Search Strategies for Primary Sources
Primary source research requires a slightly different approach to searching. Here are a few tips/strategies:
Start by doing some background reading or "pre-research": The more you know about key events, people, laws, and especially common terminology used during the time period you are researching the more successful your research will be. See the "Getting to Know Your Topic" page in this guide for help.
Limit to specific time periods: When searching for primary sources online always remember to use date ranges (usually on the advanced search page) to focus your search.
- Depending on the time period, remember that it took time for news to get reported or to spread to other parts of the country. It often helps to include a few weeks after an event to ensure you get results.
- Start with broader search times but limit to a narrow time period. For example: if searching for articles about the Massacre at Wounded Knee, search for: "wounded knee" limit to the date range of 12/29/1890-1/12/1891 (the word massacre may not have been used immediately after the event, but the location)
Use primary source keywords to find primary sources: Use search terms that reflect the types of primary sources you’re looking for, such as: diaries, pamphlets, correspondence, speeches, manuscripts, personal narratives, interviews, firsthand, eyewitness, sources, etc.
For example: slave AND diary | suffrage AND pamphlets | united states and race relations AND sources
Books/Anthologies of Primary Sources
American Lives by
This anthology of American autobiographical writing contains 55 voices from thoughout the nation's history. It includes pieces from canonical and non-canonical writers, slaves and slave-owners, generals and conscientious objectors, scientists, immigrants and native Americans.
Call Number: CT211 .A48 1994ISBN: 9780299142407Publication Date: 1994-11-30
Journeys in New Worlds by
Four early American women tell their own stories: Mary Rowlandson on her capture by Indians in 1676, Boston businesswoman Sarah Kemble Knight on her travels in New England, Elizabeth Ashbridge on her personal odyssey from indentured servant to Quaker preacher, and Elizabeth House Trist, correspondent of Thomas Jefferson, on her travels from Philadelphia to Natchez. Accompanied by introductions and extensive notes. "The writings of four hearty women who braved considerable privation and suffering in a wild, uncultivated 17th- and 18th-century America. Although confined by Old World patriarchy, these women, through their narratives, have endowed the frontier experience with a feminine identity that is generally absent from early American literature."--"Publishers Weekly"
Call Number: E187.5.J68 1990ISBN: 9780299125806Publication Date: 1991-02-01
American Political Writing During the Founding Era, 1760-1805 by
These volumes provide a selection of seventy-six essays, pamphlets, speeches, and letters to newspapers written between 1760 and 1805 by American political and religious leaders. Many are obscure pieces that were previously available only in larger research libraries. But all illuminate the founding of the American republic and are essential reading for students and teachers of American political thought. The second volume includes an annotated bibliography of five hundred additional items for future reference. The subjects covered in this rich assortment of primary material range from constitutionalism, representation, and republicanism to freedom of the press, religious liberty, and slavery. Among the more noteworthy items reprinted, all in their entirety, are Stephen Hopkins, "The Rights of the Colonies Examined" (1764); Richard Bland, "An Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies" (1766); John Adams, "Thoughts on Government" (1776); Theophilus Parsons, "The Essex Result" (1778); James Madison, "Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments" (1785); James Kent, "An Introductory Lecture to a Course of Law Lectures" (1794); Noah Webster, "An Oration on the Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence" (1802); and James Wilson, "On Municipal Law" (1804).
Call Number: JK113.A716 1983ISBN: 9780865970403Publication Date: 1983-05-31
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by
Edited and with Notes by Shelly Eversley Introduction by Robert Reid-Pharr In this truly astonishing eighteenth-century memoir, Olaudah Equiano recounts his remarkable life story, which begins when he is kidnapped in Africa as a boy and sold into slavery and culminates when he has achieved renown as a British antislavery advocate. The narrative “is a strikingly beautiful monument to the startling combination of skill, cunning, and plain good luck that allowed him to win his freedom, write his story, and gain international prominence,” writes Robert Reid-Pharr in his Introduction. “He alerts us to the very concerns that trouble modern intellectuals, black, white, and otherwise, on both sides of the Atlantic.” The text of this Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the definitive ninth edition of 1794, reflecting the author’s final changes to his masterwork.
