Skip to Main Content
After Hours

History 131-Final Project

Primary Sources - "It's happening!"

Primary sources are materials created or present during an event. Examples of primary sources are speeches, diaries, photographs, maps, political cartoons, letters, newspaper articles, autobiographies, videos, and physical artifacts like clothes, automobiles, tools, furniture, etc. Primary sources may be digitized or only available by visiting the museum, library, or archive where they are stored. What makes a primary source a "primary source" is that it was produced or it existed at the time of an event.

The link below is to the Digital Public Library of America's website. It allows you to search primary sources from the digital collections of numerous museums, libraries, and archives. 

In the event that you don't find a primary sources via the Digital Public Library of America website, try a Google search with the term "primary sources" and the topic that you're researching. 
 

Secondary Sources - "It happened."

Secondary sources explain, interpret, or summarize events by using primary sources. They are typically written or created after some time has passed from when the event occurred. They provide analysis and discussion like you would find in educational books, encyclopedias, textbooks, documentaries, and articles. 

The library databases linked below provide access to secondary sources. It's recommended that you search your topic or event in each database to find the best secondary sources for your assignment.