole ("Articles from the New York Times are cited in the notes") or list individual articles. Whichever approach you choose, apply it consistently.

Historical Newspapers from Digital Databases

First footnote:

38. "Terrible Conflagration," Chicago Tribune, October 9, 1871, ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

Shortened footnote:

39. "Terrible Conflagration."

Bibliography:

Chicago Tribune. "Terrible Conflagration." October 9, 1871. ProQuest Historical Newspapers.

Include the database name when the newspaper was accessed through a digital archive. You do not need to include a URL for well-known databases, but if your instructor requires it, add the stable URL or document ID at the end.

Digital and Online Sources

Historians increasingly work with digitized primary sources and born-digital materials. Chicago 17 provides clear guidance for these.

Website or Blog Post

First footnote:

40. Kevin Levin, "The Search for Black Confederates," Civil War Memory (blog), January 5, 2011, https://cwmemory.com/2011/01/05/the-search-for-black-confederates/.

Shortened footnote:

41. Levin, "Search for Black Confederates."

Bibliography:

Levin, Kevin. "The Search for Black Confederates." Civil War Memory (blog). January 5, 2011. https://cwmemory.com/2011/01/05/the-search-for-black-confederates/.

Digitized Primary Source from an Institutional Repository

First footnote:

42. Abraham Lincoln, "Gettysburg Address," November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress, accessed February 15, 2026, https://www.loc.gov/item/mal4356500/.

Shortened footnote:

43. Lincoln, "Gettysburg Address."

Bibliography:

Lincoln, Abraham. "Gettysburg Address." November 19, 1863. Abraham Lincoln Papers. Library of Congress. Accessed February 15, 2026. https://www.loc.gov/item/mal4356500/.

When a primary source is accessed in a digitized form, cite the original document details first, then add the digital repository information. This ensures the citation works whether or not the digital version remains available.

E-book Editions

First footnote:

44. Jill Lepore, These Truths: A History of the United States (New York: W. W. Norton, 2018), chap. 3, Kindle.

Shortened footnote:

45. Lepore, These Truths, chap. 3.

Bibliography:

Lepore, Jill. These Truths: A History of the United States. New York: W. W. Norton, 2018. Kindle.

For e-books without fixed page numbers, cite chapter numbers or section headings instead. If the e-book has stable page numbers matching the print edition, cite those pages normally and omit the format note.

Theses, Dissertations, and Conference Papers

Unpublished academic works are common sources in historiography, especially for cutting-edge research not yet in print.

Unpublished Dissertation

First footnote:

46. Martha S. Jones, "All Bound Up Together: The Woman Question in African American Public Culture, 1830–1900" (PhD diss., Columbia University, 2003), 112.

Shortened footnote:

47. Jones, "All Bound Up Together," 115.

Bibliography:

Jones, Martha S. "All Bound Up Together: The Woman Question in African American Public Culture, 1830–1900." PhD diss., Columbia University, 2003.

Dissertation and thesis titles are enclosed in quotation marks (not italicized) because they are unpublished works.

Conference Paper

First footnote:

48. Rebecca J. Scott, "Small-Scale Dynamics of Large-Scale Processes" (paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association, New York, January 3, 2015), 8.

Shortened footnote:

49. Scott, "Small-Scale Dynamics," 10.

Bibliography:

Scott, Rebecca J. "Small-Scale Dynamics of Large-Scale Processes." Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association, New York, January 3, 2015.

Maps, Images, and Non-Textual Sources

Visual and material sources require careful citation that identifies both the object and its location or publication context.

Historical Map

First footnote:

50. John Mitchell, A Map of the British and French Dominions in North America (London, 1755), Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress.

Shortened footnote:

51. Mitchell, Map of the British and French Dominions.

Bibliography:

Mitchell, John. A Map of the British and French Dominions in North America. London, 1755. Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress.

Photograph or Image in an Archive

First footnote:

52. Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California, 1936, photograph, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, DC, https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017762891/.

Bibliography:

Lange, Dorothea. Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California. 1936. Photograph. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, DC. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2017762891/.

Common Formatting Errors in History Papers

These are the mistakes history instructors see most frequently. Avoid them.

Error 1: Using parenthetical citations instead of footnotes.

(Foner 1988, 124)

This is Author-Date style, not Notes-Bibliography. History papers require numbered footnotes or endnotes.

Correct:

1. Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877 (New York: Harper & Row, 1988), 124.

Error 2: Using bibliography formatting in footnotes.

1. Foner, Eric. Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.

Notes use commas, normal name order, and parentheses around publication details. This note incorrectly uses periods, inverted name, and no parentheses—that is bibliography format.

Correct:

1. Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877 (New York: Harper & Row, 1988), 124.

Error 3: Omitting page numbers in notes.

3. Cronon, "A Place for Stories."

Shortened notes must include a page number when referencing a specific passage.

Correct:

3. Cronon, "Place for Stories," 1352.

Error 4: Italicizing article or chapter titles.

4. Davis, The Rites of Violence, 160.

Only titles of larger works (books, journals, newspapers) are italicized. Articles, chapters, and other shorter works use quotation marks.

Correct:

4. Davis, "Rites of Violence," 160.

Error 5: Using "p." or "pp." before page numbers.

5. Foner, Reconstruction, pp. 124–25.

Chicago style does not use "p." or "pp." with page numbers in notes or bibliography entries.

Correct:

5. Foner, Reconstruction, 124–25.

Validation Checklist for History Papers

Before submitting your paper, run through this checklist to catch the most common Chicago formatting problems in history writing.

