LibGuides: History: Primary Documents

Primary Resources

American Decades: Primary Sources (1900-1999)
Search for primary sources by decade and theme.

Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new window
Choose “Documents.”
Civil War Era This link opens in a new window
Includes the full text of 13 newspapers from 8 different states published between 1840 and 1865. Every issue of each title includes the complete paper, cover-to-cover, with full-page and article images in easily downloadable PDF format.
HarpWeek This link opens in a new window
(1857-1912) Full-image reproductions of Harper's Weekly, an important weekly magazine read by Americans during the 19th century
Historical New York Times This link opens in a new window
The full-text of the New York Times from its first issue in 1851. Images of the actual texts of articles and of the full page on which the articles appear are presented. Has a two year lag from the present.
Periodical Archive Online This link opens in a new window
Offers full-text backfiles of over 400 humanities and social sciences journals.
Primary Search & Primary Search Reference eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
Select “Publications,” and see complete list of documents
Salem Press Online This link opens in a new window
Milestone Documents: American History; American Leaders
Sixties: Primary Documents and Personal Narratives This link opens in a new window
Searchable database that documents the key events and movements in 1960s America. Contains letters, diaries, and oral histories, posters, broadsides, pamphlets, advertisements, and audio and video materials. Also includes analysis and interpretive essays by leading historians.
Women and Social Movements This link opens in a new window
Choose “Documents". Coverage: 1600-2000.
Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970: Illinois This link opens in a new window
This unique collection of maps was originally created to help fire insurance companies determine the risks associated with insuring properties. Because the maps were created over a century, they are useful in charting the development of cities and towns over many years. Encompasses most towns and cities in Illinois and is valuable to genealogists, local historians, city planners, environmentalists, geographers and architects. Extensive information on building use is given including names of owners of factories and details on what was manufactured in them.

Archiving Early America: American History
Newspapers, maps and writings from 18th century America.
American Memory (16th through 20th century)
Library of Congress digital collection of books, maps, ephemera, music, spoken word, that "document the American experience."
Amistad Trials Page
Avalon Project
Yale Law School's electronic versions of important United States historical documents relevant to the fields of law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy and government. Documents are listed by title, by date category (pre 18th century, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century), and by major collection.
DoHistory
An interactive case study.
Documenting the American South (18th through 20th century)
A digital collection of texts, images, and sound files (including oral histories of more current events), that focus on southern U.S. history and culture. Full list of collections.
Duke Digital Collections (Duke University)
Includes: Civil War Women; Slave Voices from the Special Collections Library; African American Women
Founders' Constitution
Specific phrases, clauses, sections, and articles of the Constitution are linked to primary source materials reflecting the intent and goals of the founders.
Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents (1610-1791)
Searchable text of the English translation of the original volumes.
Jim Crow Museum
Making of America (19th century)
University of Michigan and Cornell University collaborative digitization project. A collection of primary source material from the antebellum through reconstruction period of U.S. History. Subject browsing available.
North American Slave Narratives (1800's through early 1920)
Autobiographical narratives of fugitive and former slaves published as broadsides, pamphlets, or books in English up to 1920.
OAIster
OAIster is a union catalog of digital resources; it provides access to these digital resources by "harvesting" their descriptive metadata. It currently provides access to 22,742,966 records from 1157 contributors.
Race and Place: African American Community Histories
Repositories of Primary Sources
Site prepared by Terry Abraham, a listing of over 5000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar.
United States Historical Census Data Browser (1790 to 1960)
The Valley of the Shadow: The War Years
Voice of the Shuttle: History Page
UCSB's humanities gateway
WWW Virtual Library: History: United States
Site founded by Dr. Lynn H. Nelson, University of Kansas, maintained by the European University Institute.

UIS Archives
Archives/Special Collections contributes to the public service and teaching functions of the University of Illinois at Springfield by supporting and promoting the research use of primary source materials. Its goal is to locate, acquire, preserve, and make available for research the most significant historical records of Sangamon State University (1969-1995) and the University of Illinois at Springfield, as well as regional history records and manuscripts whose research strengths support the University's educational mission.
IRAD
The State Archives administers a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD) to manage the archival records of local governments. Local governments which have transferred records to the regional depositories include counties, townships, municipalities and school districts.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library is a dynamic institution with ever-expanding collections that are essential to understanding the history of Illinois and its most famous citizen, Abraham Lincoln. All researchers—genealogists, scholars, students, and those studying historical issues of personal interest—are welcome.