Primary and Archival Sources

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

Main website

Research by Topic

• example, the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, the links take you to:
  • an exhibit of digitized documents
  • an article that appeared in NARA's magazine, Prologue
  • the ARC Gallery on Natural Disasters, which includes the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire

National Archives Catalog

America's Historical Documents (a sampling of NARA's records, from the most celebrated milestones to little-known surprises)

Digital Vaults

Digital Library

• American Memory
• written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience

"History Topics"

• LC calls them Themed Resources
• example: The Great Depression

Primary Sources by State

• Selected Library of Congress Resources for Wisconsin
• there is a page like this for every state

Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers (digitized, searchable)

Many states have statewide digital "libraries" of archival materials. Just a few examples:

• Wisconsin:
  • University of Wisconsin Digital Collections
    • Archival Resources in Wisconsin: Descriptive Finding Aids
    • World War I Collection
    • The Ku Klux Klan in Northwestern Wisconsin, ca. 1915-1950 (includes material from UWRF)
    • Includes oral histories, such as Former Members of the Wisconsin Progressive Party
  • Wisconsin Heritage Online (WHO)
• Minnesota Reflections
• California Digital Library

Find more digital libraries with archival materials:

Digital Public Library of America

  National History Day and Archives Toolkit, under Information for Students and Teachers:

• Introduction and Video - has nice video on visiting an archives for the first time (made over at UW-Eau Claire)
• Using Primary Sources - has examples of different types of archival materials and other primary sources, including some examples from UWRF's collections; also has a video from the Minnesota Historical Society on primary vs. secondary sources

• Online Primary Sources - helps you find archival materials that archives have digitized and put online