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Full-text from books, magazines, and historical documents, as well as historical photos, maps, and video. (Search tip: To search for primary resources, click Advanced Search and limit your results to publication type "Primary Source Document".)
Primary source documents such as newspapers, magazines, and county histories covering U.S. history, such as the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Women's Suffrage movement, and World War I; includes the Frederick Douglass Papers
This collection contains comprehensive coverage from inception of both U.S. statutory materials, U.S. Congressional Documents and more than 2,500 scholarly journals, all of the world's constitutions, all U.S. treaties, collections of classic treatises and presidential documents, and access to the full text of state and federal case law powered by Fastcase. Also included are, among other things, special collections on Criminal Justice, History, Foreign Relations, Religion and the Law, and Women and the Law.
Primary sources are original materials created or produced at the time a historical event occurred. They present original thinking and reflect and individual viewpoint from a participant or observer. These sources are raw materials that have not been changed, interpreted, or evaluated in any way. Using primary sources on the Web. (2016). American Library Association.
Secondary sources are materials that have been created by someone such as a historian or an author who was not at the actual event. They are usually accounts of an event written after the fact. Secondary sources evaluate, analyze, and interpret primary sources.
How to distinguish between primary and secondary sources. University of California at Santa Cruz Libraries.
The following are some examples of primary resources:
Viewing the bibliographies of secondary sources is an excellent way to locate relevant primary sources.
When searching for books and articles, look for words like personal narrative, diary, letter, speech, interview, quotation, and autobiography in the contents description. You can combine one of the types of material previously listed with a historical figure.
Examples:
You may also try a search for a historical figure's name in the 'author' field. These searches will retrieve materials written by that person.
Examples:
| Primary Resource | Secondary Resource |
|---|---|
| An original paining by Picasso | A book about Picasso |
| President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address | An article about President Lincoln |
| An interview with someone who fought in WWII | A book about the effects of WWII |
The Annals of America, v. 1. v.22
The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. Retirement Series by The Writings of Thomas Jefferson by 
