Research Guides: History: Primary Sources By Region

North American Primary Sources

Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text articles from 18th and 19th century American newspapers, periodicals, and Pennsylvania county histories, covering material from 1728-1900.
American History, 1493-1945 This link opens in a new window
A unique collection of primary source documents that brings to life American History from the times of the earliest settlers. It offers an overview of U.S. history alongside some deep research strands. It covers Colonial America, the Revolutionary Era, the New Nation, and Slavery and Abolition, with material from Lincoln's election to the end of the Second World War. Materials are from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Access works best using Chrome browser.
Archive of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940 This link opens in a new window
Provides access to fully-searchable newsletters, government documents, manuscripts, pamphlets, and other primary source materials. Covers LGBTQ history and culture, including LGBTQ activism and the HIV/AIDS crisis. Content is from 1940 to present.
Civil War Primary Source Documents This link opens in a new window
Contains manuscript material from the New York Historical Society, chronicling the American Civil War from warfare on land, at sea, in hospitals and prison camps, and reactions and impressions of the War from the home front. Focuses on the War as it was fought from 1861 to 1865 and represents both Northern and Southern perspectives. It also contains contextual documents leading up to War and after its conclusion.
Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1800 This link opens in a new window
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., with option to search all imprints, including two supplemental collections from the Library Company of Philadelphia.
First World War: Personal Experiences; Propaganda and Recruitment; Visual Perspectives and Narratives This link opens in a new window
The Personal Experiences content provides a window on the lives and experiences of men and women during the First World War and includes letters and diaries, scrapbooks, photos, sketches, and more. The Propaganda and Recruitment material provides insight into public opinion and censorship, recruitment, morale at home and on the front line, etc. Documents include posters, postcards, photos, newsletters, leaflets and more. The Visual Perspectives and Narratives section provides access to unique resources such as official and personal photographs, manuscripts, rare printed material, artwork, objects and film.
Indigenous Peoples: North America This link opens in a new window
Provides access to primary source archival documents—maps, periodicals, photographs, manuscripts, reports, drawings and sketches, monographs, legal materials, organizational records, and population census records—from both American and Canadian institutions. Collection includes direct-from-source newspapers from various tribes and Indian-related organizations, as well as indigenous-language materials such as dictionaries, bibles, and primers. Content covers the history of American Indian tribes from the 16th century into the 20th century.
NAACP Papers - Modules 2 & 3 This link opens in a new window
The NAACP’s Major Campaigns - Module 2: Education, Voting, Housing, Employment, Armed Forces. Module 3: Scottsboro, Anti-Lynching, Criminal Justice, Peonage, Labor, and Segregation and Discrimination Complaints and Responses
Slavery & Anti-Slavery This link opens in a new window
The four-part transnational archive includes collections on the transatlantic slave trade, the global movement for the abolition of slavery, the legal, personal, and economic aspects of the slavery system, and the dynamics of emancipation in the U.S. as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions. Browse historic images and link to biographies, chronology, and sources providing background and context for further research. Search manuscripts, books and pamphlets, newspapers and periodicals, reference sources, and U.S. Supreme Court records.
Women's Issues and Identities This link opens in a new window
Provides access to diaries, letters, photographs, news clippings, organizational records, journals and more. Focus is on the 19th and 20th centuries and the issues that have affected women, societal contributions, social status, and women's movements. Content is from 1775 to present.
Women's Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Provides access to an archival resource comprising the backfiles of leading women's interest consumer magazines. Includes titles such as Better Homes & Gardens, Cosmopolitan, and Ladies' Home Journal. Coverage ranges from the late19th century through 2005, and these key primary sources permit the examination of the events, trends, and attitudes of this period. Among the research fields served by this material are gender studies, social history, economics/marketing, media, fashion, politics, and popular culture.

