Primary Sources

Video - Primary vs. Secondary Sources (created by the Minnesota History Center) 4:17 min

What is a Primary Source?

"Primary sources provide firsthand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic or question under investigation." --Yale University

A primary source is typically an original document, recording, or object from the time period being studied. It is the point of view from a person who experienced the event/action or who witnessed it.

Some examples of primary sources include:

Government Documents
Letters
Diaries and Journals
Oral Histories
Photographs
Films
Maps
Newspapers
Other Historical Records

Key Words

Using the key words in the table below may be useful when searching the databases for primary sources.

**The the majority of the content in this table was borrowed from the Adelphi University research guide on primary sources.

Primary Sources - Sometimes Used in the Performing Arts

Diary of Samuel Pepys
This is the private diary of Samuel Pepys. He kept a diary from 1660 - 1669. It is an excellent recording of daily life in "society" & major events in Britain during the Restoration Period.

The Watchful Clothier by Matthew Kadane
ISBN: 9780300169614
Publication Date: 2013-01-29
A clothier and a deeply religious man, Joseph Ryder faithfully kept a diary from 1733 until his death in 1768. Ryder's diary provides an illuminating, real-life perspective on the relationship between capitalism and Protestantism at a time when Britain was rapidly changing from a traditional to a modern society. It also provides fascinating insights on the early modern family, the birth of industrialization, the history of Puritanism, the origins of Unitarianism, melancholy, and the making of the British middle class.

Africa Focus: Sights and Sounds of a Continent This link opens in a new window
A collection of 3000 slides, 500 photographs, and 50 hours of sounds from 45 different countries, maintained by the University of Wisconsin Libraries.
African Digital Research Repositories This link opens in a new window
A list of digital repositories in Africa, compiled by the International African Institute at University of London.
African Online Digital Library. ( AODL ) This link opens in a new window
AODL provides access to tens of thousands of cultural heritage materials from and about African countries and communities.
Africa South of the Sahara This link opens in a new window
Selected online resources, maintained by Stanford University Libraries.
Confidential Print: Africa, 1834-1966 This link opens in a new window
Official British Documents from the National Archives, UK.
Herskovits Library of African Studies Digital Collections This link opens in a new window
Digitized materials from the Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University, the largest Africana collection in the United States.
Humphrey Winterton Collection of East African Photographs, 1860-1960 This link opens in a new window
Digital collection of hundreds of photographs of East African life and how it changed over time, collected by Northwestern University.
Maps of Africa (16th – Early 20th Century) This link opens in a new window
A digital collection of 113 maps of Africa collected by the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University.
Ross Archive of African Images This link opens in a new window
Approximately 5000 pictures of African art published prior to 1921.
UNESCO General History of Africa This link opens in a new window
Over three decades worth of work of 230 historians and specialists resulting in an 8 volume publication on the history of Africa. These volumes are freely accessible online, as well as studies and documents used for the publication.
World Digital Library This link opens in a new window
49 African nations are represented in the World Digital Library's collections. The WDL is a collaboration of the U.S. Library of Congress, and UNESCO, to make primary materials from nations across the world easily accessible.

Finding Primary Sources

Adam Matthew Digital Explorer This link opens in a new window
Millions of pages of primary source content from the 15th-21st centuries.
Avalon Project This link opens in a new window
Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy (ancient through 21st century).

British History Online
Digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles. Created by the Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust, it aims to support academic and personal users around the world in their learning, teaching and research.
British Newspaper Archive
Digitized newspapers from the British Library from the 18th to 21st centuries. Some content is freely accessible; for items requiring payment, submit a request using Request-It and the library can provide it for free!

Confidential Print: Africa, 1834-1966 This link opens in a new window
Official British Documents from the National Archives, UK.
Confidential Print: Latin America, 1833-1969 This link opens in a new window
Official British Documents from the National Archives, UK.
Confidential Print: Middle East, 1839-1969 This link opens in a new window
Official British Documents from the National Archives, UK.
Confidential Print: North America, 1824-1961 This link opens in a new window
Official British Documents from the National Archives, UK, covering Canada, the Caribbean and the USA.

Dickens Journals Online
Complete online edition of Charles Dickens' weekly magazines, Household Words and All the Year Round.
Digital Bodleian
Over a million images of rare books, manuscripts, and other treasures from the Bodleian Libraries and Oxford college libraries.

East India Company This link opens in a new window
Sources from the British Library. Module I: Trade, Governance and Empire, 1600-1946; Module II: Factory Records for South Asia and Southeast Asia, 1595-1830.
Empire Online This link opens in a new window
Manuscript and rare printed sources documenting cultural contacts and literature of empire. Section I: Cultural Contacts, 1492-1969; Section II: Literature and Empire; Section III: The Visible Empire; Section IV: Religion and Empire; Section V: Race, Class, Imperialism and Colonialism, c1607-2007.

