LibGuides: Siperstein Library: Primary Sources

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Welcome to our primary sources resource page. Here you will learn how to differentiate between primary and secondary sources, see where you can access primary sources, and even test your primary source vs secondary source skills.

Ms. Friedlander's Primary Research Tips!

Make sure you are well versed in your topic before you begin your primary research!
Sometimes secondary sources can lead you right to a primary source. Example: an article about the Cuban Missile Crisis (secondary) references a presidential speech. Find the text of the speech and you've found a primary source!
We usually don't recommend Google for academic research, but sometimes it can be helpful for primary research. Try googling a topic keyword + "papers" or "archive" --you can turn up some great results. For example, you can find primary documents by googling "President Roosevelt" and "papers".
How do you know if your primary source is reliable? Stick to items found in archives like The National Archive or the Library of Congress, or a university library. Museums often have digital collections that can be really helpful.

Museums and Archives are great places to look for primary resources!

National Archives - Home Page
The National Archives contains an astounding number of resources, many of which contain primary sources. While content-rich, the website is easy to navigate and use.
DOCSTeach - The online tool for teaching from the National Archives
Contains thousands of primary sources for use in classroom activities courtesy of the National Archives.
National Archives-World War II Collection
Large collection of American World War II records/primary sources.
National Archives-World War I Collection
Large collection of American World War I records/primary sources.
National Archives - Vietnam War
The National Archives has a wealth of records and information documenting the U.S. experience in the Vietnam conflict. These include photographs, textual and electronic records, audiovisual recordings, exhibits, educational resources, articles, blog posts, lectures, and events.
National Archives - Online Veterans and Military Documents
While most of our holdings are not online, a variety of military records, from photos to documents to searchable databases are available. [Included] are online collections of specific interest to veterans, their families and researchers.

The Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley
The primary special collections library at UC Berkeley, the Bancroft Library has a number of themed digital collections, each containing manuscripts, rare books, or images (primary sources).
Georgia Historical Society
Contains a wealth of documents and images related to the history of Georgia.
The South Caroliniana Library
Digitized collections of documents and images focusing on the history of South Carolina. (provided by Mr. Reese's alma mater!)

Documenting the American South at UNC Chapel Hill
A wonderful resource for finding primary sources relating to southern history and heritage. The collection is made available through the UNC Chapel Hill Library. (One of Mr. Reese's favorite collections)
American Memory Project of the Library of Congress
Tool that allows you to easily browse LoC collections of American history and culture.
African American Registry
The most comprehensive on-line database resource of African American heritage in the world.

The Avalon Project of Yale University
The Avalon Project contains a large collection of primary sources focused on the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government. Organized by historical era, the collections contains documents from 250 B.C. to present times.
National Security Archives at George Washington University
Contains declassified government documents that have been digitized by the GW librarians.

Library of Congress Digital Collections
As the largest library in the world, the Library of Congress has a vast amount of digital resources, available to the public for free. A really easy to use database, this is the first place you should go when doing research.

Collections Search Center at the Smithsonian Institute
Collection of primary source documents and images spanning the fields of art, history, technology, and more.

Life Magazine Photo Archive
Hosted by Google, this collection of images from Life Magazine contains thousands of photographs, ranging from 1861-1979. Contains images of historical events, famous people, and more, all of which clearly state the source of the image.

African American Registry
The most comprehensive on-line database resource of African American heritage in the world.
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database
Contains information on almost 36,000 slaving voyages. The site is made up of 3 databases: the voyages database, examining estimates of the slave trade and the African names database. Many universities, including Emory and Harvard, sponsor the site.

The New York Public Library Archives & Manuscripts
Large collection of resources for many subject areas.

Excellent Primary Source Databases

Library of Congress Digital Collections

The Library of Congress Digital Collections has a series of digital primary sources on a variety of topics.

No username or password needed to use the site.

World Digital Library

World Digital Library comes from the Library of Congress and includes a variety of cultural heritage materials.

No username or password is needed to use the site.

Accessible Archives

Accessible Archives includes a variety of newspapers from the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s.

Username: spp

Password: 2016!

The Avalon Project

The Avalon Project comes to you from Yale Law School and includes a collection of legal, historical, and diplomatic documents form ancient times to the 21st century.

No username or password is needed to use the site.

Times Machine

The New York Times Times Machine allows you to look at past paper editions of the NYT.

To access, please click nytimes.com/passes and follow the instructions.

Statista

Statista includes a large collection of data and reports on a variety of topics.

No username and password required

Old Maps Online

Old Maps Online is an interactive repository of maps from a wide variety of time periods and locations. No password needed!

Internet History Sourcebooks

No login or password Needed

Internet History Sourcebooks is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts for educational use. Primary sources are available here primarily for use in high-school and university/college courses.-from Internet History Source Book Page.

Project Gutenberg

Access to free ebooks that are no longer under copyright.

Selecting and using primary sources

Georgetown Library-What are Primary Sources?
Using primary sources in your writing

Georgetown Library-what are primary sources?
A great page that explains what a primary source is and gives a variety of examples across different disciplines