Examples of Primary Sources
Diaries, Memoirs, and Autobiographies
Narratives
Speeches
Interviews and Oral history transcripts or tapes
Letters
Images
Newspaper/Magazine Articles (written at the time studied)
Artifacts
Government Information
Maps
Advice on Searching for Primary Sources
You will get limited results if you try a subject search for "primary sources" in library databases since the Library of Congress does not use that subject heading. Try searching these subject headings instead:
sources
personal narratives
documents
speeches
memoirs
You will get limited results searching for the word "autobiography" since the Library of Congress does not use that subject heading. Try searching for "biography" but then look to make sure that the author is also listed as a subject. That is your clue that the person is writing about him or herself, and that is a primary source.
Major Collections of Primary Sources
Search the Catalog
Try an Advanced Search in QUICKSearch to find collections of primary documents:
Enter a keyword in the first search box (country, event, historical figure). Enter sources in the second search box and change dropdown to SU Subject Terms.
Try this same method with sources, personal narratives, memoirs, documents, correspondence, statistics.
Also, try this search in worldcat.org to find primary sources held by other libraries.
- HathiTrust Digital Library (Global Public Domain only)The HathiTrust Digital Library brings together the immense collections of partner institutions in digital form, preserving them securely to be accessed and used today, and in future generations. You can search and access fully viewable materials in HathiTrust, and download materials where there are no third-party restrictions (~26% of the collection is in the public domain).
Ancient History
- Internet Ancient History SourcebookThis web page organized by Fordham University provides links to web pages with English translations of ancient texts.
Medieval History
- Internet Medieval SourcebookThis web page organized by Fordham University provides links to web pages with Medieval and Byzantine texts.
Pre-18th Century Primary Sources
- Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & LawThis HeinOnline collection brings together a multitude of essential legal materials on slavery in the United States and the English-speaking world. This 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. The cases go into the 20th century, because long after slavery was ended, there were still court cases based on issues emanating from slavery.
18th Century Primary Sources
19th Century Primary Sources
20th Century Primary Sources
- United Nations - Official DocumentsOfficial United Nations documentation. The OD System mainly contains parliamentary documents. Coverage beginning in 1993, but older documents are being added daily.
- Internet Modern History SourcebookThis web page organized by Fordham University provides links to web pages with primary sources from modern European, American, and Latin American history, as well as a significant amount of material pertinent to world cultures and global studies.
- Citizens Council Newspaper, 1955-1961Newspaper published by white supremacist groups in the US south.
