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Primary Sources
In general, a primary source is first-hand or contemporary account created by participants or observers with a direct connection to an event. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Letters, diaries, interviews
- Government documents or legal texts
- Newspaper articles offering first-hand accounts
- Speeches, poems, songs, artwork
- Sound or video recordings
- Data sets
Secondary Sources
A secondary source was created by someone who did not experience an event first-hand. They will often use multiple primary sources in conjunction with historical perspective or commentary to add interpretation and analysis about an event. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Textbooks
- Journal articles
- Encyclopedias
- Academic and research books
- Documentaries
AAS Historical Periodicals 
Search nearly 8,000 full text historical magazines, newspapers, and journals in this collection from the American Antiquarian Society (AAS).
Dates covered: 1684-1912.
Search nearly 8,000 full text historical magazines, newspapers, and journals in this collection from the American Antiquarian Society (AAS).
Dates covered: 1684-1912.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers 
Chronicling America provides access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages, and is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC), is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers with descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages.
Dates currently covered: 1836-1922
Chronicling America provides access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages, and is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC), is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers with descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages.
Dates currently covered: 1836-1922
African-American Archive : the history of the Black experience in documents
Print Location: REF E184.6 .A33 2001
Featuring letters, articles, pamphlets and papers of all kinds, every important document is here-the Emancipation Proclamation, the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech and-along with scores of enlightening personal documents-harrowing accounts from slaves who suffered the passage from Africa, letters from black soldiers in the Civil War, journal entries from civil rights workers in the '60s and Louis Farrakhan's speech at the 1995 Million Man March. Arranged chronologically.
Print Location: REF E184.6 .A33 2001
Featuring letters, articles, pamphlets and papers of all kinds, every important document is here-the Emancipation Proclamation, the Brown vs. Board of Education decision, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech and-along with scores of enlightening personal documents-harrowing accounts from slaves who suffered the passage from Africa, letters from black soldiers in the Civil War, journal entries from civil rights workers in the '60s and Louis Farrakhan's speech at the 1995 Million Man March. Arranged chronologically.
American Decades Primary Sources
Print Location: REF E169.12 .A472
Contains over 2,000 primary sources on 20th-century American history and culture, featuring 75 different types of sources arranged chronologically in twelve categories, including the arts, education, government and politics, media, medicine and health, religion, and sports.
Print Location: REF E169.12 .A472
Contains over 2,000 primary sources on 20th-century American history and culture, featuring 75 different types of sources arranged chronologically in twelve categories, including the arts, education, government and politics, media, medicine and health, religion, and sports.
Annals of America
Print Location: REF E173 .A793
Contains primary source documents from 1493 to 1986.
Print Location: REF E173 .A793
Contains primary source documents from 1493 to 1986.
ArchiveGrid
ArchiveGrid provides access to detailed archival collection descriptions, making information available about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and other archival materials. It also provides contact information for the institutions where the collections are kept.
ArchiveGrid provides access to detailed archival collection descriptions, making information available about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and other archival materials. It also provides contact information for the institutions where the collections are kept.
Avalon Project
This digital archive compiled by the Yale University Law Library contains primary source documents in law, history, and diplomacy.
This digital archive compiled by the Yale University Law Library contains primary source documents in law, history, and diplomacy.
Black Thought and Culture
Black Thought and Culture is a landmark electronic collection of approximately 100,000 pages of non-fiction writings by major American black leaders--teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other figures--covering 250 years of history.
Black Thought and Culture is a landmark electronic collection of approximately 100,000 pages of non-fiction writings by major American black leaders--teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other figures--covering 250 years of history.
Chronicling Illinois
Chronicling Illinois showcases collections and items from the vast Illinois history holdings of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.
Chronicling Illinois showcases collections and items from the vast Illinois history holdings of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.
Digital Public Library of America 
The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. DPLA aims to expand the realm of openly available materials, and make those riches more easily discovered and more widely usable and used. You can search, explore by place, and explore by date.
The Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. DPLA aims to expand the realm of openly available materials, and make those riches more easily discovered and more widely usable and used. You can search, explore by place, and explore by date.
EuroDocs
This website compiles a list of European primary sources. Documents are facsimiles, or transcriptions of the original.
This website compiles a list of European primary sources. Documents are facsimiles, or transcriptions of the original.
Library of Congress Manuscript Collections
The Manuscript Division's holdings, approximately sixty million items in eleven thousand separate collections, include some of the greatest manuscript treasures of American history and culture and support scholarly research in many aspects of political, cultural, and scientific history. Materials include Frederick Douglass papers, Thomas Jefferson papers, James Madison papers, and slave narratives, among many others.
The Manuscript Division's holdings, approximately sixty million items in eleven thousand separate collections, include some of the greatest manuscript treasures of American history and culture and support scholarly research in many aspects of political, cultural, and scientific history. Materials include Frederick Douglass papers, Thomas Jefferson papers, James Madison papers, and slave narratives, among many others.
