Primary Sources: Primary Sources on the Web

A list of 100 documents corresponding to the most meaningful events in our country's history, compiled by the National Archives and Records Administration, and drawn primarily from its nationwide holdings. The documents chronicle United States history from 1776 to 1965.

This project contains a searchable database of tens of thousands of documents from U.S. presidents from 1789 to the present. It covers inaugural addresses, press briefings, signing statements, and debates. Also features data on topics such as popularity and number of public appearances, election results back to 1828, and an archive of audio and video clips.

An index to and growing database of 5000+ full text, audio and video (streaming) versions of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews, other recorded media events, and more.

Numerous collections of primary source material related to U.S. History dating back to the early 1600s. Narrow by subject, limit to time period, and/or sort collections by date.

Search or browse through several thousands of documents made public by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, with topics including organized crime, civil rights, popular culture, and unexplained phenomena.

Includes:
- Case overviews
- Background information
- Links to the full text of the Majority Opinion

Online collections of historical documents and materials assembled by the Library of Congress. Includes photographs, maps, government documents, and other examples of primary source material.

The Cornell University Library Making of America Collection is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. This site provides access to 267 monograph volumes and over 100,000 journal articles with 19th century imprints. The project represents a major collaborative endeavor in preservation and electronic access to historical texts.

The National Archives preserves historically valuable archives of the U.S. government, including documents, photographs, images, maps, audio clips, letters, speeches, and films.

Contains journals, letters, memoirs, reports and images of the American West, assembled for Ken Burn's PBS documentary, "The West."

Cornell University's Susan H. Douglas Collection of Political Americana includes thousands of US political campaign memorabilia for viewing, such as posters, sheet music, buttons, and more. Items date from the late 1700s to 1960.

Search the museum collections and exhibitions for digital images of documents, photographs and other artifacts.

Population data and facts.

Notable collections of digitized materials from photographs to memoirs of regional and national significance.

Over one million photographs and 5000 works of art, in addition to manuscripts, diaries, and public records, documenting California history.

A repository for permanent public records pertaining to the state's political history as well as other materials documenting California History.

Provides digital access to primary sources -- letters, documents, photographs, diaries, oral histories -- documenting California history and culture.

The OAC describes the contents of archives, libraries and museum collections, their location, and in some instances, provides access to entire collections in digitized format for viewing online.

Includes hours of digitized newsfilm, documentaries, and other programs produced in the Bay Area between 1935 and 2005.

The LA Public Library visual collections include both local history collections and other historical collections.

Part of the American Memory Project. A collection of digitized books containing first-person accounts from the time of the Gold Rush through the turn of the Century.

An excellent source for all things labor-related.

Over 3,300 advertising items and publications dating from 1850 to 1920, illustrating the rise of consumer culture and the birth of a professionalized advertising industry in the United States.

Another government resource which gathers statistical data on our educational institutions.

A source for statistics and publications from the National Science Foundation.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle was published from 1841 to 1955, then revived from 1960 to 1963. Phase I, which can be found on this site, covers the period from October 26, 1841 to December 31, 1902, representing half of the Eagle's years of publication. This period includes all of the years for which there is no index as well as the eleven years during which an index was published. Approximately 147,000 pages of newspaper in various digital formats are contained in this online repository. Search by date of issue or by keyword searching.

Search millions of pages of digitized, historical California newspapers dating back to 1846.

View thousands of pages from a selection of historical U.S. newspapers dating as far back as 1777 up to 1963.

Dating back to 1868, the Daily Iowan Newspaper Collection provides access to digitized versions of The Daily Iowan and its predecessors: the University Reporter (1868-81), the Vidette (1879-81), the Vidette-Reporter (1881-1901) and the University Mirror (1881). The newspaper editions are full text searchable. Though not yet comprehensive, issues will continue to be added up to 2006.

Browse or search through the archives of the New York Times from 1851 to 2002. Students, faculty, and staff can sign up for a free account to access the TimesMachine. Once logged in, search the site for "TimesMachine" for this resource.