Working with Primary Sources
Searching for Primary Sources:
- Be thoughtful about your search terms. Think of the language of the period -- including special formatting or other 'quirks.' Think also about specific names of people and organizations.
- Use the tools built into each database. Many primary resources can be browsed (or in the case of online tools, searched) by publication date, or by geographic location.
- Note the order of your results. Some primary source databases default to sorting by date. In some cases, sorting by relevance may be more helpful.
- Don't just search -- browse. In addition to reading articles that come up in your search results, spend some time looking over pages of newspapers to see what other articles are covering from the time period. By looking beyond a single article, you'll learn about other issues from the time period and possibly see Letters to the Editors and advertisements which can provide historical context.
- Start early. It can be more difficult to find relevant primary sources. There may be valuable sources which you will want to request from other libraries. You may also need more time to decipher, digest, and interpret the content of your primary sources. Leave yourself plenty of time, pace yourself, and ask questions or for assistance earlier rather than later.
Analyzing Primary Sources:
- Patrick Rael, Reading, Writing, and Researching for History: A Guide for College Students(Brunswick, ME: Bowdoin College, 2004)
- Primary Source Analysis Worksheets - Digital HistoryUse these worksheets and other tools, originally developed by the National Archives, to help you analyze a range of primary sources including artifacts, cartoons, maps, movies, photos, posters, sound recordings, and written documents.
Understanding 18th/19thc. U.S. Newspapers:
Antebellum American Newspapers (c/o American Antiquarian Society)
Readings:
- "Must-Know Tips For Reading 18th and 19th Century Newspapers" [Findmypast.com]A basic guide to what to expect, and how to find information, in historical newspapers.
The Public Prints: The Newspaper in Anglo-American culture, 1665-1740 by Call Number: PN4855 .C53 1994 and E-BookISBN: 0195082338
The Press Gang: Newspapers & Politics, 1865-1878 by Call Number: PN4864 .S86 1994Publication Date: 1994
The Tyranny of Printers: Newspaper Politics in the Early American Republic by Call Number: PN4861 .P37 2003Publication Date: 2002
Suggested Resources
[Newspapers & Other Periodicals ]
FOR EVEN MORE OPTIONS, VISIT: https://libguides.holycross.edu/newspapers
- Chronicling America This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1756-1963
Historic newspapers from all different U.S. states, hosted by the Library of Congress. - American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals, Series 1 This link opens in a new windowDigital access to early American periodicals held by the American Antiquarian Society, right here in Worcester! The AAS is the nation's chief repository for 18th and 19th century newspapers published in the United States, Canada, and the West Indies.
See also : Series 2 (1821-1837) || Series 3 (1838-1852) || Series 4 (1853-1865) || Series 5 (1866-1912)
- 17th & 18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers [Boston Public Library subscription]Newspapers, pamphlets, and broadsides gathered by the Reverend Charles Burney (1757-1817) representing the largest and most comprehensive collection of early English news media, containing approximately 1,270 titles from London, the British Isles, and the colonies. Local Coverage: Boston Gazette (1721-1722); New England Courant (1721-1723). To access, sign up for an e-card.
- American Periodicals Series This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1740-1940
Historic magazine and journal articles, including professional, childrens' and womens' magazines.
- 19th Century US Newspapers [Boston Public Library]"Searchable full-page and article reproductions of newspapers from across the country. Massachusetts Coverage: Boston: Atlas, Congregationalist, Courier, Daily Advertiser, Emancipator & Republican, Investigator, Liberator; Lowell: Lowell Daily Citizen." To access, sign-up for a BPL e-card.
- Boston Globe Historical This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1872-1993
Articles from the Boston Globe including all pictures and advertisements.
- Newspaper Archive [Boston Public Library subscription]"Searchable full-page reproductions of historical newspapers, some of which were made from the collections of the Boston Public Library. Boston coverage includes: Boston Globe (morning and evening editions), 1872-1922; Boston Post, 1831-1922." To access, sign-up for a BPL e-card.
- New York Times Historical This link opens in a new window
Date(s):1851-2021
Articles from the New York Times, including all pictures and advertisements.
[Government & Political Documents]
- Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) This link opens in a new window
Date(s): 1860-present
The official record of United States foreign policy, accompanied by reports and other documents relevant to the topic. - U.S. Congressional Documents This link opens in a new window
The Congressional Record, the official record of all activities of the United States Congress including legislation and floor debates. This library includes both the daily and 'official' versions of the Congressional Record as well as its predecessors and other related sources.
- HeinOnline: Government, Politics & Law for Academics This link opens in a new window
A library of legal resources including law journals; government, legal and diplomatic documents; books; reports; and historical sources.
[Books]
ONLINE
- HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
Scanned books from major research libraries. Best for books published before 1928.
IN THE LIBRARY:
You can find many kinds of primary sources in the library. This could include writings published during the relevant time period as well as editions of primary accounts/documents that were re-published later.
When using CrossSearch, you can check the Catalog box on the left navigation bar to only search for items in the library catalog, then use the date slider to look at publication dates in your time period.
Remember to watch your keywords -- a book written in the early 20th century will use different vocabulary to talk about various historical events.
Keyword tips for finding primary sources in Dinand:
- Try the name of a specific region (including names they might have been known by in the past).
- Things of words related to the kind of source you're seeking. For example, terms such as voyage, travel, journey are examples of words that appear often in titles of travel accounts.
- All books in the catalog are labeled with a kind of tag, called subject headings, that tells you what the book is about and brings together all the books on similar topics. You can use these tags by clicking on them or by using them as keyword inspiration.