We Recommend
The peasant prince : Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the age of revolution /
Storozynski, Alex.
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Featured Resource
Biography Resource Center »
Find biographies of famous Polish Americans from a variety of sources. Search on a name you already know or try one of these examples:
- Stanislaw Baranczak
- Zbigniew Brzezinski
- Casimir Funk
- Janusz Glowacki
- Mieczyslaw Horszowski
- Janusz Kaminski
- Bronislau Kaper
- Jan Kiepura
- Tadeusz Kosciuszko
- Czeslaw Milosz
- Helena Modjeska
- Ralph Modjeski
- Pola Negri
- Jan Nowak
- Casimir Pulaski
- Miroslaw Rogala
- Theodore Roszak
- Jan Sawka
- Florian Znaniecki
Note that a Chicago Public Library card is required to use this resource from home, school, or work.
Related Databases
Unless otherwise noted, these online research tools are available at all Chicago Public Library locations and from home, school, or work with a Chicago Public Library card.
Gale Virtual Reference Library »
This collection of encyclopedias and other reference works is a great place to start your exploration of the experiences and contributions of Polish Americans. Read a short overview of Polish American history, learn about Pulaski Day, or discover why Poles came to the U.S. and what they found here in an article on eastern European immigration.
Ethnic News Watch »
This full-text database of newspapers, magazines, and journals from the ethnic, minority, and native press includes full text coverage of the Polish American Journal (1990–current). Read about Polish American traditions, Polish Americans in Chicago, and more.
America: History & Life »
Search short descriptions of articles appearing in magazines and journals in U.S. and Canadian history in order to identify articles on a topic of interest (for example, Polish Americans in Chicago). Then use the "get article" buttons to find the complete articles online or on our shelves. Magazines and journals covered include Polish American Studies and the Journal of American Ethnic History.
Available at the Harold Washington Library Center, Sulzer Regional Library, and Woodson Regional Library.
Search in the Library
Featured CPL Collections and Programs
- Celebrating Diversity: Polish American Heritage Month »
Every October, the Chicago Public Library (CPL) celebrates the achievements and contributions of Polish Americans through events and exhibits and by highlighting selected library resources.
Helpful Websites
- Encyclopedia of Chicago »
Find articles on Poles, Polonia, the Polish National Alliance, the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, and the Dziennik Zwizkowy in this unique resource sponsored by the Chicago History Museum, the Newberry Library, and Northwestern University.
- National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum »
This site recognizes many individuals of Polish heritage with achievements in sports and offers a short biography and photograph for each inductee.
- Immigration...: The Changing Face of America
This site for students from the Library of Congress explores the immigration of many groups to the Unites States including Poles. It features short interviews with today’s immigrants, including "Jakub B." and "Anna D." from Poland.
- A Family Corresponds: Polish Immigrants in the Early 20th century »
What was life like for people immigrating to the U.S. a hundred years ago? Find out firsthand through these excerpts from the letters of immigrants Adam and Helena Raczkowski to their sister back in Poland.
- Ethnic Women of Cleveland: An Oral History Project »
In 1986, Jeanette Tuve of Cleveland State University conducted interviews with women of eastern European birth or heritage. Read or listen to eleven of those interviews, in which the women reflect on their experiences of building homes and communities in America while retaining their ethnic traditions.
