Head-and-shoulders portrait of Frederick Douglass, 1862. Photo by John White Hurn.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Primary sources give you a front-row seat to past events and unedited access to the people who shaped our history. You gain new perspectives by examining the past through the eyes and ears of someone who was there.
Primary sources may include, but are not limited to:
letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, maps, speeches, interviews, documents produced by government agencies, photographs, audio or video recordings, born-digital items (e.g. emails), research data, and objects or artifacts (such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools, and weapons).
-- Primary Sources on the Web: Finding, Evaluating, Using. ALA Reference and User Services Association, 2015.
Primary sources can also be challenging to use.
The formats of primary sources may be unique and unfamiliar. They require critical analysis due to their creators’ intents and biases; the variety of contexts in which they have been created, preserved, and made accessible; and the gaps, absences, and silences that may exist in the materials.
Consider reaching out to a Skyline College librarian for help as you get started.
You're welcome to Ask a Librarian for guidance.
Not sure where to start?
Academic class, Roger Williams University, Nashville, 1899. Courtesy Library of Congress (00651765)
Here are collections of high quality primary sources online that you can include, quote and cite in your college papers and projects.
While there are hundreds of source sets, research guides and online exhibits to choose from, we've listed a small selection of the best.
University of Virginia logo
The University of Virginia Libraries has compiled an excellent list of "Free Web Sources" containing high quality primary sources for the study of African American history, mostly from universities and museums.
(Note: Scroll half way down the page to locate "Free Web Sources" box).
Here are just a couple examples of what you'll find there: