Search Help

How does this work?
There are many ways to search the collections of the Freedom Archives. Below is a brief guide that will help you conduct effective searches. Note, anytime you search for anything in the Freedom Archives, the first results that appear will be our digitized items. Information for items that have yet to be scanned or yet to be digitized can still be viewed, but only by clicking on the show link that will display the hidden (non-digitized) items. If you are interested in accessing these non-digitized materials, please email info@freedomarchives.org.
Exploring the Collections without the Search Bar
Under the heading Browse By Collection, you’ll notice most of the Freedom Archives’ major collections. These collections have an image as well as a short description of what you’ll find in that collection. Click on that image to instantly explore that specific collection.
Basic Searching
You can always type what you’re looking for into the search bar. Certain searches may generate hundreds of results, so sometimes it will help to use quotation marks to help narrow down your results. For instance, searching for the phrase Black Liberation will generate all of our holdings that contain the words Black and Liberation, while searching for “Black Liberation” (in quotation marks) will only generate our records that have those two words next to each other.
Advanced Searching
The Freedom Archives search site also understands Boolean search logic, specifcally AND/+, NOT/-, and OR operators. Click on this link for a brief tutorial on how to use Boolean search logic. Our search function also understands “fuzzy searches.” Fuzzy searches utilize the (*) and will find matches even when users misspell words or enter in only partial words for the search. For example, searching for liber* will produce results for liberation/liberate/liberates/etc.
Keyword Searches
You’ll notice that under the heading KEYWORDS, there are a number of words, phrases or names that describe content. Sometimes these are also called “tags.” Clicking on these words is essentially the same as conducting a basic search.
Welcome to the Freedom Archives' Digital Search Engine.The Freedom Archives contains over 12,000 hours of audio and video recordings which date from the late-1960s to the mid-90s and chronicle the progressive history of the Bay Area, the United States, and international movements. We are also in the process of scanning and uploading thousands of historical documents which enrich our media holdings. Our collection includes weekly news, poetry, music programs; in-depth interviews and reports on social and cultural issues; numerous voices from behind prison walls; diverse activists; and pamphlets, journals and other materials from many radical organizations and movements.

Central America

Primary topics include the the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) in El Salvador, guerilla movements in Guatemala, the Sandanista revolution in Nicaragua, as well as U.S intervention in each of these geographic regions.

Subcollections

  • El Salvador
    El Salvador
    This collection features materials about El Salvador, primarily focusing on its post-colonial period and subsequent civil war. The role of US intervention and the revolutionary front (FMLN) are heavily featured topics.
  • Guatemala
    Guatemala
    Since a CIA backed coup in 1954, the people of Guatemala have been struggling for self-determination. This collection contains materials detailing the revolutionary struggle, the role of Guatemalan women during the revolution and US intervention.
  • Nicaragua
    Nicaragua
    This collection features materials describing the broad and complex history of Nicaragua’s political struggle focusing on the Sandinista liberation movement.

Documents

Rigoberta Menchú Rigoberta Menchú
Publisher: Freedom ArchivesFormat: mp3Collection: Guatemala
Rigoberta Menchú was born into a poor Indian peasant family, and raised in the Quiche branch of the Mayan culture in Guatemala. As a teenager, she became involved in social reform programs of the Catholic Church and was active in the women's rights movement. Like her father, she joined the CUC (Committee of the Peasant Union) in 1979, after members of her family had suffered persecution.
Dangerous Liaisons: The U.S. in Guatemala Dangerous Liaisons: The U.S. in Guatemala
Author: Susanne JonasPublisher: Foreign PolicyYear: 1996Volume Number: No.103 SummerFormat: ArticleCollection: Guatemala
This article talks about US involvement in Guatemala
United Freedom Front Communique #9 United Freedom Front Communique #9
Publisher: United Freedom FrontDate: 8/21/1984Format: CommuniqueCollection: El Salvador
Communique from the United Freedom Front claiming responsibility for the bombing of General Electric offices of the aerospace strategic planning and aircraft division in New York. At the time, GE was the fourth largest military contractor to the United States and their products were involved in bombing of civilian populations, human rights violations and mass murders.
El Salvador Platform for the Democratic Revolutionary Government El Salvador Platform for the Democratic Revolutionary Government
Publisher: Frente Democratico RevolucionarioFormat: PamphletCollection: El Salvador
El Salvador No. 4 [In English] El Salvador No. 4 [In English]
Date: 6/1/1984Call Number: Volume Number: No. 4 Ano 1Format: PeriodicalCollection: El Salvador
Riding with Duarte to another Viet-Nam
Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare
Author: TayacanPublisher: CRS Language ServicesDate: 10/15/1984Format: MonographCollection: Nicaragua
This book is a manual for the training of guerrillas in psychological operations, and its application to the concrete case of the Christian and democratic crusade being waged in Nicaragua by the Freedom Commandos. Table of Contents: Introduction; Combatant-Propagandist Guerrilla; Armed Propaganda; Armed Propaganda Teams; Development and Control of Front Organizations; Control of Mass Concentrations and Meetings; Massive In-depth Support through Psychological Operations; Techniques of Oratory.
Nicaraguan Women: Unlearning the Alphabet of Submission Nicaraguan Women: Unlearning the Alphabet of Submission
Publisher: Women's International Resource ExchangeYear: 1985Volume Number: FallFormat: MonographCollection: Nicaragua
A compliation of different authors writing about different topics pertaining to the role and conditions of women in Nicaragua before and following the Sandinista Revolution.
Ambush Ambush
Author: Edwin CastroPublisher: Red Star Black RoseFormat: PoemCollection: Nicaragua
Poem about an ambush of U.S. troops by Nicaraguan Independence fighters. Reprinted from A Dream Made of Stars, a 144 page anthology of Nicaraguan poetry.
The 1996 Nicaraguan Elections: How Arnoldo Aleman "Won" The 1996 Nicaraguan Elections: How Arnoldo Aleman "Won"
Author: Dianne FeeleyPublisher: Against the CurrentYear: 1997Volume Number: January-FebruaryFormat: ArticleCollection: Nicaragua
Idiana Fernandez Quote and Image Idiana Fernandez Quote and Image
Format: GraphicCollection: Nicaragua