Eurodocs
European primary historical documents

European Views of the Americas : 1493 to 1750 This link opens in a new window
A index of printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750. Covers the history of European exploration, portrayals of Native American peoples, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and slavery.

Hathi Trust
HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world.

JSTOR Journal Archive This link opens in a new window
A full-text archive of over 1,000 of the best scholarly journals in the social sciences, humanities, mathematics, life sciences, etc. Full-text is available from the first issue, but does not include the most recent 2-5 years.

Locating London's Past
Search digital resources relating to early modern and eighteenth century London. Map the results on a GIS version of John Rocque's 1746 map.
London Lives
Online primary sources about eighteenth-century London.

London Low Life This link opens in a new window
Street Culture, Social Reform & the Victorian Underworld. Sources from the Lilly Library, Indiana University.

Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (UK)
Free, online edition of 6 nineteenth-century periodicals and newspapers from the United Kingdom.
Old Bailey Online, 1674-1913
A fully searchable edition of the largest body of texts detailing the lives of non-elite people ever published, containing 197,745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court.
The Palace Journal Online
Weekly chronicle of the People's Palace reform group of London's East End, from 1887-1895.
Teesdale Mercury Archive
Full text articles from the Teesdale Mercury, one of the last independent local newspapers in England, from July 1855 to December 2005.
Transatlantic Slave Trade Database
Information on more than 35,000 slave voyages
that forcibly embarked over 12 million Africans for transport to the Americas between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.
UK Parliamentary Archives
Digitized records from the United Kingdom Parliament; many materials are freely accessible. Includes Hansards Debates, Parliamentary papers and reports, legislation, and more.

Victorian Popular Culture: A Portal This link opens in a new window
Featuring a wide range of source material relating to popular entertainment in America, Britain and Europe. Section I: Spiritualism, Sensation and Magic; Section II: Circuses, Sideshows and Freaks; Section III: Music Hall, Theatre and Popular Entertainment; Section IV: Moving Pictures, Optical Entertainments and the Advent of Cinema.
Women in The National Archives This link opens in a new window
Original documents on the Suffrage Question in Britain, Empire and Colonial Territories combined with a Finding aid to Women's Resources in The National Archives, UK.

