"Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects which were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience."
Examples of Primary Sources
Examples of Primary Sources
NOTE: Most CRLS databases contain primary sources. The following databases specialize in primary sources and contain large collections of archival materials on various subject areas.
JSTOR**
Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket
"The Museum of African American History is New England’s largest museum dedicated to preserving, conserving and interpreting the contributions of African Americans."
Massachusetts Historical Society
Gilderman Lehrman Institute of American History:
Hanover Historical Texts Project
Internet Modern History Sourcebook:
Library of Congress, American Memory Project:
Library of Congress, Primary Documents in American History:
Library of Congress, Chronicling America:
National Archives DOCS Teach: Primary Sources:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Colonial and Early America (LOC):
Mr. Lincoln's Virtual Library:
Documenting the American South:
The Papers of Jefferson Davis:
Miller Center: U.S. Depression, FDR, and the New Deal:
Robert G. Vincent Voice Library: