Library: HIS325: African American History: Finding Primary Sources

Finding Primary Sources

What is a primary source?

Primary sources do not have to be found in the library and are most often found on the open web on government and institutional websites. Like any source, they need to be evaluated for bias and not taken at face value.

Here are a few primary source collections to start with:

African American Mosaic From the Library of Congress, contains primary sources, such as maps, photos & diaries on the African American experience.
Black Freedom Struggle in the United States: A Selection of Primary Sources Primary source documents, historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom.
Digital Schomburg Provides access to trusted information, interpretation, and scholarship on the global black experience [not just American].
Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) Explore history from America's libraries and museums by place or date.
Umbra: Search African American History Search hundreds of thousands of items from U.S. archives, libraries and museums.

Additional primary source collections and help:

Primary Sources
by The Library Last Updated Feb 13, 2025 197 views this year

Primary Source Search Tips

Using a search engine, such as Google, copy and paste the following search string:

digital collection site:.edu Barack Obama

site:.edu limits your search to educational-sponsored sites, which may be more reliable than those with a .com address.
the word in red is the Game changer individual that you are researching
You can also try the same search but replace .edu with site:.org However, always evaluate your sources! .org sites can be from any organization.
In addition to digital collection, try replacing that phrase with primary source