Quick Primary Sources Search
This box searches these core Primary Sources databases:
- Accessible Archives Provides full-text articles from 18th and 19th century American newspapers, periodicals, and Pennsylvania county histories, covering material from 1728-1900.
- America's Historical Newsapers Features full-text images of over 1,000 U.S. historical newspapers published between 1690 and 1922, including titles from all 50 states.
- American Periodical Series (APS) Provides full-text articles on American social and political development from periodicals published in the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries. Includes periodicals that commenced publication between 1740-1900.
- Evans Digital Edition Provides full text resources about life in 17th- and 18th-century America, from agriculture and auctions through foreign affairs, diplomacy, literature, music, religion, the Revolutionary War, temperance, witchcraft, etc. 1639 – 1800.
- Historical Newspapers - Chadwyck-Healey Provides access to the New York Times (citations only from 1851-1922) and London Times (full-text available from 1785-1870, and citations only from 1871-1980).
- In the First Person Provides full-text access to English-language primary source material including diaries, letters, personal narratives, memoirs, and more. Years of coverage: 1550-present.
- Times Digital Archive Provides full-text, full-images of the London Times including articles, editorials and commentary, advertisements, and illustrations/photographs, 1785-1985.
Other Primary Sources Research Tools
Although this guide may prove useful for many disciplines, it is primarily focused on resources for the humanities. For more information about finding primary sources for the sciences, visit the Evolution of Scientific Information page.
- American Civil War: Letters and Diaries Provides full-text of letters, diaries, and memoirs covering 1861-1865.
- American History in Video Provides access to historical events through commercial and governmental newsreels, archival footage, public affairs footage, and important documentaries.
- Army Official Records of the Civil War Provides a record of official military records for Union and Confederate armies from 1880-1901. Free access from Cornell University.
- British and Irish Women's Letters and Diaries Provides the full-text of British and Irish women's diaries and correspondence dating from 1500-1900.
- Early Encounters in North America: Peoples, Cultures and the Environment Provides full text sources of Native Americans and their cultures and environment, and their encounters with Europeans. 1601 – 2003.
- GettDigital Collections
- Harpweek Provides full-text access to Harper's Weekly, America’s leading 19th Century illustrated newspaper. Years of coverage: 1857-1912.
- Images of the American Civil War: Photographs, Posters and Ephemera Provides a vivid visual history of a nation in crisis. Thousands of dramatic images from the fields of battle, politics, and general society allow researchers to experience the events of the war that tested and defined America.
- Library of Congress American Memory
- Niles' Register Provides citations to and some full-text articles from the Niles' Register (also known as The Weekly Register, Niles’ Weekly Register, and Niles’ National Register), published 1811-1849. Limited to 5 simultaneous users.
- North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories Provides full-text access to personal narratives including letters, diaries, pamphlets, autobiographies, and oral histories. Materials date from 1784 – 2004.
- North American Women's Letters and Diaries Provides full-text access to letters and diaries of over 1,325 North American women. Materials date from colonial times - 1950.
- Pennsylvania Civil War Newspapers
- Pennsylvania Digital Library
- Readers’ Guide Retrospective Provides citations to articles on all subjects in general and popular magazines (no scholarly journals), 1890-1982.
- The Avalon Project
- The National Archives Experience: Digital Vaults A portal into the National Archives. This site uses visual records such as documents, photographs, and popular media and allows users to browse through the hundreds of photographs, documents, and film clips.
Primary Sources in Musselman Library
Some primary source materials can be found by searching MUSCAT , the library catalog, using a keyword or subject search. Additional primary sources may be found in Gettysburg College's Special Collections.
- First try a KEYWORD search which searches all words in the titles, authors, subjects, and notes of MUSCAT records. You can enter words in any order. This is the broadest, safest search. Take note of Subject Headings on promising titles.
- Next try a SUBJECT search with the subject headings from the keyword search. This searches only the subject fields of MUSCAT records, and word order matters. Ask a librarian if you need help identifying the best subject heading(s) for your topic.
- Finally try an AUTHOR search to find
original writings of a person or documents published by a government or
organization (these are called "corporate authors").
Examine the subject headings carefully. The following subheadings will help you identify books and microfilm that contain primary sources:
|
--diaries |
--photographs --posters --pictorial works --caricatures and cartoons |
--personal narratives --interviews --anecdotes --underground literature |
|
Ex: United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
Finding Specific Types of Sources:
When looking for primary sources, it is helpful to think of them in 4 categories:
Published Works includes materials such as books, textbooks, and pamphlets published during the time period being studied.
Popular press materials include information found in newspapers, magazines and journals.
Public records include a variety of materials such as church records, vital records, laws, bills, census data and court records.
Personal accounts include letters, diaries, slave narratives and oral histories.
Primary sources may be found in the library on paper, in databases to which the library subscribes, and on free Internet sites.
Related Subjects
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