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US History Free Primary Sources

This is a guide with links to digital primary sources, mainly archives and other organizational collections.

Congress

House of Representatives: History, Art and Archives

Art, historical documents, oral histories and other records pertaining to the history of the House of Representatives.


C-SPAN Video Library

Since 1979, C-SPAN has televised the proceedings for the federal government, including congressional sessions, presidential speeches, and more. Browse popular topics or search for something specific.

Courts & the Justice System

2013 Supreme Court Hearings on DOMA/Prop 8

News articles, blogs, organizational websites, and social media related to the 2013 Supreme Court hearings and subsequent rulings for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California's Proposition 8.

Elections

Election 2000

Provides information concerning the Florida, New Mexico, Texas, and Supreme Court decisions (opinions, briefs, etc.) about the 2000 Presidential election, as well links to Web sites with related resources.

Founders

Founders Constitution

Writings on and about the U.S. Constitution from the 1600s to the 1800s, including writings from philosophers, popular pamphlets, public debates in ratifying conventions and the private correspondence of the leading political actors of the day.


Founders Early Access

Access to the papers of several early American presidents.


Founders Online

Correspondence and other writings from seven founding fathers (George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (as well as the Adams family), Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Hay, and James Madison), through the National Archives.

Government Agencies & Publications

Department of State FOIA Library

Search all Department of State records released to the public through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.


GPO: U.S. Government Publishing Office

Produces the official documents of the Federal government, including Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies. GovInfo.gov (linked on GPO site) hosts the Congressional Record, Presidential Documents, Congressional Bills, and more.


Tax History Project

Materials documenting the history of American taxation. Includes a Form 1040 archive (1913-2006), Presidential tax returns, some of the Federalist papers discussing federal revenue and taxing powers, and more.


U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

Meetings, briefings, and other events documenting the history of the Commission from 1960 - 2020.

Presidency

The American Presidency Project

Hosted by the University of California Santa Barbara, this is a non-profit, non-partisan archive of presidential and non-presidential documents. Also includes links to other presidential archives and organizations.


The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials, 1952-2020

The Living Room Candidate contains more than 300 commercials, from every presidential election since 1952. This innovation had a permanent effect on the way presidential campaigns are run.


The Nixon Tapes: Audio and Transcripts

This archive has the most complete, digital collection of the Nixon tapes in existence, which includes approximately 2,950 hours of the nearly 3,000 hours of tapes currently declassified, as well as transcriptions of many of these conversations. 

 

Women in Government

Archives of Women's Political Communication

The speeches and campaign advertising of US women senators and representatives, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, governors and lieutenant governors, and first and second ladies; and international women leaders. It also features the speeches of historically significant women, social activists, and women who have used their position of celebrity to advocate for political causes.