Primary sources are artifacts that were created during the time that is being studied. Some examples include letters, diaries, photos or videos, newspaper or magazine articles, interviews, speeches, oral histories, government documents, public opinion polls, and Tweets or other social media posts (for contemporary topics). We use primary sources both to get and to give a more complete view of what people were thinking, feeling, and experiencing at the time that we are studying. The primary sources that you use will depend on the nature and scope of your project, and will need to be entirely specific to your research question. Please think widely and be curious about the types of primary sources you might be able to use! Remember that your argument, and your eventual thesis, will be informed by your primary sources - you do not create an argument in a vacuum and then try to find primary sources to fit.
Also, consider that primary sources DO NOT have to be digital. The majority of the resources we have listed here in digital format - meaning they have been digitized by an organization to make them more accessible and easier to use. However, do not be afraid to consider using primary sources held in their original, physical form by organizations and archives. Please consult with your teacher or a librarian (especially Ms. Charles) if this is something you would like to do.
Some suggestions for finding and using primary sources:
Newspapers are great options for primary sources. We have access to many historical and contemporary newspapers through our library databases, and it is possible to access many other historical databases through sites such as the Library of Congress.
Historical Newspapers:
Why search here? Look here for primary sources for studying Black history in America in the 19th and 20th centuries. Includes hundreds of newspapers printed by and for Black communities.
What's included? Newspaper articles
Date Range: 1827-1998
Why search here? Includes searchable newspaper articles published in the United States, but the best feature of this database are the curated collections of articles about significant events in American history.
What's included? Newspaper articles
Date Range: 1690-2000
Why search here? Covers a wide range of topics, people and events related to Asian American history. Use the “Suggested Searches” menu to explore notable events.
What's included? Newspaper articles
Date range: 1704-Present
Why search here? Covers a wide range of topics, people and events related to Black history in America. Use the “Suggested Searches” menu to explore notable events and topics.
What's included? Newspaper articles
Date range: 1700-Present
Why search here? Covers a wide range of topics, people and events related to Hispanic and Latino/a history in America. Use the “Suggested Searches” menu to explore notable events and topics.
What's included? Newspaper articles from English and Spanish-language publications
Date range: 1704-Present
Why search here? Includes a wealth of primary and secondary sources about Black history, including many of the most influential Black newspapers from across the country. Explore collection pages, topic pages, and timelines for curated resources and background information.
What's included? Newspapers, archival documents, government materials, videos, scholarly/journal articles, timelines
Date range: 1650-Present
Historical newspaper articles from The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times and The Atlanta Constitution from the mid-1800s to the 2020s.
Contemporary Newspapers:
Nobles students and employees also have access to several contemporary newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, through the library. For access to these papers, please go to lib.nobles.edu, and then the "Newspapers" tab in the top right corner. Follow the login prompts for either students or staff. Please let a librarian know if you have difficulty getting to any of these papers.
Many of our databases include other types of primary sources, such as the full text of speeches, interviews, and government documents. When you search, make sure to filter your results to "primary sources".
Why search here? This page shows all of the library's databases published by ABC-CLIO and allows users to search multiple databases at the same time.
What's included? Links to multiple databases about US and world history which include reference articles and primary sources.
Why search here? Includes specialized primary source collections on American history topics.
What's included? Curated primary source collections including newspapers, government documents, political convention proceedings, images, and more.
Date range: Varies by collection
Why search here? Includes over 150,000 early American primary sources. Major topics covered include Black history, daily life in early America, the Civil War, Native American history, children's books, Caribbean history, political history, and popular culture.
What's included? Books, pamphlets, political and government documents, sermons, plays and other rare printed materials
Date range: 1535-1922
Why search here? JSTOR is a collection of leading scholarly journals across many academic disciplines, as well as other resources such as primary sources and images. Like many secondary source databases, JSTOR is best used to find scholarly work on a specific topic, not to learn background information about a general research topic.
What's included? Scholarly/journal articles, primary source collections, images
Why search here? Includes resources which support the exploration of historical questions, debates and controversies in world and American history. Also a great place to find curated primary sources.
What's included? Pro/con articles, timelines, primary sources
Date range: Ancient history-Present
Reference, secondary and primary resources about U.S. History.
Many private organizations, as well as federal, state, and local governments, provide digital access to documents and other primary sources on their websites. Google Advanced Search is a very powerful search tool when you are searching for primary sources because it allows you to limit what types of sites you search.
Some tips:
You may want or need to consult archival materials in your quest for primary sources. Results found through Google Advanced Search often include directions to an organization's archive. If you need help accessing archival materials, please contact our school archivist, Ms. Heidi Charles (hcharles0f@nobles.edu).
There is an increasing amount of historical material that has been digitized and is now available online, through various organizations, universities, museums, and more. We have created another research guide devoted only to those types of sources. Please click here to access it.
Go to lib.nobles.edu, find the "Research" tab at the top of the page, and then "Databases" in the drop-down menu. You should be able to click through links as you would a free website. If you are prompted for a log-in, please see a librarian.
Off Campus:
Go to lib.nobles.edu, find the "Research" tab at the top of the page, and then "Databases" in the drop-down menu. You will be prompted to log in to our proxy server. Log in using your Nobles ID and password.
Important Notes:
If you open a database tab in one place (i.e., at school or home) and leave it open, it will not work when you reopen it in another place (i.e., at home or at school). This is because your use of the library databases depends on the network to which your computer is attached.
DO NOT copy the URL at the top of your screen to include in your citations. It will not work.
Always make sure you get the stable link and citation information for your articles before you try to change wireless networks. Look for something that says "Citations", "Citing", or "Cite this article", and then copy and paste the link or citation that they give you. Make sure that you are using the Turabian (Chicago) style of citation! Do not copy the URL at the top of the page -- it will not work when you try to use it on a different wireless network.
Why search here? The Putnam Library catalog shows which books the library owns and how to find them.
What's included? Library catalog
Why search here? Here you will find links to all of the library's databases and helpful resources for your research.
What's included? An alphabetical, searchable list of all of the library's databases.