Call Number: eBookISBN: 0375761152Publication Date: 2004-05-11
Immigrant Voices: New Lives in America by Call Number: JV6450 .I553 1993ISBN: 9780252017698Publication Date: 1993-08-01
The Debate on the Constitution: Federalist and Antifederalist Speeches, Articles, and Letters During the Struggle over Ratification Vol. 1 (LOA #62) by
Here, on a scale unmatched by any previous collection, is the extraordinary energy and eloquence of our first national political campaign- During the secret proceedings of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the framers created a fundamentally new national plan to replace the Articles of Confederation and then submitted it to conventions in each state for ratification. Immediately, a fierce storm of argument broke. Federalist supporters, Antifederalist opponents, and seekers of a middle ground strove to balance public order and personal liberty as they praised, condemned, challenged, and analyzed the new Constitution Gathering hundreds of original texts by Franklin, Madison, Jefferson, Washington, and Patrick Henry-as well as many others less well known today-this unrivaled collection allows readers to experience firsthand the intense year-long struggle that created what remains the world's oldest working national charter. Assembled here in chronological order are hundreds of newspaper articles, pamphlets, speeches, and private letters written or delivered in the aftermath of the Constitutional Convention. Along with familiar figures like Franklin, Madison, Patrick Henry, Jefferson, and Washington, scores of less famous citizens are represented, all speaking clearly and passionately about government. The most famous writings of the ratification struggle - the Federalist essays of Hamilton and Madison - are placed in their original context, alongside the arguments of able antagonists, such as "Brutus" and the "Federal Farmer." Part One includes press polemics and private commentaries from September1787 to January 1788. That autumn, powerful arguments were made against the new charter by Virginian George Mason and the still-unidentified "Federal Farmer," while in New York newspapers, the Federalist essays initiated a brilliant defense. Dozens of speeches from the state ratifying conventions show how the "draft of a plan, nothing but a dead letter," in Madison's words, had "life and validity...breathed into it by the voice of the people." Included are the conventions in Pennsylvania, where James Wilson confronted the democratic skepticism of those representing the western frontier, and in Massachusetts, where John Hancock and Samuel Adams forged a crucial compromise that saved the country from years of political convulsion. Informative notes, biographical profiles of all writers, speakers, and recipients, and a detailed chronology of relevant events from 1774 to 1804 provide fascinating background. A general index allows readers to follow specific topics, and an appendix includes the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution (with all amendments). LIBRARY OF AMERICAis an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation's literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America's best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.
Call Number: JK155 .D33 1993ISBN: 9780940450424Publication Date: 1993-06-01
What is a Primary Source?
Primary sources are items that are directly associated with their producer or user and the period in which they are created. They reflect the authority and perspective of someone who directly experiences what they are detailing.
Primary sources can be found in:
- Collections housed in libraries or archives
- Digital format through online databases
- Freely available collections on the Internet
- Published in books and microforms
Evaluating a Primary Source
The Library of Congress has a great tool for helping you evaluate potential primary sources:
Library Databases
- Accessible Archives CompleteFull 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.
- African American Women Writers of the 19th CenturyThe full text of 52 books and pamphlets published by 19th-century black women writers.
- American Antiquarian Society PeriodicalsFull-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.
- American Periodicals Series OnlineThe full text of hundreds of American magazines, journals, and newspapers published between 1741 and 1900.
- American Prison Newspapers, 1800-2020: Voices from the InsideA full text archive of hundreds of newspapers published in U.S. prisons since 1800.
- American State Papers, 1789-1838Important executive and legislative documents issued between 1789 and 1838, including every legislative and executive document of the first fourteen U.S. Congresses.
- Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection, Series 2This 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.
- Chronicling America: Historic American NewspapersSearch and view the full text of hundreds of digitized historical newspapers from 42 states, with titles dating from 1789-1963.
- European Views of the Americas: 1493 to 1750A 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.
- Frederick Douglass' PaperThis 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 BookThis 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.
- Great Lakes Maritime Personnel IndexSearchable database of membership lists and directories of Great Lakes maritime personnel active from the late 19th to the mid 20th century. Created by the BGSU Libraries' Center for Archival Collections, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes.
- HarpweekThe electronic version of of the popular magazine Harper's Weekly from the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, 1857-1871.
- HathiTrust Digital LibraryA digital archive for the collections of major American research libraries. Includes records for millions of items, many of which can be searched full text.
- Morgan Bibliography of Ohio Imprints, 1796-1850Morgan Bibliography of Ohio Imprints, 1796-1850 describes books, pamphlets, and broadsides printed in Ohio, from the earliest in 1796 through 1850. The bibliography is compiled and maintained by Richard P. Morgan of the Morgan Library of Ohio Imprints.
- National Anti-Slavery StandardFull text of all issues of National Anti-Slavery Standard (1840-1870), the official weekly newspaper of the American Anti-Slavery Society, an abolitionist society founded in 1833 by William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan to help spread news of the movement across the nation with printed materials.
- NewspaperArchive.comSearchable full text for hundreds of historical newspapers published in Ohio between 1800-2010. Search or browse 19th and 20th century Ohio newspapers and view full-page pdf images.
- Ohio Memory Online ScrapbookCombined 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.
- Pennsylvania GazetteSearchable full text for one of the most important newspapers in the colonial and early years of the United States.
- Slavery in America and the World: History, Culture & LawA database containing a wide range of primary materials on the subject of slavery worldwide, including judicial cases, slavery statutes, UNC Press titles, periodicals, and scholarly articles. It includes every statute passed by every U.S. colony and state on slavery, every federal statute dealing with slavery, and all reported state and federal cases on slavery.
- Virginia GazetteSearchable full text for a significant colonial-era newspaper published weekly in Williamsburg, VA, 1766-76.
Digital Collections Outside BGSU
- Early Americas Digital ArchiveThe Early Americas Digital Archive (EADA) is a collection of electronic texts originally written in or about the Americas from 1492 to approximately 1820.
- New York Public Library Digital CollectionsExplore 860,213 items digitized from The New York Public Library's collections.
- Documenting the SouthDocumenting the American South (DocSouth) is a digital publishing initiative that provides Internet access to texts, images, and audio files related to southern history, literature, and culture.
- Library of Congress Digital CollectionsThe Library of Congress is a research library in Washington, D.C., that serves as the library of the U.S. Congress and the de facto national library of the United States.
- National Archives (US) List of Digital ResourcesBroken down into the following categories: State Archives and Collaboratives, Virtual Collections, Documentary Editions and Digitized Collections, Digital Editions available from University of Virginia Press /Rotunda.