Primary sources are the main source of data in the discipline of history. It is vital to learn how to access, evaluate, and incorporate them into your historical research.
| Primary Sources | Secondary Sources |
|---|---|
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| Examples: health records, meeting minutes and agendas, letters, laws, court rulings, newspapers | Examples: journal articles, encyclopedias, conference proceedings, academic books |
This section of the guide provides you with a list of common primary sources on the course topic. To identify which collection of primary sources are relevant for your research topic, consider:
The following is a non-exhaustive list of some of the key sources that should be front-of-mind when conducting any research in this area. They include:
Digital National Security Archive.
A comprehensive collection of significant primary sources on American foreign and military policy since 1945. Includes full text of over 80,000 of the most important declassified documents obtained under U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS).
The FRUS series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity.
ProQuest Congressional Digital Collection.
Provides access to material by or related to the U.S. Congress, from 1789 to the present. Includes full text of Congressional Research Service reports (1916 to present), full text of Congressional hearings (1824-2003), full text of Committee Prints (1830-2003), and full text of the Serial Set Collection with maps (1789-1969).
ProQuest Historical Newspapers.
Definitive digital archive for significant American newspapers dating back to the 18th century, including: The Washington Post (1877 to 1999), The Wall Street Journal (1889 to1999), The New York Times (1851 to 2013), The Los Angeles Times (1881 to 1992), The Hartford Courant (1764 to 1990), The Christian Science Monitor (1908 to 2003), The Chicago Tribune (1849 to 1992), The Chicago Defender (1909 to 1975), The Boston Globe (1872 to 1984), and The Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945).
Public Papers of the Presidents.
Produced by the National Archives, the papers that have been digitized are freely available on the National Archives web page. These cover the period from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama. For Jimmy Carter and earlier, users can find the hard copies via the catalogue.
Digital National Security Archive
A comprehensive collection of significant primary sources on American foreign and military policy since 1945. Includes full text of over 80,000 of the most important declassified documents obtained under U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)
The FRUS series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity.
ProQuest Congressional Digital Collection
Provides access to material by or related to the U.S. Congress, from 1789 to the present. Includes full text of Congressional Research Service reports (1916 to present), full text of Congressional hearings (1824-2003), full text of Committee Prints (1830-2003), and full text of the Serial Set Collection with maps (1789-1969).
National Security Archive (NSA)
Independent non-governmental research institute and library located at George Washington University. Combines a range of functions: investigative journalism center, research institute on international affairs, library and archive of declassified U.S. documents ("the world's largest nongovernmental collection"), leading non-profit user of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, public interest law firm defending and expanding public access to government information, and global advocate of open government.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
The Library of Congress is the official library of the U.S. Congress. It provides an array of digital collections that you can access on its website, including online exhibitions of archival and primary material.
Includes coverage from 500 U.S. newspapers, including papers published by Indigenous and Black people, women's rights groups, and the Confederacy.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports 1974-1996
Created by the U.S. intelligence community for use by policy makers and analysts, FBIS Daily Reports offer foreign views and perspectives on historical events, drawn from thousands of monitored broadcasts and publications. These comprehensive media reports include news, interviews, speeches, and editorial commentary.
Offers in-depth, award-winning, objective coverage of world events since its creation in 1785 up to 1985. It is the oldest daily newspaper in continuous publication.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers
Definitive digital archive for significant American newspapers dating back to the 18th century, including: The Washington Post (1877 to 1999), The Wall Street Journal (1889 to1999), The New York Times (1851 to 2013), The Los Angeles Times (1881 to 1992), The Hartford Courant (1764 to 1990), The Christian Science Monitor (1908 to 2003), The Chicago Tribune (1849 to 1992), The Chicago Defender (1909 to 1975), The Boston Globe (1872 to 1984), and The Atlanta Constitution (1868-1945).
Includes selective historical content dating from 1752 to 2004 for the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, the Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, and Mexico.
Early Encounters in North America: Peoples, Cultures, and the Environment
A collection of (re-keyed) primary documents related to early encounters of Indigenous, African, and European peoples and cultures in North America/Turtle Island. It includes letters, diaries, memoirs, images, and accounts of early encounters centered on present-day Canada and the United States, with some limited coverage of Mexico.
Slavery, Abolition, and Social Justice, 1490-2007
A portal to an extensive collection of digitized documents and collections related to slavery and abolition studies from libraries across the Atlantic world. Topics include: the varieties of slavery, the legacy of slavery, the social justice perspective, and the continued existence of slavery today. This resource will be released in three phases between 2007 and 2009.
Black Thought and Culture: African Americans from Colonial Times to the Present
A collection of monographs, essays, articles, speeches, and interviews written by leaders within the black community from the earliest times to the present.
Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000
A collection of documents, images, and links to other websites, covering the history of women in social movements in the United States.
North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories
A collection of personal narratives including letters, diaries, pamphlets, autobiographies, and oral histories, providing a unique and personal view of what it meant to immigrate to America and Canada.
