Primary+Sources

Primary Source
 * Raw materials of history — original documents and objects which were created at the time under study. (Library of Congress)



Secondary Source
 * Accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience. (Library of Congress)



[|Primary Source Powerpoint] Powerpoint explaning the difference between primary and secondary sources and giving examples of various primary sources.

TIP 1
 * Make sure to do some background research on your topic (using secondary sources) before searching for primary sources relating to it. Once you get a basic understanding of your topic, you will have a better idea of what types of primary sources to look for and what keywords to use when doing so.

TIP 2 Use the following terms, along with your person or event, when searching for primary sources: letters, notes, speeches, obituary, journal, memo, telegram, article, personal papers, primary sources (i.e. "Andrew Carnegie" and speeches)

[|Primary Sources: What are they?] This site comes courtesy of Lafayette College Library and gives a great definition of a primary source within each discipline (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences). It also provides wonderful examples by discipline.

The following links are provided by Library of Congress and were primarily created for teachers but will also be helpful to students: [|Using Primary Sources] [|Why use primary sources?] [|Citing Primary Sources] [|Finding Primary Sources]

[|BMCC Library: Primary & Secondary Sources] - includes wonderful examples of both primary and secondary sources

__**PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS IN OUR DATABASES**__ [|American Government] - select "Advanced Search" - under "Library" - Media __or__ Documents

[|Biography in Context] - once you search a topic, click "Images" or "Primary Sources" tab - click "Advanced Search" and select "Document Type" in box

[|Britannica Imagequest] - enter topic in search box (i.e. "titanic") - see left-hand column for "primary sources"

[|CultureGrams] - select country and in right-hand column select "Photo Gallery" - "Video Gallery" - "Interviews"

[|Daily Life Through History] - select "Advanced Search" - under "Library" - Media __or__ Documents

[|Issues and Controversies] - go to "Advanced Search" and under "Article/Media Type" select "Primary Sources"

[|Pop Culture Universe] - select "Advanced Search" - under "Library" - Media __or__ Documents

[|Proquest Historical Newspapers] - search The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Christian Science Monitor back to 1851

[|SIRS Issues Researcher] - select topic and look in left-hand column for "primary sources"

[|Student Resources in Context] - once you search a topic, click "Images" or "Primary Sources" tab - click "Advanced Search" and select "Document Type" in box

[|World Geography] - select "Advanced Search" - under "Library" - Media __or__ Documents

[|World History: Modern Era] - select "Advanced Search" - under "Library" - Media __or__ Documents

[|World Religions] - select "Advanced Search" - under "Library" - Media or Documents

[|Defining Documents in American History - WWI, WWII, 1920s]

[|Milestone Documents in American History]

__** Newspapers **__: [|Newseum] - Today's Front Pages - front pages from dozens of newspapers across the nation. [|Chronicling America] - America's historic newspaper pages from 1789 - 1924. [|Black Quotidian] - Everyday history in African-American newspapers. [|Elephind] - 3566 historic newspaper titles [|Historical Newspapers Online] - Listing of hundreds of publicly available historic newspapers from the 18th through the 20th centuries.
 * __PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS ON THE INTERNET__**

__** Advertisements/Posters **__: [|Vintage Ad Browser] - 100,000+ vintage advertisements to explore [|Vintage Movie Posters] - 10 different categories including sports, movie, travel, etc.
 * [|Duke University Library: Digital Collections: Ad Access]**
 * -** presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955. Ad*Access concentrates on five main subject areas: Radio, Television, Transportation, Beauty and Hygiene, and World War II.