Notes (Footnotes/Endnotes)

  • Notes are numbered sequentially throughout the paper (not restarting per chapter unless writing a dissertation)
  • First reference to each source gives full bibliographic information
  • Subsequent references use shortened form: Author Last Name, Shortened Title, page number
  • Author names are in normal order (First Last), not inverted
  • Commas (not periods) separate elements within a note
  • Book publication details are in parentheses: (Place: Publisher, Year)
  • Page numbers are included for all notes referencing specific passages
  • No "p." or "pp." before page numbers
  • Journal article notes include volume, issue number, date, and specific page: 78, no. 4 (March 1992): 1349

Bibliography

  • First author's name is inverted (Last, First); subsequent authors are not
  • Periods (not commas) separate major elements
  • Publication details are not in parentheses
  • Entries are alphabetized by the first author's last name (or title if no author)
  • Journal articles include the full page range, not just the page you cited
  • Hanging indentation is applied (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches)
  • Book titles and journal names are italicized; article and chapter titles are in quotation marks

Primary and Archival Sources

  • Archival citations include: document description, date, collection name, box/folder, repository, city
  • Abbreviations for frequently cited collections are established in the first note
  • Archival collections are listed by collection name in the bibliography (not individual documents)
  • Unpublished works (dissertations, manuscripts) have titles in quotation marks, not italics
  • Government documents identify the issuing body, document title, congress/session, and document number

Digital Sources

  • DOIs are formatted as full URLs: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
  • Access dates are included for online sources without fixed publication dates
  • Database names are included for sources accessed through digital archives
  • Digitized primary sources cite the original document details first, then the digital source

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Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use footnotes or endnotes for my history paper?

Chicago 17 permits both, and the choice is often dictated by your instructor or department. Footnotes appear at the bottom of the page where the citation occurs, making them immediately accessible to readers—most history faculty prefer this. Endnotes collect all notes at the end of the paper or chapter, producing cleaner page layouts but requiring readers to flip back and forth. For seminar papers and journal articles, footnotes are standard. For dissertations and books, endnotes are increasingly common for production reasons. When in doubt, ask your instructor. Whichever you choose, the formatting of the notes themselves is identical.

How do I cite a source I found quoted in another source (secondary citation)?

History instructors strongly prefer that you consult original sources whenever possible. However, when the original is unavailable—destroyed, untranslated, or held in an inaccessible archive—you may cite it as "quoted in" the secondary source.

Footnote:

53. Frederick Douglass, letter to Harriet Tubman, August 29, 1868, quoted in Kate Clifford Larson, Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero (New York: Ballantine Books, 2004), 272.

The bibliography entry is for the secondary source (Larson's book), since that is the work you actually consulted. Use "quoted in" sparingly—over-reliance on secondary citations signals insufficient archival engagement.

Do I need a separate bibliography section for primary sources?

For substantial research papers, dissertations, and theses, dividing the bibliography into sections is standard practice and highly recommended. The most common division is:

For shorter seminar papers, a single alphabetical bibliography is usually sufficient. Follow your department's guidelines or ask your instructor.

How do I handle sources in languages other than English?

Cite foreign-language sources in their original language. Capitalize titles according to the conventions of that language (e.g., French and Spanish capitalize only the first word and proper nouns in titles, unlike English). If you provide a translation of the title, place it in brackets after the original title. Do not italicize the translated title.

First footnote:

54. Fernand Braudel, La Méditerranée et le monde méditerranéen à l'époque de Philippe II [The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II] (Paris: Armand Colin, 1949), 218.

Bibliography:

Braudel, Fernand. La Méditerranée et le monde méditerranéen à l'époque de Philippe II [The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II]. Paris: Armand Colin, 1949.

When should I use "accessed" dates for online sources?

Chicago 17 recommends access dates for online sources that lack a publication or revision date, or for content that may change over time (such as websites and databases). For formally published online journal articles with DOIs, an access date is not necessary. For digitized archival materials, government websites, and other potentially ephemeral sources, include the access date. Format it as: "Accessed March 5, 2026."

How do I cite the same source many times without cluttering my notes?

Use shortened notes consistently after the first full citation. If your paper relies heavily on a single source for an extended passage, you may state in a note that "all quotations in the following three paragraphs are from" the source and its page range. This avoids repetitive notes while maintaining transparency. For archival collections, establish abbreviations on first reference and use them throughout. Some historians also use a "List of Abbreviations" at the beginning of the paper for works cited frequently.

Quick Reference: Note vs. Bibliography Formatting

This table summarizes the key structural differences between notes and bibliography entries for the most common source types in history papers.

ElementIn NotesIn Bibliography
Author nameFirst LastLast, First
SeparatorsCommasPeriods
Book pub. info(Place: Publisher, Year)Place: Publisher, Year.
"ed." / "trans."Abbreviated: ed., trans.Spelled out: edited by, translated by
Page numbers (books)Specific page(s) citedOmitted
Page numbers (articles)Specific page citedFull page range
Article/chapter titles"In quotation marks""In quotation marks"
Book/journal titlesItalicizedItalicized

Comparing Citation Styles for History

While Chicago NB is dominant in history, you may encounter other styles in interdisciplinary work. APA 7th Edition is common in social science approaches to history (quantitative history, historical psychology), while MLA 9th Edition appears in literary and cultural history contexts. The key advantage of Chicago for history is its footnote system, which supports the kind of discursive, source-layered argumentation that defines the discipline. If your course or journal specifies a different style, follow that—but for standard history departments, Chicago NB is the expected format.

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