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 Source Documents through Library Databases

HeritageQuest
Treasury of American genealogical sources: unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids. Includes historical census, PERSI, Revolutionary War records, and more.
Historic North Carolina Digital Newspaper Collection
Newspapers.com North Carolina Collection. 3.5 million pages of digitized content from over 1,000 NC county newspapers.
History Study Center
A collection of primary and secondary sources on global history from ancient times to the present day.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries
Women's writings from the Colonial period to 1950. Includes writings by Abigail Adams, Louisa May Alcott, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Dorothea L. Dix, Julia Ward Howe, and more.
Sanborn Maps North Carolina
Digital Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970, provides access to large-scale maps of North Carolina towns and cities.

Primary Sources Vs. Secondary Sources