Primary vs. Secondary Sources (History Videos)
Using Primary Sources for History Assignments
Below are some examples of primary source types that work particularly well with history classes. Remember that all of these would be *from the time period being studied*:
- Diaries and journals
- Letters and memos
- Oral History
- Film
- Speeches and interviews
- Government documents such as laws, court cases, legislative proceedings, etc.
- Newspapers, pamphlets, advertisements
- Autobiography and memoir
- Photographs
- Art and literary works
- Maps
- Songs & Music
Recommended Web Sites for Finding and Using Historical Primary Sources
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History Matters: Making Sense of EvidenceGeorge Mason University
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EurodocsBrigham Young University
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Internet History Sourcebooks Project (Home)Fordham University
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World History SourcesGeorge Mason University
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Hanover Historical Texts ProjectHanover College
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Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History and DiplomacyYale University
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American Memory - Mission and HistoryInformation relating to the American experience - documents, photographs, sound recordings, prints, maps, sheet music, etc. from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions.
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Chronicling America: Historic American NewspapersLibrary of Congress
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Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & LawCollection of legal materials on slavery in the United States and England, including statutes and case law from the colonial, state and federal level.
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Civil War in the American SouthAssociation of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)
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Founders OnlineNational Archives
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Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & LawCollection of legal materials on slavery in the United States and England, including statutes and case law from the colonial, state and federal level.
Questions to Ask Yourself About Primary Sources
- When and where was it created?
- Who created it, and for what purpose?
- Who was the intended audience?
- What was happening during the time period in which it was created?
- What biases do you see?
- What insight does it give you on the time period or historical event being studied? How does it reflect the time in which it was produced?
Recommended Databases
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America's Historical NewspapersComplete editions from hundreds of US newspapers providing primary source content covering eras such as the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, Roaring Twenties, Great Depression, World War II, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, Information Age and more.
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Black Life in AmericaThe experience and impact of African Americans as recorded by the news media.
Book Collections of Primary Sources
Milestone Documents in African American History
This set covers 125 iconic primary documents from the 1600s to the present.
Milestone Documents in World History
Combining full-text primary sources with in-depth expert analysis, the 125 entries in the 4-volume set cover important and influential primary source documents from the third millennium BCE to the twenty-first century.
Milestone Documents of American Leaders, Revised Edition
Here, the lives of notable Americans are illuminated through an in-depth study of primary source texts that made them exceptional. .
American Decades: Primary Sources
Each "Primary Sources volume covers a decade in American history ,amplifying and illuminating the decade with first-hand accounts and other primary source documentation.
American Speeches
A historian and former presidential speechwriter presents an unprecedented two-volume collection of the greatest speeches in American history.
Tips for Finding More Books
When searching our catalog for books and media, combine a relevant search term with a "primary source" term, such as diaries, correspondence, personal narratives, or speeches:
Examples:
- To find Diaries: civil war diaries
- To find Letters: african americans correspondence
- To find Memoirs: Vietnam War personal narratives
- To find Speeches: Jimmy Carter speeches