LibGuides: World History & Civilizations: Primary Sources

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Primary sources are documents or objects created by participants or witnesses at the time of an event.

Examples of primary sources: diaries, interviews, autobiographies, government documents, speeches, photographs, and artifacts, such as pottery.

Need help citing primary sources in Chicago Style? Watch these video tutorials!

Fordham University Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Full-text primary documents ranging from ancient to modern times. Use the menu to browse for documents for specific times, regions, and sub-topics (such as women or science), or use the search box to look for documents with a specific term or name (e.g., gladiators).
The Avalon Project
A variety of primary documents from 4000 BCE to the modern era. From Yale University Law School.
Perseus Digital Library
Includes Greek, Roman and Renaissance materials. From Tufts University.
World History Encyclopedia: Primary Sources
EuroDocs
Links to online primary documents for European nations. From Brigham Young University.

World History (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new window
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Includes world history reference articles, periodical articles, historical maps, primary documents, audio and video. After you search for your topic, select PRIMARY SOURCES as the content type.
World History Modern Era This link opens in a new window
After you search for your topic, FILTER to "Documents".
Daily Life through History This link opens in a new window
After you search for your topic, FILTER to "Documents".

Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new window
Over 8,000 articles by top scholars that focus on the lives and events which have shaped African American history and culture. Also includes images and primary sources. (NVCC)

In Google, search for "primary sources" and your topic.

You could also try "primary documents" or "digital collection" or "digital library" in addition to "primary sources".

Type in "primary sources" and your topic. For example:

primary sources egypt