Primary Source Documents

Primary Source Web Sites

Documents for the Study of American History- Large database of primary source documents from 1000 AD through 2007.

Library of Congress: Teaching with Primary Sources- Use digital historical sources to explore different topics online with fun interactive teacher-created activities.

Vanity Fair Prints - Prints and photos from the classic newspaper courtesy of The Philadelphia Print Shop. Many caricatures of famous americans.

Philadelphia Print Shop Collection - Choose from antique maps, americana, historical, sporting, etc... original prints. Primary sources.

Primary Documents in American History- Includes the Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, The Federalist Papers



American Source Documents- Primary sources listed chronologically by era.

The American Colonist's Library- The following is a massive collection of the literature and documents which were most relevant to the colonists' lives in America. If it isn't here, it probably is not available online anywhere.

Footnote.com - access millions of original documents. Quite possible the coolest primary source document site ever assembled. I've never seen anything like it. Footnote has powerful tools that let you interact with and enhance what you find. Annotate important information on the image, easily organize and share your findings or collaborate with people who have similar interests.




US National Archives and Records Administration - The National Archives is a public trust on which our democracy depends. We enable people to inspect for themselves the record of what government has done. We enable officials and agencies to review their actions and help citizens hold them accountable. We ensure continuing access to essential evidence.

www.OurDocuments.gov - We invite all Americans to participate in a series of events and programs to get us thinking, talking and teaching about the rights and responsibilities of citizens in our democracy. At the heart of this initiative are 100 milestone documents of American history. These documents reflect our diversity and our unity, our past and our future, and mostly our commitment as a nation to continue to strive to “form a more perfect union.”


The Library of Congress/American Memory - American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity. These materials, from the collections of the Library of Congress and other institutions, chronicle historical events, people, places, and ideas that continue to shape America, serving the public as a resource for education and lifelong learning.

Census.gov - The Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. We honor privacy, protect confidentiality, share our expertise globally, and conduct our work openly. We are guided on this mission by our strong and capable workforce, our readiness to innovate, and our abiding commitment to our customers. Great for research.


Archiving Early America - a unique array of primary source material from 18th Century America. Scenes and portraits from original newspapers, maps and writings come to life on your screen just as they appeared to this country's forebears more than two centuries ago.

HistoryNow.org - HISTORY NOW is a quarterly online journal for American history teachers and students. (changes quarterly)

Harper's Weekly Archives - A uniquely important journal manually indexed. Harper’s Weekly illustrations, cartoons, news, literature, editorials, and ads. Harper’s Weekly is the only consistent, comprehensive, week-to-week chronological record of what happened world-wide in the last half of the nineteenth century.




Repositories of Primary Sources - A listing of over 5000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar. All links have been tested for correctness and appropriateness.

Documents from Revolution to Reconstruction - Excellent website dedicated to pre-WWI history. Has plenty of first hand accounts including speeches, letters, treaties, acts, laws, etc...Primary source documents from the Magna Carta through to the 2000 state of the union address.


The American Colonists Library - An invaluable collection of historical works which contributed to the formation of American politics, culture, and ideals. An unbelievably large collection..


Civil War Documents - Documents, speeches, messages, proposals, etc.

First World War Documents - The purpose of this website is to provide an overview of the First World War.

Thomas Jefferson Digital Archives - An unbelievable comprehensive collection of Jeffersons thoughts, musings, writings and philosophy.


Teaching with Primary Source Documents - Teaching with primary documents encourages a varied learning environment for teachers and students alike. Lectures, demonstrations, analysis of documents, independent research, and group work become a gateway for reasearch with historical records in ways that sharpen students' skills and enthusiasm for history, social studies, and the humanities.

Bill of Rights Institute - The mission of the Bill of Rights Institute is to educate young people about the words and ideas of America's Founders, the liberties guaranteed in our Founding documents, and how our Founding principles continue to affect and shape a free society.

American State Papers - The American State Papers, comprising a total of thirty-eight physical volumes, contain the legislative and executive documents of Congress during the period 1789 to 1838. The collection includes documents that cover the critical historical gap from 1789 to the printing of the first volume of the U.S. Serial Set in 1817. The books are arranged into ten topical classes or series.


Words and Deeds in American History - In honor of the Manuscript Division's centennial, its staff has selected for online display approximately ninety representative documents spanning from the fifteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Included are the papers of presidents, cabinet ministers, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, military officers and diplomats, reformers and political activists, artists and writers, scientists and inventors, and other prominent Americans whose lives reflect our country's evolution.


The Nineteenth Century in Print - This collection presents twenty-three popular periodicals digitized by Cornell University Library and the Preservation Reformatting Division of the Library of Congress. They include literary and political magazines, as well as Scientific American, Manufacturer and Builder, and Garden and Forest: A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry.

Picture History: Thee Primary Source for History Online - sLicense digital images illustrating more than two hundred years of American history.

Life in the Whitehouse - A historical photo essay of images from insde tthe white house, includes photos of Kennedy, Nixon, Bush, Roosevelt.

Old-Picture.com - site, featuring an extensive collection of  historical photographs. This collection includes images from the years 1850 to 1940. These photographs span the globe, and present a unique view of our past. Join us in developing a love and appreciation for vintage photographs.

The American Colonist's Libary - An invaluable collection of historical works which contributed to the formation of American politics, culture, and ideals. A massive collection of the literature and documents which were most relevant to the colonists' lives in America. If it isn't here, it probably is not available online anywhere

Smithsonian: How to Use Primary Sources