LibGuides: World Civilizations: Primary Sources

What is a Primary Source Document?

A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event.

Examples of Primary Source Documents

Speeches
Court Documents
Original works of literature, art and music
First hand newspaper and magazine accounts
Slave Narratives
Diaries or Memoirs
Letters
Manuscripts
Interviews
Official Records
Photographs
Dissertations
Maps

Finding Primary Sources Through Library Databases

History Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Searchable database indexing over 200 historical periodicals and reference sources. Contains historical documents, biographies of historical figures, historical maps, photos and much more.
HeritageQuest This link opens in a new window
Treasury of American genealogical sources: unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. Includes historical census, PERSI, Revolutionary War records, and more.
History Study Center This link opens in a new window
A collection of primary and secondary sources on global history from ancient times to the present day.

Websites of Interest for Primary Sources

Europeana
A website created by the European Union containing digitized cultural heritage items from more than 3,000 institutions across Europe.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project (Fordham University)
The Internet History Sourcebooks Project is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts and primary sources.
Smithsonian Libraries Digital Collections
Digital collections that include over 35,000 digitized books, manuscripts, photo collections, ephemera, and seed catalogs.
World Digital Library
Cultural heritage materials from the Library of Congress
Yale Law School Avalon Project
This website from Yale Law School provides primary source legal, historical and governmental documents from all over the world. Time range covered is the 17th century to present day.

World Civilizations: Primary Sources

What is a Primary Source Document?

Examples of Primary Source Documents

Finding Primary Sources Through Library Databases

Websites of Interest for Primary Sources

Primary Sources Vs. Secondary Sources