LibGuides: History Research Guide: Primary Sources

Where to start with Primary Sources?

Many of the resources in the A-Z List of databases contain primary source content of interest to historians, but the size of the list makes it difficult to navigate. On this page you will find a list of best bet primary source databases to help start the search for primary sources. These databases or either provided by BGSU or are open access sources provided by other academic or cultural institutions.

If you are looking for historic newspapers please visit:

What are Primary Sources?

Primary sources are first-hand accounts of an event or time in history that has yet to be interpreted by another person.

Examples of primary sources include:

diaries, journals, letters, interviews, speeches, memos, manuscripts and other first-person accounts
memoirs and autobiographies
official records such as government publications, census data, court reports, police records
minutes, reports, correspondence of an organization or agency
newspaper and magazine articles written during the time of the event
photographs, paintings, film and television programs, audio recordings which document an event
research such as opinion polls which document attitudes and thought during the time of an event
artifacts such as objects, tools, clothing, etc. of the time period or event

Primary Source Best Bet Databases

Accessible Archives Complete
Full text primary sources from 18th and 19th century America, mainly newspapers, including the Pennsylvania Gazette, the Virginia Gazette, Godey's Lady's Book, Frederick Douglass Paper, a collection of South Carolina Newspapers, and a collection of African American newspapers.
African American Newspapers (1827-1998)
The full text of hundreds of U.S. newspapers from more than 35 states dating from 1827 to 1998 and published by African Americans.
Coverage: 1827-1898
American Antiquarian Society Periodicals
Full-text collections of thousands of historical American periodicals, provided by the American Antiquarian Society and published between 1691 and 1912. The collection is fully searchable via a number of filters, and offers multiple navigation options.
Civil Rights and Social Justice
Full text for an array of documents on civil rights in the United States, including legislative histories, congressional hearings, government reports, Supreme Court briefs, and publications from the United States Commission on Civil Rights.
Ethnic Diversity Source
This full-text database is a dedicated resource covering the culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in America. It provides full text from a growing list of sources including peer-reviewed journals, magazines, e-books, biographies and primary source documents.
European Views of the Americas: 1493 to 1750
A guide to printed records about the Americas written in Europe before 1750. This database covers subjects such as European exploration, portrayals of Native Americas, and natural disasters, disease, and slavery during this period.
Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index
Index to publications about women, sexuality, and gender from approximately 450 to 1600, covering Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East as well as areas in which Europeans travelled. Subject coverage for gender and sexuality means that articles on masculinity and male homosexuality are included.
Frederick Douglass' Paper
This collection presents two publications by nineteenth-century American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman, Frederick Douglass: Frederick Douglass Paper (1851-1863 complete through December 1855) and Douglass Monthly (January 1859 August 1863).
Godey's Lady's Book
This collection provides access to the complete run of Godeys Lady's Book, a magazine intended to entertain, inform and educate the women of America, from 1830 to 1898.
Harpweek
The electronic version of of the popular magazine Harper's Weekly from the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, 1857-1871.
Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection, Series 2
This database presents an archive of publications focused on U.S. Hispanic history, literature and culture from colonial times until 1960. Series 2 focuses on Hispanic American civil rights, religion and women’s rights from the 18th through the 20th century. Content is written, indexed and searchable in Spanish and English.
Historical Statistics of the United States
U.S. statistical data dating back to 1790.
Coverage: 1790 to present
Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook
Combined catalog to the collections of hundreds of Ohio museums, historical societies, libraries, and archives, bringing together thousands of primary source materials including historical periodicals, cultural objects, documents, photographs, and archival records.
HathiTrust Digital Library
A digital archive for the collections of major American research libraries. Includes records for millions of items, many of which can be searched full text.
Project Gutenberg Online Catalog
Thousands of full-text electronic books, particularly classic works of Western literature, and reference books.

The American Archive of Public Broadcasting
The Library of Congress and WGBH in Boston have embarked on a project to preserve for posterity the most significant public television and radio programs of the past 60 years: The American Archive of Public Broadcasting. The American people have made a huge investment in public radio and television over many decades, calculated at more than $10 billion. The American Archive will ensure that this rich source for American political, social, and cultural history and creativity will be saved and made available once again to future generations.

History Research Guide: Primary Sources

Archives at BGSU

Open Access Primary Source Databases

Where to start with Primary Sources?

What are Primary Sources?

Primary Source Best Bet Databases