Thinking about Primary Sources
A primary source is an original source of information, written or created during the time period under study. Primary sources may include:
- Original documents like diaries, manuscripts, photographs, film footage, newspaper articles, speeches, and official records
- Creative works like novels, poetry, music or artifacts like furniture, clothing, buildings
Contrast these with secondary sources, which interpret and analyze primary sources. Secondary sources are generally written after the fact.
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Finding Primary Sources
Finding primary sources can be tricky. Here are some ways to search for them:
1. Search a primary source database.
2. Use library catalogs to find primary sources published in books.
3. Use the bibliographies of secondary sources.
4. Search for manuscript and archival materials.
5. Search an index (not full-text, but sometimes the best for the topic).
Digitized Primary Sources
- Archive of Early American Images (John Carter Brown Library, Brown University)Includes over 7000 images from colonial-era America (South and North.) Also includes links to digitized colonial-era books.
- Digital Archive of Latin American and Caribbean Ephemera (Princeton University)Searchable archive of over 2000 digitized versions of ephemera created in Latin America, currently dating from 1972 to 2014. Click on Browse to browse by country.
- Digital National Security Archive (DNSA) This link opens in a new windowThis resource may contain content still classified by the United States Government. Individuals holding security clearances use at their own risk. A full-text database of over 50 core collections of primary documents acquired by the George Washington University based National Security Archive. The collection has been acquired through extensive use of FOIA. Each core collection is focused on one topic, e.g. Iran-Contra, Terrorism and U.S. Policy. Each topical collection includes diverse policy documents supplemented by contextual and reference material on chronology, glossary and bibliography.
- Documents of 20th-Century Latin American and Latino ArtFrom the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Note that you can create an account and save, e-mail, and export collections of documents.
- Endangered Archives Project, Americas (British Library)Digitized archives from a variety of topics and countries, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.
- Archives of Latin American and Caribbean History, Sixteenth to Twentieth Century This link opens in a new windowCoverage extends from the 15th to 20th century, providing information about the indigenous peoples of the region, the Conquest (la Conquista), colonial rule, religion, struggles for independence, and political, economic, and social progress and issues in newly independent nations. The archive is made up of more than 1.3 million pages of historical material across 33 archival collections from the United States and Europe. The historical collections provide original manuscripts, signed letters, expedition records, reports, maps, diaries, descriptions of voyages, ephemera, and more. Formerly known as World Scholar: Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Sabin Americana, 1500-1926 This link opens in a new windowBased on Joseph Sabin's landmark bibliography, this collection contains works about the Americas published throughout the world from 1500 to the early 1900's. Included are books, pamphlets, serials and other documents that provide original accounts of exploration, trade, colonialism, slavery and abolition, the western movement, Native Americans, military actions and much more. With over 6 million pages from 29,000 works, this collection is a cornerstone in the study of the western hemisphere.
- Qualitative Data Repository (QDR)The Qualitative Data Repository (QDR) is a dedicated archive for storing and sharing digital data (and accompanying documentation) generated or collected through qualitative and multi-method research in the social sciences. This repository includes Latin American projects.
- Latin American TraveloguesThis project contains digital copies of Latin American travel accounts written in the 16th-19th centuries
- Archive of Political Parties and Elections in Latin America, APPELAIncludes web archiving from Chile, Brasil, Argentina,Uruguay, Bolivia, México, Peru, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Paraguay, República Dominicana, Guatemala, Colombia, and Ecuador.
- Global Commodities: Trade, Exploration, & Cultural ExchangeBrings together manuscript, printed and visual primary source materials for the study of global commodities in world history.
Digital Libraries:
- Hispanoamérica (Biblioteca Nacional de España)Digitized books and documents on the subjects of the history of Hispanic America and the independence of Hispanic American nations.
- Rare Books from Dumbarton OaksThese are digitized rare books from Dumbarton Oaks' Pre-Columbian collections
- LACLI (Latin American, Caribbean, U.S. Latinx, and Iberian Online Free E-Resources)LACLI is a collective effort to create a warehouse of online free e-resources with Latin American, Caribbean, U.S. Latinx, and Iberian full content.
- Argentina: Records of the U.S. Department of State, 1960-1963 This link opens in a new windowDigitized files and correspondence about Argentina in the early 1960s, following the overthrow of Juan Perón in 1955. Part of Archives Unbound.
