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What Is a Primary Source?
A primary source is direct evidence or firsthand testimony of an event or time period. Letters, manuscripts, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, photos and videos, data, and physical objects are all examples of potential primary sources.
Watch this video for a brief overview:
Search for Primary Documents in the Library Catalog
In the Library Catalog, use the Advanced Search to search Subject contains "sources" and your topic.
Websites, Databases, and Books Series
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African American History Study GuideA research guide to primary and secondary sources for African American history. From University of Washington.
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The Avalon ProjectA variety of primary documents from 4000 BCE to the modern era. From Yale University Law School.
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Digital Public Library of AmericaPrimary source collections exploring topics in history, literature, and culture developed by educators — complete with teaching guides for class use.
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DocsTeachChoose from thousands of American history primary source documents through the National Archives.
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E-Codices: Virtual Manuscript Library of SwitzerlandOffers free online access to medieval and early modern manuscripts from public and church-owned collections as well as from numerous private collections. Search by location, library, century, language, and more.
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EuroDocsLinks to online primary documents for European nations. From Brigham Young University.
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Eyewitness to History.comHas primary source excerpts and explanatory text. Divided by time period and event. Search box in upper right.
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Fordham University - Ancient History SourcebookFull-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 religion, daily life, art, gender, historical/political period), or use the search box to look for documents with a specific term or name (e.g., gladiators).
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Fordham University - Medieval History SourcebookThis is an online source book of copy-permitted, primary source material for Medieval Studies. It is the largest online resource of medieval and Byzantine textual sources.
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Getty Search GatewayBringing the vast, ever-expanding Getty resources to researchers, scholars and educators. Enjoy your exploration.
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NewsreelsNewsreels from the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
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New York Public Library Digital CollectionsExplore 912,579 items digitized from The New York Public Library's collections. This site is a living database with new materials added every day, featuring prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more.
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NOVA Guide: World HistoryOnline sources for primary documents relating to world history. From NOVA Libraries. Sources may require NOVA login.
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Perseus Digital LibraryIncludes Greek, Roman and Renaissance materials. From Tufts University.
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World History SourcesBrowse by region or time period, or type your topic in the Search box. When viewing results of your search, the "F" icon represents primary source documents. From George Mason University.
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African Americans and Jim Crow: Repression and Protest, 1883-1922 (Readex) This link opens in a new windowThis collection offers +1,000 fully searchable books, pamphlets, and speeches from the beginning of Jim Crow to post-World War I that provide insights into African American culture and life during this period of segregation and disenfranchisement. Topics include African American identity, relationships with peoples of other nations, and literature. (VIVA)
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African Americans and Reconstruction: Hope and Struggle, 1865-1883 (Readex) This link opens in a new windowThis collection offers roughly 1,400 fully searchable printed works, books, pamphlets, and speeches from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of Jim Crow. It includes documents related to African Americans and citizenship, voting rights, literacy, land rights, employment, and more, including the gaps between written law and practice. (VIVA)
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Daily Life through History This link opens in a new windowA comprehensive, cross-disciplinary resource of social history from ancient times to the present including books, articles, images, maps, primary documents, and more; exploring how others lived and live their lives, and how their lives shaped ours. Full-text. (NVCC)
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Indigenous Peoples of North America (Gale Primary Sources) This link opens in a new windowA collection of manuscripts, monographs, newspapers, photographs, motion pictures, images of artwork, and more that increase understanding of the historical experiences, cultural traditions and innovations, and political status of Indigenous Peoples in the United States and Canada. (VIVA)
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Oxford African American Studies Center This link opens in a new windowOver 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)
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U.S. History (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new windowIncludes U.S. History reference articles, periodical articles, images, and primary documents. (NVCC)
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World History (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new windowIncludes world history reference articles, periodical articles, historical maps, primary documents, audio and video. (NVCC)
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World History Modern Era This link opens in a new windowCovers a broad range of modern history topics in depth, includes images, videos and provides easy-to-navigate access to authoritative information for research purposes.
Click on a link to see a list of titles in each series, all available through NOVA Libraries. Topics range from "Daily Life of Pirates" to "Voices from Ancient Egypt" to "The Abolitionist Movement" and everything in between. Requires NOVA login.
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Crossroads in World History (Book Series)Includes background info with citations. Alphabetical index, topical index, timeline. Speeches & manifestos, memos, notes, testimony.
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Daily Life (Book Series)Each document in the series (laws, political notes, religious rituals, letters) is supported by a brief intro and some commentary.
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Defining Documents (Book Series)Each document in the series (journal entries, letters, speeches, laws) is supported by a critical essay including an overview, biography, and themes.
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Documents Decoded (Book Series)Primary documents in this series include annotated speeches, letters, and interviews.
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Milestone Documents (Book Series)Primary documents in this series include detailed overview, analysis, and glossary.
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Pages from History (Book Series)Documents in this series include images (cartoons, drawings, photos); songs and poems; and articles and speeches, arranged in chronological order, with running commentary and analysis throughout.
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Voices of an Era (Book Series)Letters, journal entries, published articles, and speeches. Each document includes an introduction, definitions, analysis questions, and endnotes for further reading.