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HIST 1310: U.S. History to 1877

Professor Deirdre Lannon, Ph.D.

Primary Sources-Video

Locating Primary Sources

The library has many databases that include primary source materials. 

List of databases containing primary sources for historical topics

Good places to find  articles on most topics on Dr. Lannon's list.-

America's Historical Newspapers: Early Colonial to Articles of Confederation (1690-1789)

American Antiquarian Society: Historical Periodicals  (contains magazine articles published between 1684 and 1912)

HathiTrust Digital Library (digital repository of books and journals from  major research libraries in the United States.1500-present.  Modify search results by publication date to see primary sources on topics) 

 

Here are some suggestions of primary source databases, paired with specific topics-

17th and 18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers (British Newspapers & Pamphlets)

King Phillip's War, Bacon's Rebellion

Proquest Civil War Era (newspapers and documents)

Underground Railroad, antislavery,secession, Bleeding Kansas

American West

Trail of Tears, Lewis & Clark, Sacagawea, Gold Rush

19th Century U.S. Newspapers

Seneca Falls Convention, Lowell Mills

Sabin Americana (sort results for "oldest first") to see primary sources and then Limit by language as needed on right)

Cabeza de Vaca,  Lowell Mills

Slavery and Antislavery: A Transnational Archive

Antislavery, Underground Railroad, Middle Passage

Lowell Girl Mill Letters (Collection of letters from University of Mass. Library/Lowell)

Lowell Mill Girls Go On Strike 1836 ( From History Matters project at Geo. Mason University)