- Archivo Histórica de Revistas ArgentinasThis is an ever-growing collection of Argentine literary and cultural journals from the 1920s through 2008. Titles include Martin Fierro, El escarabajo de oro, El Cielo, and Crisis, along with about a dozen others.
- Argentine Presidential Messages1810-1999
- Alfredo Montalvo Bolivian Digital Pamphlets Collection (Cornell University Library)A collection of 715 digitized pamphlets, principally from a donation made to Cornell University by the Bolivian bookseller, Alfredo Montalvo.
- Memórias Reveladas (Arquivo Nacional)This is an online resource that contains over a million documents related to Brazil's dictatorship. In Portuguese.
- Brazilian and Portuguese History & Culture: Oliveira Lima Library Pamphlets and Monographs This link opens in a new windowThis is digitized collection of about 4000 pamphlets and 3,800 monographs held at the Oliveira Lima Library at the Catholic University of America, published chiefly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Topics include Brazilian and Portuguese history, literature, and politics, but nearly all topics and time periods beginning with the colonial era are represented.
- Brazil: Records of the U.S. Department of State, 1960-1963 This link opens in a new windowDigitized records from the U.S. Department of State regarding Brazil in the early 1960s, during the Goulart presidency. Part of Archives Unbound.
- Opening the Archives (Brown University & Universidade Estadual de Maringá)This is an archive of documents chiefly produced by the US State Department that relate to the Brazilian dictatorship that began in 1964.
- Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin: Acervo DigitalThe Biblioteca Brasiliana holds nearly 15,000 titles, comprising 40,000 volumes: works of Brazilian (and Portuguese) literature, travel narratives, historical and literary manuscripts (including originals and typographical proofs), periodicals, scientific and instructional texts, iconography (including plates and illustrated albums) and artistic books (engravings). The digital archive has 3,000+ items.
- Brazilian Government DocumentsThe Latin American Microfilm Project (LAMP) at the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) has digitized executive branch serial documents issued by Brazil’s national government between 1821 and 1993, and by its provincial governments from the earliest available for each province to the end of the first Republic in 1930.
- Repositório de dados eleitorais — Tribunal Superior EleitoralIncludes elections from 1950-present
- Slave Movement During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (UW-Madison)Includes data on slave movement from Africa to America, including specifically Rio de Janeiro, Havana, Jamaica, and Angola.
Digital Libraries:
- Feminism in Cuba: Nineteenth through Twentieth Century Archival Documents This link opens in a new windowThis collection, compiled from Cuban sources, spans the period from Cuban independence to the end of the Batista regime. The collection sheds light on Cuban feminism, women in politics, literature by Cuban women and the legal status of Cuban women. Part of Archives Unbound.
- Cuban Heritage Collection (University of Miami)The CHC contains digitized primary resource material from Cuban and Cuban-Americans, from a wide variety of literary, historical, and political figures.
- Foreign Relations Between the U.S. and Latin America and the Caribbean States, 1930-1944 This link opens in a new windowOrganized by country, this collection covers a wide range of viewpoints on political, social, and economic issues. It sheds light on the foreign relations interactions between Central American and South American countries. In the Caribbean, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic are represented. This collection includes cables, memoranda, correspondence, reports and analyzes, and treaties.
Part of Archives Unbound.
- Deena Stryker PhotographsApprx. 1,850 photographs taken by journalist Deena Stryker Cuba between 1963-1964 (Duke University Libraries Digital Repository)
Digital Libraries:
- Slave Movement During the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (UW-Madison)Includes data on slave movement from Africa to America, including specifically Rio de Janeiro, Havana, Jamaica, and Angola.
- Digital Library of the CaribbeanContains thousands of digital images and texts relating to the history and culture of the Caribbean. In English, Spanish, and French.
- Archivo Digital de Inforpress CentroamericanaThe digital archive contains news clippings and documents compiled by Inforpress Centroamericana on the topic of Violence in Guatemala. The news stories are arranged chronologically and address the distinct types of violence prevalent in Guatemala in the years 1978 to 1982: political violence, violence generated by the internal armed conflict, and everyday violence
- Digital Archive of the Guatemalan National Police Historical ArchiveContains over 10 million digital images from the late 19th century through the late 1990s.
- CBUES Repository (El Salvador)This repository provides access to collections digitized by libraries and universities in El Salvador.
- Centro Centroamericano de PoblaciónPopulation, fertility, and health surveys conducted by a variety of Central American institutions, maintained at the Universidad de Costa Rica. Includes some censuses. Individual registration required. En español.
- Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, Biblioteca Digital (Santiago, Chile)Contains digitized photographs, posters, manuscripts, documents, etc., chiefly from the Pinochet era.
Digital Libraries:
- Revolution in Mexico, the 1917 Constitution, and Its Aftermath: Records of the U.S. State Department This link opens in a new windowDigitized political and military documents regarding Mexico from 1910-1924, covering the Mexican Revolution and its aftermath. Part of Archives Unbound.
- Emiliano Zapata, 1901-1919 This link opens in a new windowDocuments related to Emiliano Zapata, head of the Liberation Army of the South and one of the key figures in the Mexican Revolution. The documents are mostly military orders and communications, sourced from the Archivo General de la Nacion in Mexico City. Part of Archives Unbound.
- Mexican Presidential Messages1821-1994
- Mexican Health & Aging StudyFrom the site: "The Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) is a prospective panel study of health and aging in Mexico, with national and urban/rural representation."
- Characteristics of Municipios : Data from the 1950 and 1960 Censuses of MexicoCompiled by Donald Tremain of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
- Humanizing DeportationDigital story-telling project, organized by US and Mexican institutions
- La novela corta. Una biblioteca virtualIncludes short novels and critical studies. Project by the UNAM
- Calisphere - Sabino Osuna PhotographsGlass plate negatives, photographs, and lantern slides of the Mexican Revolution taken by photographer Sabino Osuna. Includes images of Francisco Madero, Victoriano Huerta, Alvaro Obregón, Emiliano Zapata, and Pancho Villa, as well as street warfare during La Decena Trágica.
Digital Libraries:
- Biblioteca Digital MexicanaCovers Mexican history from the pre-Encounter to the 20th century. Manuscripts, codices, books, lithographs, photographs, maps and engravings are included.
- Brazilian and Portuguese History & Culture: Oliveira Lima Library Pamphlets and Monographs This link opens in a new windowThis is digitized collection of about 4000 pamphlets and 3,800 monographs held at the Oliveira Lima Library at the Catholic University of America, published chiefly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Topics include Brazilian and Portuguese history, literature, and politics, but nearly all topics and time periods beginning with the colonial era are represented.
- Digital Archives & Databases (H-Luso-Africa)List of digitized collections, maintained by H-Net
- Global Commodities: Trade, Exploration, & Cultural ExchangeBrings together manuscript, printed and visual primary source materials for the study of global commodities in world history.
Digital Libraries:
Digitized archives:
- La Guerra Civil Española This link opens in a new windowPublications and pamphlets covering the Spanish civil war from 1936 to 1939. Most materials are in Spanish but were published in Spain, Portugual, Latin America, the Philippines, and Germany. Part of Archives Unbound.
- Making of the Modern World This link opens in a new windowCollection of digital facsimile images of 61,000 works of literature on economics and business published from 1450 through 1945. Covers commerce, finance, social conditions, politics, trade and transport.
Includes:
Part I: The Goldsmiths'-Kress Collection, 1450-1850
Part II, 1851-1914
- Movimientos Migratorios IberoamericanosCollection of thousands of migration records between Spain and Latin America. Created and maintained by the Spanish government.
- Archivo Federico García LorcaMaintained by the Fundación Federico García Lorca, this site contains digitized copies of manuscripts, correspondence sent by García Lorca, and a foundation catalog.
- Colección de dibujos antiguos de la Biblioteca de la Facultad de Bellas ArtesThis archive contains 285 drawings, made by students of the Escuela de Bellas Artes, between 1752-1914
- Archivo histórico del Partido Comunista de EspañaThis fotographic archive contains over 3,200 photographs and 2,000 negatives. The digitized images are organized into categories, such as: Madrid, Valencia, bombardeos, propaganda, Frente de Aragón, la Batalla del Ebro.
- Biblioteca Virtual de Prensa HistóricaThis online historical news archive includes "prensa satírica", "revistas culturales" and "prensa clandestina" from Spain.
- Catálogo monumental de EspañaContains digitized guides to monuments and ancient ruins in Spain, organized by province. Solamente en castellano.
- Institut Cartogràfic de CataluynaIncludes downloadable current electronic maps of Catalonia, as well as historical maps of Catalonia, Spain, and the rest of the world.