Making of America
The Making of America collection is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
The Making of America collection is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Those records are preserved and are available to the public, whether to see if they contain clues about a family's history, need to prove a veteran's military service, or are researching an historical topic.
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the nation's record keeper. Those records are preserved and are available to the public, whether to see if they contain clues about a family's history, need to prove a veteran's military service, or are researching an historical topic.
Uncovering Chicago Archives Project
Provides open public access to online finding aids for hundreds of archival collections documenting a wide range of topics, time periods, and geographical areas. Researchers can find primary archival sources on African American history and culture, theater, jazz, urban sociology, journalism, Native Americans, modern poetry, anthropology, African studies, literature, criminology and legal studies, art and photography, medical history, and the Manhattan Project, among many other subjects.
Provides open public access to online finding aids for hundreds of archival collections documenting a wide range of topics, time periods, and geographical areas. Researchers can find primary archival sources on African American history and culture, theater, jazz, urban sociology, journalism, Native Americans, modern poetry, anthropology, African studies, literature, criminology and legal studies, art and photography, medical history, and the Manhattan Project, among many other subjects.
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 brings together primary documents, books, images, scholarly essays, book reviews, Web site reviews, and teaching tools, all documenting the multiplicity of women’s activism in public life.
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 brings together primary documents, books, images, scholarly essays, book reviews, Web site reviews, and teaching tools, all documenting the multiplicity of women’s activism in public life.
David Rumsey Map Collection
The David Rumsey historical map collection has over 60,000 maps and images online. The collection includes rare 16th through 20th century North American and South American maps and other cartographic materials. Historic maps of the World, Europe, Asia, and Africa are also represented.
The David Rumsey historical map collection has over 60,000 maps and images online. The collection includes rare 16th through 20th century North American and South American maps and other cartographic materials. Historic maps of the World, Europe, Asia, and Africa are also represented.
Library of Congress Prints & Photographs
The collections of the Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress include photographs, fine and popular prints and drawings, posters, and architectural and engineering drawings. While international in scope, the collections are particularly rich in materials produced in, or documenting the history of, the United States and the lives, interests and achievements of the American people.
The collections of the Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress include photographs, fine and popular prints and drawings, posters, and architectural and engineering drawings. While international in scope, the collections are particularly rich in materials produced in, or documenting the history of, the United States and the lives, interests and achievements of the American people.
New York Public Library (NYPL) Digital Gallery
NYPL's Digital Gallery provides free and open access to over 800,000 images digitized from the The New York Public Library's vast collections, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs and more.
NYPL's Digital Gallery provides free and open access to over 800,000 images digitized from the The New York Public Library's vast collections, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs and more.
National Jukebox
The Library of Congress presents the National Jukebox, which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. The Jukebox includes recordings from the extraordinary collections of the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation and other contributing libraries and archives.
The Library of Congress presents the National Jukebox, which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. The Jukebox includes recordings from the extraordinary collections of the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation and other contributing libraries and archives.
American Archive of Public Broadcasting
A project of the Library of Congress and WGBH in Boston, the American Archive preserves public television and radio broadcasts dating from the 1940s to the present. Many programs are available for free online use.
A project of the Library of Congress and WGBH in Boston, the American Archive preserves public television and radio broadcasts dating from the 1940s to the present. Many programs are available for free online use.
Associated Press video archive
The film and video archive of The Associated Press -- the world's largest and oldest news agency -- viewable on YouTube.
The film and video archive of The Associated Press -- the world's largest and oldest news agency -- viewable on YouTube.
British Pathé Film Archive
British Pathé is one of the oldest media companies in the world and has accumulated over 90,000 videos of events presented in newsreels, cinemagazines, and documentaries from 1910 until 1976. Viewers can comment, share and embed the historic videos, which are available to the public via YouTube.
British Pathé is one of the oldest media companies in the world and has accumulated over 90,000 videos of events presented in newsreels, cinemagazines, and documentaries from 1910 until 1976. Viewers can comment, share and embed the historic videos, which are available to the public via YouTube.
C-SPAN
The C-SPAN cable network makes its U.S. history and government-related programming available on its website. Some programs also have transcripts available. Coverage: 1987 to present.
The C-SPAN cable network makes its U.S. history and government-related programming available on its website. Some programs also have transcripts available. Coverage: 1987 to present.
Internet Archive Moving Image Archive
This library of free movies, films, and videos contains over a million digital movies which range from classic full-length films, to daily alternative news broadcasts, to cartoons and concerts. Many of the videos are available for free download.
This library of free movies, films, and videos contains over a million digital movies which range from classic full-length films, to daily alternative news broadcasts, to cartoons and concerts. Many of the videos are available for free download.