U.S. History: Primary Source Research

There are many places to find primary sources that interest you! UConn Library has access to dozens of primary source databases. Use this guide for links to historical U. S. newspapers and periodicals, archives, and themed collections. There are also other state libraries with wonderful collections. Explore those with the Connecticut Collections tab. 

Primary sources are the raw materials of history. They are unique materials that are created at the time of a historical event that serve as proof of historical facts. 

Primary sources:

• provide firsthand evidence about a historical event or period in which the creator of the source was an actual participant in or a contemporary of a historical moment.  
• capture the words, the thoughts and the intentions of the past. Primary sources enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually happened during a historical event or time period.
• can be used to determine how we know about historical events, or cultural trends. How do we know about a moment once it is passed?  By the evidence it leaves behind.
• are used by historians, who, by applying critical thinking skills, develop an interpretation of a historical event.