The bulk of the collection relates to Paludan’s scholarly and teaching responsibilities, and contains research, article and chapter drafts, lecture notes and graphics, syllabi, assignment prompts, correspondence, and related materials. This collection is divided into five series: American Civil War, General History, Courses Taught, General Work Files, and Digital Family Photos.

Series I: American Civil War, 1772-2007 contains material relating to the American Civil War, including the factors leading to it and its aftermath. This series is divided into three sub-series: General Civil War Research, Notecards, and Victims: A True Story of the Civil War.

Series I, Sub-series A: General Civil War Research, 1772-2007 contains wide-ranging research relating to the civil war, with subjects including slavery and the lives of enslaved peoples, economy and politics in the North and South, abolition movements, Abraham Lincoln, the experience of war, and Reconstruction. In addition to original research and manuscripts, many folders include material relating to Paludan’s teaching responsibilities such as lecture notes, transparencies used during lectures, and assignment prompts. Arranged alphabetically.

Series I, Sub-series B: Notecards, circa 1965 contains notecards related to civil war research, includes original notes, transcriptions of sources, and bibliographic information. Some cards are handwritten while others are typed. Organized by subject in their original order.

Series I, Sub-series C: Victims: A True Story of the Civil War, 1863-2003 contains material related to Paludan’s monograph on the Shelton Laurel Massacre, primarily notes and chapter drafts. Arranged alphabetically.

Series II: General History, 1799-2006 contains scholarly historical material not related specifically to the Civil War. Many folders include material relating to Paludan’s teaching responsibilities such as lecture notes, transparencies used during lectures, and assignment prompts. This series is divided into four sub-series: Colonial America and the Revolutionary War, Constitutional Law, Jacksonian America, and Historical Practice.

Series II, Sub-series A: Colonial America and the Revolutionary War, 1799-2006 contains material relating to British colonies in North America, the American Revolutionary War, and the early years of the United States of America. Arranged alphabetically.

Series II, Sub-series B: Constitutional Law, 1907-2006 contains material relating to American constitutional law, including the intentions of the framers, constitutional interpretation over the centuries, and major legal cases relating to civil rights and the constitution during the 20th century. Arranged alphabetically.

Series II, Sub-series C: Jacksonian Era, 1981-2006 contains material relating to early 19th century politics, economic development, and treatment of Native Americans. Arranged alphabetically.

Series II: Sub-series D: Historical Practice, 1966-2000 contains material relating to the study and practice of history, including notes, articles, and lecture materials on the nature of history, historiography, and historical writing. Arranged alphabetically.

Series III, Courses Taught, 1975-2007 contains syllabi, lecture notes, assignment prompts, class readings, and similar materials relating to courses taught by Paludan. This series contains folders clearly labeled as relating to a specific course; there are also teaching materials present in many folders in Series I and Series II. Arranged chronologically according to the term during which the course was taught.

Series IV: General Work Files, 1965-2007 contains additional material relating to Paludan’s career, including correspondence, book reviews, and files relating to events attended, speeches given, and historical organizations participated in. Arranged alphabetically.

Series V: Digital Family Photos, 2003 contains one Zip drive of twenty-nine photographs collected for a birthday party for Marty Paludan, wife of Phillip Paludan. Photos span from the 1930s to the 1990s. Digital files are stored in Box.