__** Songs/Music **__:
 * [|National Jukebox]**
 * - Historical songs from the Library of Congress**

[|Lists of Note] - examples of notable lists through the years
 * __ Letters __**:
 * [|Letters of Note]**
 * - contains digital copies of historic handwritten notes along with a transcript of each**

__** Speeches/Audio **__: [|Gifts of Speech] - Women's speeches from around the world [|50 Incredible Historical Speeches] [|Speeches of Note] - history's most compelling speeches
 * [|Archer Audio Archives: Presidential Speeches]**
 * - includes various presidential speeches from presidents of the 20th and 21st centuries.**
 * [|Archer Audio Archives: Headlines and Audio from each decade of the 1900s]**

__** Photos/Images **__:
 * [|Life Magazine]**
 * - Search millions of photographs from the LIFE photo archives, stretching from the 1750s to today.**
 * [|Picturing America]**
 * - Paintings, sculptures, photography, architecture, and fine crafts showcasing our nation's artistic heritage.**

__** Teaching History **__: [|Smithsonian Source: Resources for Teaching American History] [|Teaching History] - includes resources and materials for K-12 history teachers [|Teaching History with 100 Objects] - 100 objects from museums across the UK

[|The Library of Congress: American Memory Collection] - American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. [|The National Archives] - The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is our nation's record keeper. [|National Archives: Digital Vault] - contains various images and primary source documents [|Milestone Documents in American History] - comprehensive source for the most important documents in the shaping of American society from the Revolution to the 21st century.
 * __ Historical and Comprehensive __**:
 * [|Docs Teach]***
 * - contains 3000+ primary source materials including written documents, images, maps, charts, graphs, audio and video**
 * [|The Avalon Project]***
 * - contains digital documents relevant to the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government, including links to supporting documents referred to in the text.**
 * [|Internet Modern History Sourcebook]***
 * - select a time period/topic from the left-hand column.**
 * [|Digital History]***
 * - high-quality historical resources including historical music and other multimedia.**
 * [|AMDOCS: Documents for the Study of American History] - (CHRONOLOGICAL)***
 * - primary source documents documenting America's history from 800 - 2005.**
 * [|Eyewitness to History]***
 * - History from the Ancient World to present day through the eyes of those who lived it. Includes images, audio and video.**
 * [|American Rhetoric]**
 * - Database of and index to 5000+ full text, audio and video versions of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews, other recorded media events, and a declaration or two. **
 * [|A Chronology of US Historical Documents]**
 * - Documents from the Magna Carta to the 2010 State of the Union Address.**

__** Supreme Court **__ [|PBS: Supreme Court]  - Search for landmark Supreme Court cases   [|OYEZ: U.S. Supreme Court Media]   - Search past Supreme Court cases/decisions.

[|Eurodocs] - online sources for European history


 * [|Digital Public Library of America] - Primary Source Sets**
 * - each set contains a topic overview, 10-15 primary sources, and links to related resources**


 * [|Shakespeare Documented]**
 * - largest and most authoritative collection of primary source materials documenting the life of William Shakespeare (1564-1616)**


 * [|Umbra Search - African American History]**
 * - 519,264 items from more than 1,000 U.S. archives, libraries and museums**


 * [|Awesome Stories]**
 * - contains primary sources for disasters, history, philosophy, famous trials, biographies, sports and the arts**

[|Spartacus Educational] - information on British and American History as well as the First and Second World Wars.

[|National History Day: Research Central: Primary Source Documents] - contains U.S. History Primary Sources, World History Primary Sources, Photos, Maps, Images and Music

[|U.S. Department of State: Office of the Historian] - contains documents from Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford Administrations

[|Smithsonian: Documents Gallery] - Check the past and upcoming "Exhibitions" for a variety of primary source materials.

[|Menlo School Primary Source Links] - Several sites containing historical primary source documents.

[|So Just: A Primary Source History of Social Justice] - Collection of historic speeches, songs, poetry, and essays on human rights and social justice.

[|Our Documents] - 100 milestone documents of American history.

[|Women Working: 1800-1930] - a digital exploration of woman's impact on the economic life of the United States between 1800 and the Great Depression.

[|American Centuries: View from New England] - features a digital collection of approximately 2000 objects and transcribed document pages from Memorial Hall Museum and Library

[|Calisphere] - digital collections from the State of California including 400,000 images, texts, and recordings.