Find Information Research Help Library Services About the Library Library Home
centre college > library > research help > how do I

History: Finding Primary Sources

This is a guide to the major print and online primary sources in history. While basic resources are included, there are many others that cannot be covered here because of length. For assistance in using these resources, or to find additional information, contact a Reference Librarian.

1. Print and CD-ROM Collections
2. Print Journal and Magazine Indexes
3. Electronic Resources
4. Electronic Journal, Magazine, and Newspaper Indexes
5. Microfilm Resources
6. Kentucky History Resources
7. Gateways to Primary Sources

1. PRINT AND CD-ROM COLLECTIONS

Many primary sources can also be found in books in the circulating collection. To discover these, you may have to actually look at the books on your topic.

1.1 U. S. HISTORY

  • 100 Key Documents in American Democracy, 1994 (Ref. E 173 .A15 1994)
  • The American Revolutionary War: a political, social, and military history, vol. 5 (Ref. E 208 .E64 2006)
  • The Annals of America, 21 vols. plus Conspectus and Index (covers 1493-1986) (Ref. E 173 .A793) Also available electronically with the title Annals of American History http://america.eb.com
  • The Civil War: A Newspaper Perspective: The New York Herald, The Charleston Mercury, Richmond Enquirer, 1994 (CD-ROM--Circulation Desk)
  • China: U.S. policy Since 1945, p. 303-358 (Ref. E 183.8 .C5 C72 1980)
  • Civil War America, 1850-1875, p. 452-478 (Ref. E 468 .S45 2006)
  • Colonial America: an Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History, vol. 5 (Ref. E 162 .C68 2006)
  • Dictionary of American history, 3rd ed., vol. 9 (Ref. E 174 .D52 2003)
  • Documents of American Diplomacy: From the American Revolution to the Present, 2002. (Ref. E 183.7 .D63 2002)
  • Documents of American History, 10th ed., 2 vols., 1988 (Ref. E 173 .D59 1988)
  • Encyclopedia of American Civil Rights and Liberties, vol. 3, p. 1107-1276 (Ref. KF 4648 .E53 2006)
  • Encyclopedia of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, vol. 3, p. 1061-1198 (Ref. E 661 .E53 2005)
  • Encyclopedia of the Reconstruction Era, vol. 2, p. 731-828 (Ref. E 668 .E53 2006)
  • Historic Documents of [year], 1972- (Ref. E 839.5 .H57)
  • Historic Documents on Presidential Elections 1787-1988 (Ref. JK 1965 .H56 1991)
  • Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, 26 vols., 1976-1990 (JK 1033 .L47); (CD-ROM--Circulation Desk)
  • Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States (J 80 .A283) Also available online. See 3.1.
  • Puritans and Puritanism in Europe and America, vol. 2, p. 595-653 (Ref. BX 9323 .P85 2006)
  • Reference Library of Black America, vol. 1: "Significant Documents in African American History", p. 107-171 (Ref. E 185 .R44 1997 vol. 1)
  • Southern Pamphlets on Secession, November 1860-April 1861 (E 458.1 .S68 1996)
  • Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 1994- (E 464 .A513)
  • Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America, 1776-1949, 13 vols., 1968-76 (JX 236 1968 .A5)
  • Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States of America, 1931- (JX 36 .U521)
  • United States. Department of State. Bureau of Public Affairs. Current Policy [speeches], 1983-1990. (Ref. JX 1417 .C87)
  • War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 70 vols. in 128 (E 464 .A512) Also available electronically: http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/browse.monographs/waro.html

1.2 WORLD HISTORY

  • Documents on German Foreign Policy, 1918-1945, vols. 4-12, 1948-1983 (JX 691 .A45)
  • Encyclopedia of Globalization, vol. 4, p. 1323-1510 (Ref. JZ 1318 .E63 2007)
  • The Encyclopedia of World War I: A Political, Social and Military History, vol. 5: Documents (Ref. D 510 .E53 2005)
  • The Encyclopedia of World War II: A Political, Social and Military History, vol. 5: Documents (Ref. D 740 .E516 2005)
  • Historic Documents of [year], 1972- (Ref. E 839.5 .H57)
  • Immigration and Asylum: From 1900 to the Present, vol. 3: Documents (Ref. JV 6012 .I56 2005)
  • Major peace treaties of modern history 1648-1967, 6 vols. (Ref. KZ 184.2 .I8 2002)
  • Source Records of the Great War. . . 7 vols., 1930 (D 521 .H6 1930)
  • Weapons of Mass Destruction, vol. 1: Chemical and Biological Weapons: Documents, p. 341-393; vol. 2: Nuclear Weapons: Documents, p. 417-539 (Ref. U 793 .W427 2005
2. JOURNAL AND MAGAZINE INDEXES (PRINT FORMAT)

These indexes can be used to identify contemporaneous articles and news reports for events prior to 1983. The indexes are located in the Dabney Reading Room in the Reference area.

  • Nineteenth Century Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, 1890-1899. 1944. 2 vols.
  • Poole's Index to Periodical Literature. Rev. ed., 1802-1906. 6 vols. in 7
  • Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, 1900-1998
  • International Index to Periodicals, 1907-1974.
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Index, 1965-1974.
  • Humanities Index, 1974-Mar. 1983
  • Social Sciences Index, 1974-Mar. 1983
3. ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

3.1 U. S. HISTORY

3.2 WORLD HISTORY

4. ELECTRONIC JOURNAL, MAGAZINE, AND NEWSPAPER INDEXES

Find contemporaneous articles and news reports for events from the mid 19th century to the present.

4.1 JOURNAL AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES

  • JSTOR
    Full-text articles as far back as the late 19th century.
  • Academic Search Premier
    Under Limit your results: Publication Type, select Primary Source Document.

4.2 NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

5. MICROFILM RESOURCES
  • Danville Advocate-Messenger, 1870-Dec. 2005.
    The holdings for early years are incomplete. There is no index for this newspaper.
  • Louisville Courier-Journal, 1929-1948; 1953-June 30, 1993.
    There is no index for this newspaper.
6. KENTUCKY HISTORY RESOURCES
7. GATEWAYS TO PRIMARY SOURCES

Last updated November 15, 2007

Grace Doherty Library    Centre College    600 West Walnut Street    Danville, Kentucky