African American Newspapers, 1827-1998, Series 1 This link opens in a new window
Explore African American history, culture and daily life in the 19th and 20th centuries. Includes 28,000 issues from more than 260 rare 19th- and 20th-century newspapers published in 36 states.
African American Newspapers, 1835-1956, Series 2 This link opens in a new window
This collection complements and expands on African American Newspapers, Series 1, 1827-1998. The more than 75 newly available newspapers in Series 2, all written for or by African Americans, features newspapers from 22 states plus the District of Columbia.
African American Newspapers, Accessible Archives This link opens in a new window
This collection of African American newspapers contains information about cultural life and history during the 1800s and is rich with first-hand reports of the major events and issues of the day, including the Mexican War, Presidential and Congressional addresses, Congressional abstracts, business and commodity markets, the humanities, world travel and religion.
America's Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
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 This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text articles on American social and political development from periodicals published in the United States during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Includes periodicals published between 1740-1943.
Black Life in America This link opens in a new window
Provides comprehensive coverage of the African American experience from the early 18th century through the late 20th century. Content is sourced from more than 19,000 American and global news sources, including over 400 current and historical Black publications. Library has Series I, 1704-1877: Arrival in America through Reconstruction, and Series II, 1878-1975: Jim Crow through the Civil Rights Movement.
Chronicling America This link opens in a new window
Fulltext historic American newspapers 1860-1922, plus information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. From the Library of Congress.
Harpweek This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to Harper's Weekly, America’s leading 19th Century illustrated newspaper. Years of coverage: 1857-1912.
Hispanic Life in America This link opens in a new window
Provides comprehensive coverage of the Hispanic American experience from the early 18th century through the early 21st century. Content is sourced from more than 17,000 publications, including 700 Spanish-language newspapers and periodicals. Library has Series I, 1704-1942: Spanish Colonialism through World War II, and Series II, 1943-2009: Immigration, Labor Rights and Civil Rights.
Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text articles from the Baltimore Afro-American (1893-1988), Chicago Defender (1905-1975), Chicago Tribune (1858-1993), Los Angeles Times (1881-1993), New York Times (1851-2013), Philadelphia Inquirer (1860-2001), Pittsburgh Courier (1911-2002), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (1786-2003), San Francisco Chronicle (1865-1922), Wall Street Journal (1889-Current), Washington Post (1877-2000), The Guardian (1821-2003), and The Observer (1791-2003).
Independent Voices This link opens in a new window
An open access collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals produced by feminists, dissident soldiers, campus radicals, Native Americans, anti-war activists, Black Power advocates, Hispanics, LGBT activists, the extreme right-wing press, and alternative literary magazines during the latter half of the 20th century.
Newspaper Archive This link opens in a new window
Contains searchable newspaper pages, dating as far back as the 1600s. Use the archive to view, save and print newspapers from around the world. Includes the Gettysburg Times (1909 to 2 months ago).
Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Provides access to a collection of 400 19th Century United States newspapers. Content includes full-text articles, advertisements, and illustrations from a wide range of urban and rural American newspapers.
Pennsylvania Civil War Newspapers This link opens in a new window
A collection of newspapers from the civil war era dated from February 23,1831 to February 14,1877.

North American Immigrant Letters, Diaries, and Oral Histories This link opens in a new window
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 This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text access to letters and diaries of over 1,325 North American women. Materials date from colonial times - 1950.
Early Encounters in North America: Peoples, Cultures and the Environment This link opens in a new window
Provides full text sources of Native Americans and their cultures and environment, and their encounters with Europeans. 1601 – 2003.
Manuscript Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new window
Contains personal writings of women of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The collection is drawn entirely from the extensive holdings of the American Antiquarian Society.

American State Papers, 1789-1838 This link opens in a new window
Legislative and executive documents, many originating from the important period between 1789 and the beginning of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set in 1817.
Army Official Records of the Civil War This link opens in a new window
Provides a record of official military records for Union and Confederate armies from 1880-1901. Free access from Cornell University.
United States Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994 This link opens in a new window
Reports, documents and journals of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, originally published in approximately 13,800 bound volumes.
Papers of Dwight D. Eisenhower This link opens in a new window
Provides access to the 21-volume Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower which includes the most significant letters, memoranda, cables, and directives written or dictated by Eisenhower from the years prior to World War II through the full term of his presidency. This massive collection includes documents—many of them previously classified—from private collections and public archives in the U.S. and U.K., as well as papers from the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
Supreme Court Decisions (1937-1975) This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text Supreme Court decisions as reported in U.S. Reports from 1937-1975.
U.S. Army Center of Military History This link opens in a new window
Provides access to materials drawn from the United States Army Military History records. Content includes photographs, military publications, unit histories, combat after action interview reports, audio/visual items, oral history materials, and more. Covers major conflicts from the Colonial Era up to the Global War on Terrorism.

