LibGuides: HIS 132 Sherman: Primary Sources in American History

Selected Books

American Decades Primary Sources
Call Number: Wilm Reference Books E 169.1 .A471977 2004
11 volumes
Covers 1900-1999.
For the Record : A Documentary History of America
Call Number: Wilm Reference Books E 173 .S487 2010
v. 1. From first contact through Reconstruction -- v. 2. From Reconstruction through contemporary times.
Milestone Documents in African American History
Call Number: Wilm Reference Books E 184.6 .M55 2010
Milestone Documents in American History: Exploring the Primary Sources That Shaped America
Call Number: Wilm Reference Books E 173 .M62 2008
"In-depth, analytical essays illuminating famous primary source documents from U.S and world history. Each entry includes the full text of the document in question as well as an essay that places the document in its historical context. "
Reading the Twentieth Century: Documents in American History
Call Number: Wilm Circulating Book E 740.5 .R43 2009

Primary Documents on the Web

Take care when using Internet sites for primary sources. Most sources contain both primary and secondary texts. Be sure you have properly identified your document.

19th-Century American Collection
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Part of the Perseus Project at Tufts Univeristy
America's Historical Documents
The National Archives preserves and provides access to the records of the Federal Government from our most celebrated milestones to little-known surprises.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
Includes written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music.
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From the Library of Congress
Documenting the American South
"DocSouth is a digital publishing initiative ... which provides access to digitized primary materials that offer Southern perspectives on American history and culture." For help with printing go to http://docsouth.unc.edu/support/faq/#printing
For citation help go to http://docsouth.unc.edu/support/faq/#cite
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Sponsored by the University Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Making of America
"A digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. "
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Joint project of the University of Michigan and Cornell University
Primary Documents in American History
Covers the period from 1763 to 1877. Each section includes "background information about the document, and a list of links to digital materials concerning that document." From the Library of Congress.
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From the Library of Congress
US Statutes at Large
Covers the 108th to 115th Congress, 2003-2018. Individual documents are thousands of pages long, but can be searched by keyword after downloading.
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From the US Government Printing Office

Historical Census Data

Search the NHGIS for Census Data

Census Data is available from the National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) which provides, free of charge, aggregate census data and GIS-compatible boundary files for the United States between 1790 and 2022.

You can search for data based upon criteria you choose. You will need to create an account (It's free.) to download the tables.

Resources From Online Databases

Milestone Documents in American History
Compiled by the National Archives and Records Administration, and drawn primarily from its nationwide holdings. The documents chronicle United States history from 1776 to 1965.
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compiled by the National Archives and Records Administration, and drawn primarily from its nationwide holdings. The documents chronicle United States history from 1776 to 1965.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries
Includes 1,325 women and 150,000 pages of diaries and letters. Collection provided through NCLive.