Finding Primary Sources

Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window
Primary source materials in American history. Discover eyewitness accounts of historical events, vivid descriptions of daily life, editorial observations, commerce as seen through advertisements, and genealogical records through electronic versions of historical newspapers and books.
Adam Matthew Digital Explorer This link opens in a new window
Millions of pages of primary source content from the 15th-21st centuries.
African - American Newspapers : The 19th Century ( Accessible Archives ) This link opens in a new window
American Antiquarian Society Historial Periodicals Collection, 1691 - 1877 ( Series 1 - 5, all parts ) This link opens in a new window
The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), the premier library documenting the life of America's people from the Colonial Era through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Digitized images of American magazines and journals from 7,600+ periodicals with 7 million images.
American History 1493-1945 This link opens in a new window
From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York City. Module I: Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform, 1493-1859; Module II: Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era, 1860-1945.
Indigenous Histories and Cultures in North America This link opens in a new window
Sources from the Edward E. Ayer Collection at the Newberry Library, Chicago.
American State Papers, 1789 - 1838 ( HeinOnline ) This link opens in a new window
The American State Papers contain the legislative and executive documents of Congress during the period 1789 to 1838. The collection includes documents that cover the critical historical gap from 1789 to the printing of the first volume of the U.S. Serial Set in 1817.
Avalon Project This link opens in a new window
Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy (ancient through 21st century).
Born in Slavery This link opens in a new window
Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 contains more than 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery and 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves.
Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation This link opens in a new window
A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation consists of a linked set of published congressional records of the United States of America from the Continental Congress through the 43rd Congress, 1774-1875. It includes materials related to the proceedings of the Continental Congress, the federal and state conventions related to the framing and adoption of the Constitution, and the proceedings of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It also includes the Statutes at Large for 1789 to 1875; the American State Papers for 1789 to 1838; and congressional bills and resolutions for selected sessions beginning with the 6th Congress (1799) in the House of Representatives and the 16th Congress (1819) in the Senate.
Chronicling America This link opens in a new window
Historic Newspapers from 1789-1925.
Civil War Newspapers ( Accessible Archives ) This link opens in a new window
Contains major articles gleaned from over 2,500 issues of The New York Herald, The Charleston Mercury and the Richmond Enquirer, published between November 1, 1860 and April 15, 1865.
Colonial America This link opens in a new window
From The National Archives, UK. Module I: Early Settlement, Expansion and Rivalries; Module II: Towards Revolution; Module III: The American Revolution; Module IV: Legislation and Politics in the Colonies.
Digital Paxton: A Digital Archive and Critical Edition of the Paxton Pamphlet War This link opens in a new window
Features more than 1,600 open-source images. Political cartoons, manuscripts, broadsides, pamphlets, and German-language translations of pamphlets.
Digital Public Library of America ( DPLA ) This link opens in a new window
Contains more than 40 million images, texts, sounds, and multimedia objects form libraries, archives and museums in the United States. Copyright status of items vary; however, many items are public domain or available for re-use. Check the "rights" field for each item.
Documenting the American South This link opens in a new window
A publishing initiative that provides access to texts, images, and audio files related to southern history, literature, and culture.
Early American Imprints, Series I : Evans, 1639 - 1800 This link opens in a new window
Full text of books, pamphlets, broadsides and other imprints. With subjects ranging from captivity narratives to playbills to atlases to sermons to juvenile literature, this collection provides information about all aspects of American life and culture in the 17th and 18th centuries.
European Views of the Americas : 1493 to 1750 This link opens in a new window
A index of printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750. Covers the history of European exploration, portrayals of Native American peoples, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and slavery.
Everyday Life and Women In America, c1800-1920 This link opens in a new window
Materials from the Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History & Culture, Duke University and New York Public Library.
Founders Online : Correspondence and other writings of seven major shapers of the United States This link opens in a new window
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (and family), Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. Over 185,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, from the authoritative Founding Fathers Papers projects.
Frontier Life: Borderlands, Settlements and Colonial Encounters This link opens in a new window
Documents from 16 archives and libraries from around the world.
Hathi Trust This link opens in a new window
Millions of digitized items from libraries around the world.
Historic Government Publications from World War II This link opens in a new window
Contains 343 Informational pamphlets, government reports, instructions, regulations, declarations, speeches, and propaganda materials distributed by the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) during the Second World War. Digital Collection from Southern Methodist University.
J. Walter Thompson: Advertising America This link opens in a new window
From John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising and Marketing History, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University.
Jewish Life in America, c1654-1954 This link opens in a new window
Manuscript sources from the American Jewish Historical Society, New York.
Library of Congress Digital Collections This link opens in a new window
Provides free and open access to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.
New York Times Index ( 1851 - 1980 ) This link opens in a new window
To identify a pre-1980 New York Times article and obtain it for FREE, please follow these steps:
1. Use the link above to go to the New York Times Index
2. Search for articles using the search box and filters
3. After identifying an article you want, complete the ARTICLE " Request It " form
Pennsylvania Civil War Newspapers This link opens in a new window
The Civil War Collection includes newspapers, regimental histories, and diaries.
Readers Guide Retrospective ( 1890 - 1982 ) This link opens in a new window
Readers’ Guide Retrospective covers the popular press and offers full coverage of the original paper volumes for nearly 100 years.
Salem Witch Trials : Documentary Archive and Transcription Project This link opens in a new window
Documentary archive and transcription project, hosted by University of Virginia.
Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & Law ( HeinOnline ) This link opens in a new window
Contains a multitude of essential legal materials on slavery in the United States and the English-speaking world. Includes every statute passed by every colony and state on slavery, every federal statute dealing with slavery, and all reported state and federal cases on slavery.
SlaveVoyages This link opens in a new window
Information on more than 35,000 slave voyages embarking over 12 million Africans for transport to the Americas between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Teaching with Documents ( US National Archives ) This link opens in a new window
Teaching with primary documents encourages a varied learning environment for teachers and students alike. Lectures, demonstrations, analysis of documents, independent research, and group work become a gateway for research with historical records in ways that sharpen students' skills and enthusiasm for history, social studies, and the humanities.
US Congressional Serial Set, 15th - 114th Congress, 1817 - 2017 ( HeinOnline ) This link opens in a new window
Reports, documents and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, originally published in approximately 13,800 bound volume.
Virginia Company Archives This link opens in a new window
The Ferrar Papers, 1590-1790, from Magdalene College, Cambridge.
Wall Street Journal ( 1889 - 1996 ) This link opens in a new window
War of the Rebellion : A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies This link opens in a new window
The online version of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion available through Hathi Trust.

Why Primary Sources?

Video - Primary vs. Secondary Sources (created by the Minnesota History Center) 4:17 min

What is a Primary Source?

Key Words

Primary Sources - Sometimes Used in the Performing Arts

Primary Sources

Finding Primary Sources

Finding Primary Sources