Some primary source materials can be found by searching MUSCAT Plus , 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 Plus 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 Plus 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 --correspondence --case studies --sources --documents --sermons --early works to 1800 --early works to 1900	--photographs --posters --pictorial works --caricatures andcartoons		--personal narratives --interviews --anecdotes --underground literature

Ex: United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives

International Primary Sources

Archive of Sexuality & Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940 This link opens in a new window
Provides access to fully-searchable newsletters, government documents, manuscripts, pamphlets, and other primary source materials. Covers LGBTQ history and culture, including LGBTQ activism and the HIV/AIDS crisis. Content is from 1940 to present.
British and Irish Women's Letters and Diaries This link opens in a new window
Spans more than 400 years of personal writings, bringing together the voices of women from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales.
British Periodicals This link opens in a new window
Provides access to the searchable full text of hundreds of periodicals from the late seventeenth century to the early twentieth, comprising millions of high-resolution facsimile page images. Topics covered include literature, philosophy, history, science, the social sciences, music, art, drama, archaeology and architecture.
Nineteenth Century Collections Online (NCCO) This link opens in a new window
Provides access to the British Theatre, Music, and Literature: High and Popular Culture collection of the NCCO. Features a range of primary sources related to the arts in the Victorian era, from playbills and scripts to operas and complete scores. Covers the long nineteenth century.
Europeana This link opens in a new window
A digital repository focused on European cultural heritage. Searches and links to digital items, including images, texts, sounds, and videos.
First World War: Personal Experiences; Propaganda and Recruitment; Visual Perspectives and Narratives This link opens in a new window
The Personal Experiences content provides a window on the lives and experiences of men and women during the First World War and includes letters and diaries, scrapbooks, photos, sketches, and more. The Propaganda and Recruitment material provides insight into public opinion and censorship, recruitment, morale at home and on the front line, etc. Documents include posters, postcards, photos, newsletters, leaflets and more. The Visual Perspectives and Narratives section provides access to unique resources such as official and personal photographs, manuscripts, rare printed material, artwork, objects and film.
Times Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
Provides full-text, full-images of the London Times including articles, editorials and commentary, advertisements, and illustrations/photographs. Archives covers from 1785 to 2019.
Women's Issues and Identities This link opens in a new window
Provides access to diaries, letters, photographs, news clippings, organizational records, journals and more. Focus is on the 19th and 20th centuries and the issues that have affected women, societal contributions, social status, and women's movements. Content is from 1775 to present.

African Newspapers, Series 1: 1800-1922 This link opens in a new window
Contains 67 African newspapers published in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Access English- and foreign-language titles from Angola, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Aluka: Struggles for Freedom in Southern Africa This link opens in a new window
Includes materials about the liberation and independence movements in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Rand Daily Mail 1902-1985 This link opens in a new window
News archive provides coverage of South Africa from the Boer Wars to the apartheid era. Published daily in Johannesburg, it was the first African newspaper to openly oppose and contribute to the downfall of apartheid.

Chinese Newspapers Collection This link opens in a new window
Provides access to 22 English-language Chinese historical newspapers, covering the period from 1832-1953
China: Culture and Society This link opens in a new window
This resource makes available rare pamphlets on East Asia mostly in English. It also includes scholarly essays, an interactive chronology, and mini guides. This collection of literature on China and the Chinese in the Western world covers 1750-1929.
Japan Times Digital Archive This link opens in a new window
Launched in 1897, the English language Japan Times reported about Japanese society during the country's political, social, and industrial revolution. It is a rare source of media during the Meiji and Taisho eras and provides over a century of news and history on world affairs from a Japanese perspective. The Japan Times archive covers the following Imperial Periods: Meiji ([1868-1913] 1897-1912), Taishō (1912-1926), Shōwa (1926-1989), and Heisei (1989-2021). [NOTE: Best used with Firefox.]

Frontier Life: Borderlands, Settlement & Colonial Encounters This link opens in a new window
Provides a large array of unique documents from multiple archives that captures the lives, experiences and colonial encounters of people living at the edges of the Anglophone world from 1650-1920. Content covers the various colonial frontiers of North America plus the settlers of Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Slavery & Anti-Slavery This link opens in a new window
The four-part transnational archive includes collections on the transatlantic slave trade, the global movement for the abolition of slavery, the legal, personal, and economic aspects of the slavery system, and the dynamics of emancipation in the U.S. as well as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions. Browse historic images and link to biographies, chronology, and sources providing background and context for further research. Search manuscripts, books and pamphlets, newspapers and periodicals, reference sources, and U.S. Supreme Court records.