Research Guides: HUMA 101 (Bass): Find Primary Sources

Primary sources

What is a primary source?: Primary sources are created during the time period being studied or created at a later date by a participant/witness to the events being studied.

Where can I find primary sources?: Browse the history websites below for primary sources on your topic.

Discover credible, librarian approved history websites!

Modern History Sourcebook
The Internet Modern History Sourcebook has primary sources covering modern European history and American history, as well as in modern Western Civilization and World Cultures.
American Memory Project (Library of Congress)
Provides free and open Internet access to written and spoken word, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity.
The American Presidency Project
Massive amounts of information relating to all of the American presidents. This site has digitized versions of more than 76,000 documents, including presidential papers, executive orders, proclamations, addresses, press conferences and more. The site also contains summary data for elections, approval ratings and Congressional activity.
Avalon Project
Digital documents relevant to the fields of law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy and government. Documents contain text and links to additional supporting documents. Search by title or browse by century.
Documenting the American South
Primary sources for the study of Southern history, culture, and literature.
Eurodocs
A selection of primary historical documents from Western Europe.
National Archives
Explore our nation's history through the National Archive's documents, photographs and records.
Europeana Collections
Digitized material from libraries and museums all over Europe. History, music, art and more!
Google Arts & Culture
Explore art and culture up close from your computer! Google partnered with major cultural institutions throughout the world to put collections of art, collections and stories online. Highly searchable! Explore Machu Picchu, zoom in to examine the brush strokes of the masters, and more!

Liberty Equality Fraternity: Exploring the French Revolution
Essays, images, songs, documents, timelines and more on the French Revolution.
Making of America
A digital library of primary sources in American social history from antebellum through reconstruction. It contains searchable databases for books and journals.
The Valley of the Shadow
This Web site looks at the eve of Civil War, the war years and the aftermath through two communities -- one Northern and one Southern.

Chicago Fire
Essays, photo galleries and writings of the time are located at this site.
Holocaust Museum
The Holocaust Museum website includes more than 300 articles on the history of the destruction of the Jews in Europe.
War Women and Opportunity
Part of an exhibit of the Library of Congress on women's roles in World War II.
World War I
World War I seen through British eyes as posted on this BBC Web site. Each article has links to additional information, including related articles, historic figures and timelines.
1963: The Struggle for Civil Rights
The JFK Presidential Library's digital exhibit "1963: The Struggle for Civil Rights" showcases hundreds of primary source materials from this time period.
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Exhibit highlights the fight for voter registration in Mississippi, the murder of Medgar Evers, mass protests (Project C), the integration of the University of Alabama, the 1963 March on Washington, the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, and more.

Illinois Digital Archives
A variety of digitized original documents relating to all periods of IL history
McLean County Museum of History
Stevenson-Ives Library's online catalog, local archives, LDS database. An incredible source for local and state history!
Illinois State - Milner Library
Many good general sources on IL and McLean County (just search the ISU catalog), as well as an ISU history collection, and a strong Lincoln Collection
Explore Chicago Collections
Collections of books, letters, photos and maps related to the Chicago region

Chronicling America
Search historical newspapers by state. From the Library of Congress