Primary sources are original materials from the time period involved, unfiltered by interpretation or evaluation. The sites and resources listed on this page gather together collections of these sources.
The following subject headings, in combination with other words relevant to your topic, are useful for finding primary sources in the library catalog:
Unlock the story of you with sources like censuses, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, directories, photos, maps, and more.
Early English Books Online (EEBO) features page images of almost every work printed in the British Isles and North America, as well as works in English printed elsewhere from 1470-1700.
This archive compiles FBI files detailing the surveillance of Black Americans from the twentieth century. It includes reports from Black informants infiltrating organizations, shedding light on "Negro" radicals and the FBI's monitoring of First Amendment activities.
The HistoryMakers is a collection of video oral history interviews with African Americans who have made significant contributions in a wide variety of fields.
The Ralph J. Bunche Oral History Collection is a resource for the study of the era of the American civil rights movement.
Gain access to rare primary source documents with these topically focused digital collections for academic research support.
Early English Books Online (EEBO) features page images of almost every work printed in the British Isles and North America, as well as works in English printed elsewhere from 1470-1700.
Explore and stay informed on local, national and international topics, people and events with information from credible, vetted U.S. and global news sources, including the Orlando Sentinel.
Provides online access to 280 U.S. newspapers chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience, which includes papers from more than 35 states, features many rare and historically significant 19th-century titles.
Complements and expands on African American Newspapers, Series 1, by including additional titles, such as Frederick Douglass’s New National Era.
Features more than 170 wide-ranging periodicals by and about African Americans, including news, commentary, advertisements, literature, drawings and photographs, with titles from every region of the United States.
The Economist Historical Archive offers full-color and full-text coverage of each weekly issue of the magazine from 1843-four years ago, with a new year of content added each year.
Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980, represents the single largest compilation of Spanish-language newspapers printed in the U.S. during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Historical Newspapers from Latin America from the World Newspaper Archive. Explore Latin American History and Culture during the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Full-color, cover-to-cover coverage of the photojournalism magazine from its first issue in November 1936 through December 2000.
Contains every issue of the New York Times published from September 18, 1851 (its first issue) to 3 years prior to the current year, including all articles, illustrations, and advertisements.
With over 12 million articles available, the archive supports research across multiple disciplines and areas of interest, including business, humanities, political science, and philosophy, along with coverage of all major international historical events.