Calarco Library: AC1 Research Paper: Primary Sources

America's Historical Newspapers (1690- 2000) This link opens in a new window
Thousands of titles from all 50 states and the District of Columbia that provide an unparalleled record of the topics, people, issues and events that have shaped America.
American History, 1493-1945 (Gilder Lehrman) This link opens in a new window
Primary sources covering the major themes from colonization and settlement through the revolution, expansion, politics, slavery, the Civil War and reconstruction, to World War II.
Artstor This link opens in a new window
Artstor Digital Library includes millions of high-quality images for education and research across disciplines from a wide variety of contributors around the world. Artstor is now a part of JSTOR.
Fold3 Military Records This link opens in a new window
Access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.
Gale Primary Source Collections This link opens in a new window
19th century US newspapers, Liberty Magazine Historical Archive 1924-50, Punch Historical Archive 1841-1992, Smithsonian Collections Online, The Times of London Digital Archive 1785+
Newspapers.com This link opens in a new window
Online home of 216 million+ pages of historical newspapers from 4,400+ newspapers in the United States and more, from Ancestry.com
ProQuest Historical American Newspapers and Periodicals This link opens in a new window
NY Times (1851-2017), Washington Post (1877-2004), Wall Street Journal (1889- 2003), Hartford Courant (1764-1922) and American periodicals (1740 -1940). Gift of the Levin Family Fund
Sources in US History Online: American Revolution This link opens in a new window
Documents the revolution and war that created the United States of America, from the earliest protests in 1765 through the peace treaty of 1783. Includes personal narratives and memoirs, political pamphlets and speeches, sermons and poems, legislative journals and popular magazines
Sources in US History Online: Slavery in America This link opens in a new window
Transatlantic Slave Trade through Reconstruction. Includes personal narratives, pamphlets, addresses, political speeches, monographs, sermons, plays, songs, poetic and fictional works published between the 17th and late 19th centuries

Ebsco Academic E-Book Collection This link opens in a new window

Search for books that contain letters, diary excerpts, maps, images, interviews, and more. Start with the suggested searches below:

Sources + [search term]
Letters + [search term]
Diaries + [search term]
Interview + [search term]

Connecticut Digital Collections This link opens in a new window
Court documents,artifacts, photographs, maps, broadsides, manuscripts and oral histories from Connecticut university and library collections.
Connecticut History Pamphlets This link opens in a new window
Pamphlets on various aspects of Connecticut State history.

Document Type + Search Term

documents + [search term]
texts + [search term]
sources + [search term]
"primary sources" + [search term]
"personal narratives" + [search term]
diaries + [search term]
interviews + [search term]
oral history + [search term]
testimony + [search term]

Site Type + Document Type + Search Term

site: (edu, gov, org) + primary sources + [search term]
site: (edu, gov, org) + letters + [search term]
site: (edu, gov, org) + diaries + [search term]
site: (edu, gov, org) + interview + [search term]

Boolean Search for sample topic: Segregation in the United States

use OR to find synonyms in the same search
- Example: (segregated OR segregating OR segregation OR "jim crow" OR "separate but equal")
combine with some synonyms terms relating to primary documents\
- Example: (documents OR sources OR diaries) and (segregated OR segregating OR segregation OR "jim crow" OR "separate but equal")

Analyze, Cite, and Incorporate

How to Analyze

Here are some things to keep in mind when you are working with primary sources:

Every source must be read or viewed skeptically and critically
No source should be taken at face value; the creator's point of view must be considered
Consider how the source compares with related sources and pieces of evidence
With each source, ask yourself if it relates directly to your research question

How to Cite

Cite the source based on where you found it. Depending on the source, you may be able to add additional information to the Noodletools template. Here are some examples:

Political cartoon found in a book: cite the book using the ISBN
Letter found in an ebook: cite the ebook using the ISBN
Newspaper article or map found in a database: export the citation from the database
Treaty or photograph found on a website: cite the website, then add information about the treaty or photograph to the Noodletools template

How to Incorporate

Consider these factors when you are incorporating a source into your paper:

Who created the source and why? Was it a spur-of-the-moment act, or a deliberate process?
Did the recorder have firsthand knowledge of the event, or did they report what others saw?
Was the recorder a neutral party, or did they have opinions that might have influenced the record?
Did the recorder produce the source for personal use, for a small group, or a large audience?
Was the source meant to be public or private?
Did the recorder wish to inform or to persuade others? Did the recorder have reasons to be honest or dishonest?


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