Primary sources are materials created at the time of the topic you are researching, or by an eyewitness to the topic. Primary sources enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an historical event or time period. They are not commentary about your topic, but are the topic you are commenting about.
Watch this brief video for help differentiating between primary and secondary sources:
There are certain words that appear in the subject headings of items in the library catalog that constitute primary sources. The term used most frequently is sources, but there are others. To identify primary sources in the library catalog, follow these steps:
1. Go to Advanced Search
2. Enter your keyword(s) in the first search box, leaving "Anywhere" in the dropdown box
3. Enter the word sources in the next search box, and select "Subject Heading" from the dropdown box
You'll notice that sources appears in the subject headings section of each item in your results list, indicating the presence or inclusion of primary sources in that item. Depending on the period being studied, it can also be helpful to limit your search by publication date.
Other search terms that might help you find primary sources include:
NOTE: This is just a tip - it will NOT always give you results.
Search for a specific primary source by title, using quotation marks.
Example: "Woodrow Wilson's 14 Points"
Search for your topic by keyword in conjunction with the term primary source.
Example: Woodrow Wilson primary source
Use an Advanced search in Google to limit search results by a specific domain (.edu, .gov, etc.). See our Google guide for help.
For more information on finding primary sources on the web, see the online guide maintained by the History Section of RUSA (a division of the American Library Association):
Colonial America (1606-1822) consists of all 1,450 volumes of the CO 5 series of Colonial Office files held at The National Archives in London, plus all extracted documents associated with them. This unique collection of largely manuscript material from the archives of the British government is invaluable for students and researchers of all aspects of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century American history and the early-modern Atlantic world.
"Settlement, Slavery, and Empire, 1624-1832" module stretches from the turbulent years of early British settlement to the rise of the abolition movement, amongst the fierce rivalries with the Spanish, Danish, French and Dutch in the Caribbean region. It makes available materials from 27 Colonial Office file classes from The National Archives UK, and includes administrative documentation, trade and shipping records, minutes of council meetings, details of plantation life, colonial settlement, imperial rivalries across the region, and the growing concern of absentee landlords.
Databases: (Note: you must be in the library to access these electronic resources)
Print, Microfilm, & Internet Sites:
Note: You must be in the library to access electronic resources.
The History Section of RUSA (a division of the American Library Association) maintains an extensive list of primary sources:
Remember to check the Primary Sources tabs on the various History research guides.
Web Sites & Digital Collections:
The following are a select group of titles available in print. Additional titles can be identified by searching the library catalog.
American Diaries. 2 vols. 1983. [Ref. CT 214 A75]
American Women's Diaries - Southern Women. [MF 1104]
Dictionary of Historic Documents. 1991. [Ref. D 9 K63 1991]
Documents of American History. 2 vols. 1988. [Ref. E 173 D59 1988]
Historic Documents.1972-1990 [Ref. E 839.5 H57]
Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America, 1776-1949. [Doc. S 9.12:2]
Women's Diaries, Journals, and Letters: An Annotated Bibliography. 1989. [Ref. CT 3230 C5 1989]