Research Guides: Primary Sources Guide: US and International

American Historical Primary Sources

American Journeys
A digital archive of early American and Canadian exploration.
Chronicalling America
Search for historic American newspapers produced between 1789 to 1963. Supported by the Library of Congress.
Digital Public Library of America
Search for images, texts, and videos documenting American history.
Discovering American Women's History Online
This database provides access to digital collections of primary sources (photos, letters, diaries, artifacts, etc.) that document the history of women in the United States.

LGBTQ+ Life with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Provides abstracts and citations to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender literature published worldwide. Citations represent periodical articles, books, newspapers, newsletters, case studies, speeches, and other formats. Also includes full text for GLBT journals, magazines and regional newspapers, as well as numerous full text books.

Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online
Digital images and documents from various Library of Congress collections.
New York Public Library Digital Collections
Digital images and documents from the New York Public Library's collections.
North American Slave Narratives
Contains first person accounts and testimonies produced by fugitive and former slaves.

Internet Modern History Sourcebook: Presents source materials for major periods and events in world history.
World Digital Library: Search almost 20,000 images and items from around the world.

Africa Online Digital Library: A wide ranging collection of cultural heritage materials from museums, libraries, and archives.
African Activist Archive: Documents African struggles against European colonialism and apartheid.
The African Studies Collection: Contains primary and secondary sources relating to African cultures, European colonialism, and African diaspora. Via the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The East Asian Collection: A visual collection that focuses on Chinese history and Buddhist rituals and practices.
The Digital Southeast Asian Library: Photos, maps, and data relating to South Asian history and cultures, with a strong emphasis on India.
Southeast Asia Digital Library: Multimedia materials from collections representing Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Australian Digital Collections: Literary and historical texts from University of Sydney Library
Pacific Digital Collections: Photos, diaries, maps and more representing Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, and New Zealand.
Digital New Zealand: A multimedia database containing images, songs, and other documents.

British Library: A massive collection of digital sources pertaining to British history and beyond.
The European Library: Provides access to millions of digital sources and bibliographic records from Europe's national libraries.
Europeana: Find art, artifacts, books, and more from European libraries, museums, and galleries.

Digital Archive of Latin American and Caribbean Ephemera: Discover posters, pamphlets, and other print objects from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Latin American Library: Provides digital access to books, manuscripts, and pamphlets from Tulane University's Special Collections.
Maps of the Americas (British Library): View maps of Central and South America and the Caribbean from the British Library's collections.