Digital Libraries:
- Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de CervantesIncludes full-text works of Spanish-language literature, both classics and lesser known works (10th century-present)
Digital libraries:
- Biblioteca Ayacucho DigitalThe Biblioteca Ayacucho Digital provides free online access to around 250 Venezuelan and Latin American books, ranging from recent publications to classics by authors such as Simón Bolívar.
Interested in finding more primary sources that have been digitized? These are some resources that can help:- Latin American & Caribbean Digital Primary Sources (SALALM)This site provides links to open access digitized collections of primary sources that relate to Latin America and the Caribbean. The materials listed are freely available to the public and were created or are hosted at an academic institution associated with SALALM (Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials), either through institutional membership or through the personal membership of a staff member.
- OAIster This link opens in a new windowSearch for digitized archival resources, such as books, articles, text, multimedia, datasets, and theses. Part of WorldCat.
- Internet Archive This link opens in a new windowOffers permanent access for researchers, historians and scholars to historical collections that exist in digital format. It includes texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages. E-book collections include Text Archive and Project Gutenberg.
- ArchiveGridA searchable collection of finding aids to primary source material held in archives, special collections, and manuscript collections around the world. Includes historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more.
- LACLI (Latin American, Caribbean, U.S. Latinx, and Iberian Online Free E-Resources)LACLI is a collective effort to create a warehouse of online free e-resources with Latin American, Caribbean, U.S. Latinx, and Iberian full content.
Primary Sources at Georgetown
The Booth Family Center for Special Collections holds the library’s rare books, manuscripts, the University Archives, and the University Art Collection. Below are a few of their collections of interest. You can identify additional collections and finding aids by searching Digital Georgetown and consulting the Special Collections Descriptive Catalog. - Records of Greenpeace Latin AmericaThe records of Greenpeace Latin America consist of materials relating to the efforts of Greenpeace to promote environmentalism in Central and South America. Reports, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development documents, printed materials, memos, meeting minutes, and other items are contained in the collection. The collection is preserved in 15 boxes (21.5 linear feet).
- James Theberge PapersJames D. Theberge was the economic adviser to the United States Embassy in Argentina from 1961 to 1964 and a senior economist for the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington from 1966 to 1969. From 1970 to 1975 he was director of the Latin American and Hispanic Studies Center at Georgetown University. In 1975, he was appointed Ambassador to Nicaragua by President Ford, serving two years. President Reagan appointed him Ambassador to Chile in 1982. He served three years there.
- Tomás Herrán PapersThe Tomas Herran papers contain correspondence, cables, letter books, and related material dealing primarily with Colombian-U.S. relations in the period leading up to and just after the negotiation of the Hay-Herran Treaty (1903). The documents also concern Herran's duties as minister to the United States.
- Alliance for Progress Cartoon Book Program in Latin America CollectionThe Alliance for Progress Cartoon Book Program in Latin America Collection comprises a single series of material in the Ernest A. Keller papers. Keller (1897-1980), a journalist who worked for a variety of American papers as reporter and editor, came to direct the Far East Regional Production Center in Manila, a publishing house primarily for propaganda created by the USIA. From 1963 until 1967 Keller was employed with the USIA in Washington, where he was in large measure responsible for the production and printing of anti-communist cartoon books distributed in South and Central America under the auspices of the Alliance for Progress. The files from this series pertain to the production and distribution statistics for the program, which was run on a very large scale, as well as examples of cartoon books, a fotonovela, and posters produced by USIA and the Alliance for Progress.
Published Primary Sources
Use these search terms- in addition to your keywords- in order to identify published primary sources at the library:
- Archives
- Interviews
- Correspondence
- Description and travel
- Diaries
- Manuscripts
- Oral Histories
- Notebooks, sketchbooks, etc.
- Personal narratives
- Pictorial Works
- Speeches
- Sources
These search terms are especially powerful if you place them in the "subject" field in the HoyaSearch advanced search option.Digitization projects
- Internet ArchiveThe Internet Archive provides access to books and documents. Books published before 1923 are freely available, with some pamphlets, books, and other works published after that date also available.
Web Archiving Projects
- Latin American Web Archiving Project (LAWAP)The Latin American Government Documents Archive (LAGDA) seeks to preserve and facilitate access to a wide range of ministerial and presidential documents from 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries. The Archive contains copies of the Web sites of approximately 300 government ministries and presidencies. Capture of sites began on multiple dates in 2005 and 2006, and will continue with regularly scheduled captures.
