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Primary Sources Guide

How to find primary source materials in the McGraw-Page Library in a variety of disciplines

Primary Sources in the Humanities

Primary source provide a first-hand record of what happened and/or was experienced at a particular time and place.  These materials provide the raw material for interpretation and analysis by historians and other researchers.

The first step in finding primary sources in many cases is to review secondary sources on your topic.  The footnotes and bibliography sections of secondary sources will often include references to useful primary sources. Locating materials produced by an individual closely associated with the historical event is another good way to find relevant primary source material. 

Primary Source Databases

  • Founders Early Access    
    Unpublished documents written by figures such as James Madison, John Adams, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson available in a free online resource. 
  • Founders Online 
    Over 183,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, by George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (and family), Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison.
  • HarpWeek: The Civil War Era and Reconstruction This link opens in a new window

    Online edition of Harper's Weekly, a newspaper including editorials and illustrations. Covers 1857-1877.

  • HeinOnline Government, Politics, & Law This link opens in a new window

    U.S. Congressional Serial Set (1817-2014)
    American State Papers (1789-1838)
    Congressional Documents and Congressional Reports (2015-2019)

  • Indigenous Peoples: North America This link opens in a new window

    Primary source archive of materials documenting the cultural, political and social history of Native Peoples of North America from the seventeenth into the twentieth century.

  • Literature Resource Center
    Use Primary Sources limiter to find links to primary sources and literary works. 

  • Making of America Journals (Michigan) This link opens in a new window

    A digital library of primary sources in American social history primarily from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology.

  • Making of the Modern World This link opens in a new window

    Digital reproductions of over 66,000 rare primary source books and serial publications chronicling the development of the modern western world through world trade, exploration and colonization of the New World, the Industrial Revolution and the development of modern capitalism. Subject coverage includes history, political science, economics and business, women's studies, and legal and religious history. Individual publications are also in WorldCat Discovery

  • New York Times with Index (Historical; 1851- 4 years ago) This link opens in a new window

    Historic archive of the New York Times newspaper from 1851-4 years ago. Includes the complete indexes from 1851-1993 in addition to full-text searching. For current articles, choose the New York Times database.

  • Sabin Americana, 1500-1926 This link opens in a new window

    Primary source materials on the society, politics, religious beliefs, culture, contemporary opinions, and events of North, Central, and South America and the West Indies, covering the Americas from early European exploration through 1926. Includes books, pamphlets, maps, legislation, sermons, political writings, newspapers, literature, and more.

  • Times Digital Archive This link opens in a new window

    Searchable full text of the Times of London newspaper from 1785 through 6 years ago.

  • Internet Sourcebook : History Primary Sources

    A collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts compiled by Fordham University for educational use.

  • Virginia Gazette

    1736--1780, some known issues missing from the online version (digitized by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation).